Man, I could listen to you all day 😂 something real therapeutic about listening to a guy wrenching on a bike without losing his shit every 5 minutes. Rebuilding my 76 shovel at the moment and this really helped. I’ve been having an issue getting the rear head bolts tight enough.
I'm afraid this one can get a little complicated. Have the bolts been changed to something not the original length? Have the heads been surfaced several times? Have the cylinders been resurfaced, or even shortened? Any of these things could be the culprit and all of them will need to be checked out. Also, make sure your cylinders match in length (height).
Hello Mike, Thank you for all your videos. I am currently building a 67 FLH and find your videos very helpful. I can't help but notice the picture of, looks like a 348 Indian on the wall in the background. I have a 346 Chief that I have had since 1976. Keep all these videos coming, Thanks!
Fun stuff. I sold my 52 Chief a while back. I was in a tight spot and needed to do it. Unrestored, just a fun old, very fast, bike. I had that one for twenty years. I managed to get her Bonneville cams and a few other little goodies. Good Roadbike.
Hello Mike, if I go once to the US I will visit you. I watched a lot of your videos and it helped me a lot with my early shovel, built 68. Even I had problems to find the screw for draining the gear box oil. THANKS! from EAST Germany ;)
Just as important to clock the gasket properly. Wondered why my rebuilt stroker shovel was burning oil. Tore the top end apart and noticed the head gaskets had no oil drain holes / were blocking the oil from draining to the crank. Not that it wasn't clocked right, the gasket just had no hole in it. Strange... Oil was forced down lifter tubes, metal oil line and valve seals. Some shops really just don't know what they are doing or just don't care. As for that gasket, thanks for the warning. Looks like its over engineered. Thanks Mike!
In building custom engines, the oil holes are sometimes left for the builders to drill. These are usually found when you purchase copper gaskets. Just something else to be aware of.
@Pacific Mike. Thanks for your videos. They are a great education. I was curious if you ever did a video on what to look for in getting a shovelhead. Or, if your subscribers and or you could point me in the right direction, I would be most grateful.
I just bought a 75 for my son and i to build together and finding these videos are awesome thank you for posting these looking forward to building ours hopefully incan be as calm as you are haha
Great vid as usual........... sure wish you had made the vid of installing the pistons and jugs with the motor in the frame.... would have been great to see your method of getting that together.
Thank you. But, it's no big deal. The only difference is, "your chassis is your motor stand." I did install the heads on my road bike on one of our videos. Just look at the list of videos. Go to our home page and then look at the list of videos (currently, 72 or 73 of them).
Well I learnt something again today because I didn't think there would be enough clearance to do a top end in the bike so I really enjoy learning more from people who have experience, unfortunately in Australia there are not a great deal of Harley mechanics and most people don't want to do shovels because they fear comebacks and here h.d parts are super expensive a decent set of lifters are around 800 bucks.
There are pros and cons to every place you pick to live. I remember when there were bunches of Shovelheads being shipped to Australia. I think that was in the nineties. Build up a library for yourself. In your case, get used to looking at S&S literature online. Find people with your same interests. I know they're out there. Fix that vacuum leak.
Hi Mike, Thank YOU for the ShovelHead Cylinder Head video What are your opinions on these "STD" Cylinder Heads over stock H-D OEM Cylinder Heads ? (any obvious advantage or improvement ? ) COOP ........................................
There are a lot of improvements, exhaust port lowered, improved chamber, better flow. I'm not the expert on those heads, but they are very good. I ran across a great deal on them and my original heads had literally hundreds of thousands of miles on them. They needed major repairs.
Just found the site You and it are Very good!!!! I have an old 69 flh it has the old after market std cases I have had this for about 12 years and hardly take it out. so yesterday we here in ohio hit a warm 50 deg. and figured id take the wife out for a spin well the shit gas has gummed up the s&s i guess last year or 2 years ago i forgot to run stuff thru and drain it. Guess what i did today? Be good stay safe Happy Holidays to You and Yours, bob
God bless ya Mike. Love watching the videos. Lowers my heart rate at the end of the day when I finally get some down time. Movies and TV has Morgan Freeman with the popular voice. CZcams motorcycle videos has #pacificmike Love to buy ya a coffee if I get back that way. Your videos keep me motivated to keep working on mine. Thanks for what you do. This is valuable knowledge. I very much appreciate your videos. Thank you sincerely Mike. Keep doing what you do brother.
Hello Mike...I really like your videos. Very detail oriented. I have a 1981 80" Shovel in a rigid frame. I'm running a open BDL primary. The crankcase vent hose no longer has anywhere to go as it used to go back into the primary. I had the vent hose zip tied above the rear chain for a while to oil it, but it just slings oil all over the rear of the bike. Can I attach that hose to a catch can with a filter, or should I leave it alone and run it down under the bike away from the tire. I know that the more I use the bike the less it drips, but I'm pretty OCD about oil all over my garage floor and driveway. Thanks Mike
Open your service manual. Go to the oil pump in the engine section. Find the "chain oiler" screw and turn it off. It has a long tapered screw. Bottom it out. Be gentle and don't damage it or it's seat.
Mr Mike 1st I appreciate ur vids they really help me 2nd where the world can I find them wrenchs u put on the torque wrench I just can't find them and wat r they called
I believe Snap-On calls them a torque adapter. They can get them for you. I believe I have a full set, but the ones you really use much 9/16 and for high performance Shovelhead head bolts, 7/16. I believe you can still buy singles.
hello mike, congratulations for your very informative videos, I have been following you for a long time. I cannot find any information regarding the mounting direction of the pistons of the 1979 1200 shovel. my repair manual tells me "under the piston skirt there is a repair and put this repair on the right side of the engine". my question, how to identify the right side of the engine? Is this the camshaft side? where on the stator side? .thank you mike for your help. Stéphane
Generally, on any motorcycle or car, where you sit as the operator, decides which side of the vehicle is left or right. Therefore, the cam side is the right side. The primary drive side is the left side.
Hey Mike thanks so much for taking the time to make these videos, They have helped me out a ton. I was wondering where you get your new hardware from when you put your motors back together?
Aftermarket suppliers carry all those fasteners. All of the major suppliers for old Harley parts, carry motor bolt sets. There are several manufacturers of 12 point bolts. Just type it into your computer.
I enjoy your vids and the teaching. Question: 82 FXR 20,000 miles. Been sitting awhile. I had the normal leaking at the rocker shaft nuts/seals. If I remove the heads and re-seal top end, will that cause lower end issues like oil ring blow by?? Would (or should) I have to do bottom end work, at the same time?
You can replace the rocker shaft seals without removing the heads. What a nice thing to have such a low mileage Shovelhead. If I removed the heads, I would treat it as if it had 30 trhousand or so on it. I would hand lap the valves and install new valve seals. I would make sure of no excessive wear or damage and install new piston rings. That would be a nice freshened up motor. The lower end, unless abused, should be fine.
Hi Mike, I was hoping you could give me some advice on piston compression ratio. I have just converted my 80 model fxwg to belt drive kick only and I want to run hydraulic lifters have a Andrews AB cam in it plus Super E carb with points ignition. I am a light weight guy and looking for a low compression ratio. Would 8-1 be OK to kick or even going as far as 8.5-1 also the bore is 040 over .as that's what the previous guy did . Any advice you could share would really help.
8:1 should be fine with that cam. Using an electronic ignition that is programmable would really help. I use a Dyna that I can plug into a computer and run enough retard to easy start and enough advance to run well. That is not normally easy to do with the standard ignitions.
I find it much easier to install the engine. It's not too heavy. All of the engines earlier and later than Evos are heavier than Evos. The engine held in the frame is a really nice place to install cylinders and heads.
Hey Mike have you ever had one of your jugs bigger then the other? My front is .030 bigger then the rear on my 73 FLH, can I just get rings and set them both to gap between 10-20 like the book calls for?
People do strange things. Sometimes, it's out of necessity. I would match them, same bore, pair of pistons, proper size rings for those pistons, and set the end gaps as per the piston manufacturer's recommendation. Yes, it gets expensive. But, you're one of the chosen. You have a Harley.
I was in the process of replacing all seals and gaskets but you know how that goes. One cylinder coming off also brought broken rings with it. So now I'm getting my jugs bored then ordering pistons after I see what it came out to. Either .020 or .030 depending on how they spec. my question to you since you've rebuilt Harley's all your life is what would you recommend for Pistons. As far as I can tell I think it's stock. The cam on the big gear end has either a w or m stamped on it and then the Lobe on the other end has an H. So it's basically stock but I'm just curious as to what you would recommend for Pistons. Motor looked to be standard ore u got 3.438 on the bore with my caliper. Somebody's been in the heads as the one guide has + .001 on one of them. Rowe USA Bellflower C.A. stamped. All the other three are STD. Anyway as I said curious about which pistons you recommend. I'm pretty much just going to leave the same cam in it as it's good enough for me. Thanks brother for your advice I appreciate it...oh yeah I did get an extra set of rocker arm spacers I'm going to try to see if I can't maybe drill them? One is at .008 already but the others are around .020... I don't like slop... ✌🏻
Pistons are all pretty good now days. Just a mater of what you want in the way of compression. You didn't tell me what your motor is, so I'm assuming it's a 74 inch cone motor Shovelhead. This is from the things you did mention and the fact that you were watching a video on one. Did you have some knowledgeable Harley guy feel the lower end in that motor and give you their educated opinion? I can only assume the lower end is used and therefore, would not be installing any real high compression pistons. The rocker arm spacers, again I'm assuming, are the original fat ones and you're speaking of counterboring them to take up the slop in the endplay. Be sure you're still centered in the pushrod holes of the rocker boxes when you're done. Just don't get too carried away and you'll be fine. By the way, Rowe valve guides were the standard in the industry for many many years. Mr. Rowe retire a couple years back and closed his doors. Just a little history about great parts from a great guy.
Mike, curious to know if you used any lube on the head bolt threads, or do you install them dry? Wouldn't a light film of oil help with an accurate torque process? Thanks, as always for your expertise.
Hi Mike, Love your videos! took apart my 79 shovel and the numbers on the connecting rods are say they are from a 1000 sportster , does that sound right? Thanks John
Mike great video and you are helping me out alot! My question is about my Shovelhead 12 point head bolts and torquing them. I bought a 2 inch torque adapter and alot of people are telling me that even if I have it 90 degrees to the wrench it will still throw off the math. But from watching your video I am taking it that it does not effect the math as long as it is a 90 degree to the handle. Can you confirm this? Thank you and keep up the great videos.
The bottom end is in great shape, as was the top. Bike got wrecked with a fresh motor. Next time I do a lower end, I'll share it. Just don't do them real often. I'm basically retired. This top end was a "clean and inspect." New rings, clean up valves, etc. I've been running that shovel and rebuilding it as necessary since it was new. I used to be, as you say, "a shop."
Sorry to keep bugging you. But can you tell me where I can get a good set of aftermarket cylinders for a 1963 panhead. . have ordered 2 sets. Each time there is something wrong with them. Last night installed a new set. 2 out of the 5 holes were off by almost 3/16. I first thought it was gaskets.
That sounds maddening. Try V-Twin (Tedd Cycle) in upstate New York. There is always S&S in Viola Wisconsin. You'll have to go through a supplier to purchase these parts.
When putting this back together I haven't heard anything about degreeing the camshaft or even setting anything to tdc there is a tdc isn't there? Maybe a quick little tutorial explaining the relationship between liaton, valves, and cam? Also would this be a interfering or non interfering motor? Thanks Mike , your the best!
Hi Mike, I have a problem I have not encountered before...As per previous message,I have to replace a head gasket on my 1981 80ci FLHS. I usually just use the blue teflon type of gasket..I just go on line and order them and when they arrive they fit easily with a millimeter or so of play.. Anyway,so this time I decide to go a different type of head gasket,I bought a .045 with firering..So they arrive and I put it on the cylinder and low and behold it seems to be tight on the lip,and not sitting flat,it has a warp due to the tight fit.. Have I always been lucky in the past,getting the right size gasket? Are there different size inner circumference for oversized bores and pistons,with head gaskets? I have never had to replace pistons in this bike,so I'm not sure of the bore size,where is the std/oversized stamp on a shovelhead piston please.. How many,and what oversized are the common shovel head re-bores..And do I have to get a certain size head gasket specific to my bore size? Or should I just go ahead and torque this sucker down and stop fussing? Thanks Mike, Regards dazed and confused...
Cool. Always use what works best for you. I've experimented a lot and do the same. Sometimes I have to spend more money than I would like. But, I'm trying to give myself and anyone I help, the best I can.
Sorry, I didn't answer the problem, and I'm sorry I can't see it from here. First; normally, the same size head gasket is used on both 74 and 80 inch motors. The fireing on the cylinder is the same diameter for both. There are alot of 3 5/8 cylinders out there that are larger. The gaskets I'm using on the video are Cometic MLS. I strongly believe in "fussing," as you call it. This is your motorcycle and worth every bit of effort it takes. Use a ruler, if you have to and see if you have bigger cylinders than stock, if the bore is as big as 3 5/8, then you have big cylinders with a big bore. If so, the cylinder head chambers have also been opened up to accept them. These require bigger gaskets.
Had 3 5/8 big bore cylinders and Keith black pistons installed on my 66 shovelhead. Less then 100 miles on them and noticed front plug was fowling.took front head off and sure enough oil is onto my piston.do I just get ne rings or what do I do?thanks
I get it. Something is not right and you need to figure it out. It's probably quite simple. Are the ring gaps "staggered?" If they aren't, there's your problem. I use the pattern for staggering them as shown (with a diagram) in the Evo service manuals. It always works for me. Are the end gaps properly set as per KB instructions? A proper honing job and all clearances according to the manufacturer and all that's left is the cylinder head. Valve seals or worn out guides? That should cover it. KB allows some really tight clearances on those pistons. Be sure you're using the right rings and didn't put the second ring in upside down. It does happen.
Hey, question for you. I just purchased a brand new set of cylinders for my first shovelhead build. Do I need to have them honed or anything or can I just do a cylinder to piston fit measurement and install. Thanks for your time
So your from SOCAL do you ever come up the west coast to canada say vanvouver island long beach I'm in comox valley vancouver island gonna try and find a shovel head maybe down there.The west is the best.
I'm finding out from the "comments," there's cool stuff all over the world. Haven't been to Vancouver since my Shovelhead was new. But, I loved it up there.
Yes, there are three layers of steel in those gaskets. They are riveted together, and that's where I attached the fishing line to hold them in place. They are made by Cometic and referred to as MLS (multi-layered steel).
@@pacificmike9501 By putting grease you are contaminating the barrelhead cylinder head surface prevention sufficient gasket adheasion. Just saying. Sincerely, Road Dog Cycles 🇨🇦 Canada
I found them on Amazon from Stanley/Proto for about 130 USD. Not cheap but probably cheaper than Snap-On. I'm sure there will be some variants but I trust Proto tools more than some other non-US brands when it comes to not marring the bolts. Here is a Link: tinyurl.com/y5yvlmbl
I always buy a good "name brand" bearing grease and use it for "most" things. In my old shop, I always used red grease because I was the only one in the area who did. That way, I could tell if I was the last one there, or if someone else had been there since I touched it last. No real preference on bearing grease, but I like using bearing grease intended for trailers because it is usually more resistant to water damage.
Thank you very much for making these videos. I think your shovelhead series has been my most valuable tool throughout my rebuild process.
Thank you.
Man I Love the old Harley's... thanks Mike for getting them back in the Wind.. thank you...
Thank you for the interest too.
@6:45 I actually reached toward the screen , to hold you gasket in place for ya ! love your work mike👍
Fine! I coulda used that hand. Thank you.
I had the same issue with those multi-layer gaskets. Was watching your video to see what I was doing wrong. 😊 Now I know it wasn’t me. Thanks Mike.
Glad it helped!
Man, I could listen to you all day 😂 something real therapeutic about listening to a guy wrenching on a bike without losing his shit every 5 minutes.
Rebuilding my 76 shovel at the moment and this really helped. I’ve been having an issue getting the rear head bolts tight enough.
I'm afraid this one can get a little complicated. Have the bolts been changed to something not the original length? Have the heads been surfaced several times? Have the cylinders been resurfaced, or even shortened? Any of these things could be the culprit and all of them will need to be checked out. Also, make sure your cylinders match in length (height).
Ben Priestley thanks Ben that was funny. I’m down to oil and filter changes now due to a bad attitude!! Thanks again.
Hello Mike, Thank you for all your videos. I am currently building a 67 FLH and find your videos very helpful. I can't help but notice the picture of, looks like a 348 Indian on the wall in the background. I have a 346 Chief that I have had since 1976. Keep all these videos coming, Thanks!
Fun stuff. I sold my 52 Chief a while back. I was in a tight spot and needed to do it. Unrestored, just a fun old, very fast, bike. I had that one for twenty years. I managed to get her Bonneville cams and a few other little goodies. Good Roadbike.
Hello Mike,
if I go once to the US I will visit you. I watched a lot of your videos and it helped me a lot with my early shovel, built 68. Even I had problems to find the screw for draining the gear box oil. THANKS! from EAST Germany ;)
Sounds like fun to me.
Your like the Bob Ross of Harley video's. 👍🏻
Thank You.
Just as important to clock the gasket properly. Wondered why my rebuilt stroker shovel was burning oil. Tore the top end apart and noticed the head gaskets had no oil drain holes / were blocking the oil from draining to the crank. Not that it wasn't clocked right, the gasket just had no hole in it. Strange... Oil was forced down lifter tubes, metal oil line and valve seals. Some shops really just don't know what they are doing or just don't care. As for that gasket, thanks for the warning. Looks like its over engineered. Thanks Mike!
In building custom engines, the oil holes are sometimes left for the builders to drill. These are usually found when you purchase copper gaskets. Just something else to be aware of.
Just ran across this channel, lovin the build. Love workin on bikes and can always learn somthin new. Thank you and God bless you brother.
Thank you.
@Pacific Mike. Thanks for your videos. They are a great education. I was curious if you ever did a video on what to look for in getting a shovelhead. Or, if your subscribers and or you could point me in the right direction, I would be most grateful.
That's really a matter of personal preference and how much money you're willing to spend.
I just bought a 75 for my son and i to build together and finding these videos are awesome thank you for posting these looking forward to building ours hopefully incan be as calm as you are haha
Thank you. Enjoy that time with your son. It's priceless.
Great vid as usual........... sure wish you had made the vid of installing the pistons and jugs with the motor in the frame.... would have been great to see your method of getting that together.
Thank you. But, it's no big deal. The only difference is, "your chassis is your motor stand." I did install the heads on my road bike on one of our videos. Just look at the list of videos. Go to our home page and then look at the list of videos (currently, 72 or 73 of them).
Well I learnt something again today because I didn't think there would be enough clearance to do a top end in the bike so I really enjoy learning more from people who have experience, unfortunately in Australia there are not a great deal of Harley mechanics and most people don't want to do shovels because they fear comebacks and here h.d parts are super expensive a decent set of lifters are around 800 bucks.
There are pros and cons to every place you pick to live. I remember when there were bunches of Shovelheads being shipped to Australia. I think that was in the nineties. Build up a library for yourself. In your case, get used to looking at S&S literature online. Find people with your same interests. I know they're out there. Fix that vacuum leak.
Great video, thanks !
Glad you liked it!
Yes, Torque Adapter for the head bolts. Snap On has them...gotta get the correct size. They aint Cheap either.
Yes, good tools are expensive.
I bought a Stanley torque adapter from Amazon,wasn't to dear really..Seems to do the job just fine..
Maybe line up the gasket to the bottom of head,..set it gently down and use one hand to hold it in place and the other two start head bolts.
Pretty much.
Hi Mike,
Thank YOU for the ShovelHead Cylinder Head video
What are your opinions on these "STD" Cylinder Heads over stock H-D OEM Cylinder Heads ? (any obvious advantage or improvement ? )
COOP
........................................
There are a lot of improvements, exhaust port lowered, improved chamber, better flow. I'm not the expert on those heads, but they are very good. I ran across a great deal on them and my original heads had literally hundreds of thousands of miles on them. They needed major repairs.
Great vid as always!
Do you put cylinder head gaskets on dry?
I have a stock 77 shovel I’m putting together
Depends on the gasket. Check with the manufacturer.
Cometic are great gaskets but I’ve had the same issue glad to see I’m not alone. Lol
Yah, I felt silly.
Good advice
Glad you liked it
Great videos - thank you.
Glad you enjoy them. Thank you.
Just found the site You and it are Very good!!!! I have an old 69 flh it has the old after market std cases I have had this for about 12 years and hardly take it out. so yesterday we here in ohio hit a warm 50 deg. and figured id take the wife out for a spin well the shit gas has gummed up the s&s i guess last year or 2 years ago i forgot to run stuff thru and drain it. Guess what i did today? Be good stay safe Happy Holidays to You and Yours, bob
'69 FLH, STD cases, man, that's all good stuff. Enjoy her. You're quite fortunate.
God bless ya Mike. Love watching the videos. Lowers my heart rate at the end of the day when I finally get some down time. Movies and TV has Morgan Freeman with the popular voice.
CZcams motorcycle videos has #pacificmike
Love to buy ya a coffee if I get back that way. Your videos keep me motivated to keep working on mine. Thanks for what you do. This is valuable knowledge. I very much appreciate your videos. Thank you sincerely Mike. Keep doing what you do brother.
Thank you. I appreciate that a bunch.
Hello Mike...I really like your videos. Very detail oriented. I have a 1981 80" Shovel in a rigid frame. I'm running a open BDL primary. The crankcase vent hose no longer has anywhere to go as it used to go back into the primary. I had the vent hose zip tied above the rear chain for a while to oil it, but it just slings oil all over the rear of the bike. Can I attach that hose to a catch can with a filter, or should I leave it alone and run it down under the bike away from the tire. I know that the more I use the bike the less it drips, but I'm pretty OCD about oil all over my garage floor and driveway. Thanks Mike
Open your service manual. Go to the oil pump in the engine section. Find the "chain oiler" screw and turn it off. It has a long tapered screw. Bottom it out. Be gentle and don't damage it or it's seat.
Mr Mike 1st I appreciate ur vids they really help me 2nd where the world can I find them wrenchs u put on the torque wrench I just can't find them and wat r they called
I believe Snap-On calls them a torque adapter. They can get them for you. I believe I have a full set, but the ones you really use much 9/16 and for high performance Shovelhead head bolts, 7/16. I believe you can still buy singles.
Mike! I wanted to see your method for installing the pistons into the cylinders. I have seen a few ways to do it and I’m curious as to how you do it.
Coming up soon.
hello mike, congratulations for your very informative videos, I have been following you for a long time. I cannot find any information regarding the mounting direction of the pistons of the 1979 1200 shovel. my repair manual tells me "under the piston skirt there is a repair and put this repair on the right side of the engine". my question, how to identify the right side of the engine? Is this the camshaft side? where on the stator side? .thank you mike for your help.
Stéphane
Generally, on any motorcycle or car, where you sit as the operator, decides which side of the vehicle is left or right. Therefore, the cam side is the right side. The primary drive side is the left side.
@@pacificmike9501 ok thank you very much mike .👍
Hey Mike thanks so much for taking the time to make these videos, They have helped me out a ton. I was wondering where you get your new hardware from when you put your motors back together?
All of the major suppliers seem to carry Colony brand.
I was wondering where I would get those 12point bolts from and the bottom 4 bolts
Aftermarket suppliers carry all those fasteners. All of the major suppliers for old Harley parts, carry motor bolt sets. There are several manufacturers of 12 point bolts. Just type it into your computer.
I enjoy your vids and the teaching.
Question: 82 FXR 20,000 miles. Been sitting awhile. I had the normal leaking at the rocker shaft nuts/seals. If I remove the heads and re-seal top end, will that cause lower end issues like oil ring blow by?? Would (or should) I have to do bottom end work, at the same time?
You can replace the rocker shaft seals without removing the heads. What a nice thing to have such a low mileage Shovelhead. If I removed the heads, I would treat it as if it had 30 trhousand or so on it. I would hand lap the valves and install new valve seals. I would make sure of no excessive wear or damage and install new piston rings. That would be a nice freshened up motor. The lower end, unless abused, should be fine.
@@pacificmike9501 I hear you. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks
Hi Mike, I was hoping you could give me some advice on piston compression ratio. I have just converted my 80 model fxwg to belt drive kick only and I want to run hydraulic lifters have a Andrews AB cam in it plus Super E carb with points ignition. I am a light weight guy and looking for a low compression ratio. Would 8-1 be OK to kick or even going as far as 8.5-1 also the bore is 040 over .as that's what the previous guy did . Any advice you could share would really help.
8:1 should be fine with that cam. Using an electronic ignition that is programmable would really help. I use a Dyna that I can plug into a computer and run enough retard to easy start and enough advance to run well. That is not normally easy to do with the standard ignitions.
Mike why not put the heads the eng. on the bench, before installing in the bike?
I find it much easier to install the engine. It's not too heavy. All of the engines earlier and later than Evos are heavier than Evos. The engine held in the frame is a really nice place to install cylinders and heads.
Gotta do my leaky shovel head gaskets soon before Myrtle
Cool. Have fun.
I never saw head gaskets like that before. What kind are they?
Cometic "multi layered steel."
Was looking at some head gaskets for my shovelhead and saw some .032 thick copper ones, why would you need them that and do you use them ?
I haven't in years. But, it's the old way of doing things and they worked.
Hey Mike have you ever had one of your jugs bigger then the other? My front is .030 bigger then the rear on my 73 FLH, can I just get rings and set them both to gap between 10-20 like the book calls for?
People do strange things. Sometimes, it's out of necessity. I would match them, same bore, pair of pistons, proper size rings for those pistons, and set the end gaps as per the piston manufacturer's recommendation. Yes, it gets expensive. But, you're one of the chosen. You have a Harley.
Why not put grease on both sides of the head gasket? Would this be a bad thing?
Use what you like. Always stay with the manufacturer's recommendations.
I was in the process of replacing all seals and gaskets but you know how that goes. One cylinder coming off also brought broken rings with it. So now I'm getting my jugs bored then ordering pistons after I see what it came out to. Either .020 or .030 depending on how they spec. my question to you since you've rebuilt Harley's all your life is what would you recommend for Pistons. As far as I can tell I think it's stock. The cam on the big gear end has either a w or m stamped on it and then the Lobe on the other end has an H. So it's basically stock but I'm just curious as to what you would recommend for Pistons. Motor looked to be standard ore u got 3.438 on the bore with my caliper. Somebody's been in the heads as the one guide has + .001 on one of them. Rowe USA Bellflower C.A. stamped. All the other three are STD. Anyway as I said curious about which pistons you recommend. I'm pretty much just going to leave the same cam in it as it's good enough for me. Thanks brother for your advice I appreciate it...oh yeah I did get an extra set of rocker arm spacers I'm going to try to see if I can't maybe drill them? One is at .008 already but the others are around .020... I don't like slop... ✌🏻
Pistons are all pretty good now days. Just a mater of what you want in the way of compression. You didn't tell me what your motor is, so I'm assuming it's a 74 inch cone motor Shovelhead. This is from the things you did mention and the fact that you were watching a video on one. Did you have some knowledgeable Harley guy feel the lower end in that motor and give you their educated opinion? I can only assume the lower end is used and therefore, would not be installing any real high compression pistons. The rocker arm spacers, again I'm assuming, are the original fat ones and you're speaking of counterboring them to take up the slop in the endplay. Be sure you're still centered in the pushrod holes of the rocker boxes when you're done. Just don't get too carried away and you'll be fine. By the way, Rowe valve guides were the standard in the industry for many many years. Mr. Rowe retire a couple years back and closed his doors. Just a little history about great parts from a great guy.
bob ross of gas and oil
Don't know that I'm worthy of that, but, thank you.
Thanks mike
Thank you.
Mike, curious to know if you used any lube on the head bolt threads, or do you install them dry? Wouldn't a light film of oil help with an accurate torque process? Thanks, as always for your expertise.
Sure, a light film is fine. That's all though, or they'll "Hydrolock."
@@pacificmike9501 Excellent. Thank you for the help.
Why they made it to tight head bolts into aluminium?
The HD Shovelheads have steel inserts cast into them.
Hi Mike, Love your videos! took apart my 79 shovel and the numbers on the connecting rods are say they are from a 1000 sportster , does that sound right? Thanks John
Check the numbers in an HD Parts manual.
Great videos Mike. Can a head gasket be changed with the engine in the chassis. Thank you
Yes, with most motors. Thank you.
I love you Pacific Mike
I'll take that. And, backatcha.
Spectacular
Thank you.
Where can I get one of those dog bone wrenches?
Mine came from the Snap-On tool truck.
Mike great video and you are helping me out alot! My question is about my Shovelhead 12 point head bolts and torquing them. I bought a 2 inch torque adapter and alot of people are telling me that even if I have it 90 degrees to the wrench it will still throw off the math. But from watching your video I am taking it that it does not effect the math as long as it is a 90 degree to the handle. Can you confirm this? Thank you and keep up the great videos.
Yes. 90 degrees is the answer. Think of it as leverage. The lever has stayed the same length.
Would have been nice to see the bottom end come together. Did you do the machining work and bottom end assembly or did you farm that out to a shop?
The bottom end is in great shape, as was the top. Bike got wrecked with a fresh motor. Next time I do a lower end, I'll share it. Just don't do them real often. I'm basically retired. This top end was a "clean and inspect." New rings, clean up valves, etc. I've been running that shovel and rebuilding it as necessary since it was new. I used to be, as you say, "a shop."
I enjoy your videos, Thanks for sharing.
@@pacificmike9501 this answers my question.
Sorry to keep bugging you. But can you tell me where I can get a good set of aftermarket cylinders for a 1963 panhead. . have ordered 2 sets. Each time there is something wrong with them. Last night installed a new set. 2 out of the 5 holes were off by almost 3/16. I first thought it was gaskets.
That sounds maddening. Try V-Twin (Tedd Cycle) in upstate New York. There is always S&S in Viola Wisconsin. You'll have to go through a supplier to purchase these parts.
When putting this back together I haven't heard anything about degreeing the camshaft or even setting anything to tdc there is a tdc isn't there? Maybe a quick little tutorial explaining the relationship between liaton, valves, and cam? Also would this be a interfering or non interfering motor? Thanks Mike , your the best!
Thank you. We do have videos of cam installations.
Hi Mike,
I have a problem I have not encountered before...As per previous message,I have to replace a head gasket on my 1981 80ci FLHS.
I usually just use the blue teflon type of gasket..I just go on line and order them and when they arrive they fit easily with a millimeter or so of play..
Anyway,so this time I decide to go a different type of head gasket,I bought a .045 with firering..So they arrive and I put it on the cylinder and low and behold it seems to be tight on the lip,and not sitting flat,it has a warp due to the tight fit..
Have I always been lucky in the past,getting the right size gasket?
Are there different size inner circumference for oversized bores and pistons,with head gaskets?
I have never had to replace pistons in this bike,so I'm not sure of the bore size,where is the std/oversized stamp on a shovelhead piston please..
How many,and what oversized are the common shovel head re-bores..And do I have to get a certain size head gasket specific to my bore size?
Or should I just go ahead and torque this sucker down and stop fussing?
Thanks Mike,
Regards dazed and confused...
Cool. Always use what works best for you. I've experimented a lot and do the same. Sometimes I have to spend more money than I would like. But, I'm trying to give myself and anyone I help, the best I can.
Sorry, I didn't answer the problem, and I'm sorry I can't see it from here. First; normally, the same size head gasket is used on both 74 and 80 inch motors. The fireing on the cylinder is the same diameter for both. There are alot of 3 5/8 cylinders out there that are larger. The gaskets I'm using on the video are Cometic MLS. I strongly believe in "fussing," as you call it. This is your motorcycle and worth every bit of effort it takes. Use a ruler, if you have to and see if you have bigger cylinders than stock, if the bore is as big as 3 5/8, then you have big cylinders with a big bore. If so, the cylinder head chambers have also been opened up to accept them. These require bigger gaskets.
Had 3 5/8 big bore cylinders and Keith black pistons installed on my 66 shovelhead. Less then 100 miles on them and noticed front plug was fowling.took front head off and sure enough oil is onto my piston.do I just get ne rings or what do I do?thanks
I get it. Something is not right and you need to figure it out. It's probably quite simple. Are the ring gaps "staggered?" If they aren't, there's your problem. I use the pattern for staggering them as shown (with a diagram) in the Evo service manuals. It always works for me. Are the end gaps properly set as per KB instructions? A proper honing job and all clearances according to the manufacturer and all that's left is the cylinder head. Valve seals or worn out guides? That should cover it. KB allows some really tight clearances on those pistons. Be sure you're using the right rings and didn't put the second ring in upside down. It does happen.
Thanks for the responded
I will remove cylinder and for stagger in rings.
You are right I took cylinder off and all ring gaps all lined up the same.i will stagger them and buttons it up
That's great. If it does it again though, your cylinder bore is not round.
@@pacificmike9501 you are the man thanks
Hey, question for you. I just purchased a brand new set of cylinders for my first shovelhead build. Do I need to have them honed or anything or can I just do a cylinder to piston fit measurement and install. Thanks for your time
You'll have to measure them and fit and finish them accordingly.
So your from SOCAL do you ever come up the west coast to canada say vanvouver island long beach I'm in comox valley vancouver island gonna try and find a shovel head maybe down there.The west is the best.
I'm finding out from the "comments," there's cool stuff all over the world. Haven't been to Vancouver since my Shovelhead was new. But, I loved it up there.
what head gasket did you use in that rebuild...seems there are three pieces...??
Yes, there are three layers of steel in those gaskets. They are riveted together, and that's where I attached the fishing line to hold them in place. They are made by Cometic and referred to as MLS (multi-layered steel).
...the rivet is flush? ...how do the cylinder and head compress the rivet?
No. the rivets are in two tabs that stick out of the perimeter of the gasket.
where can i get one of them fog bone wrenches?
Fog Bone? Perhaps that could be your new stage name. But, if you're a different "Fred Wright," I believe Snap-On calls it a "Torque Adapter."
why would you add grease on the gasket bird
Usually a little grease will hold the gasket in place until you set the head down on top of it. Just in a couple little spots to "stick" it there.
@@pacificmike9501
By putting grease you are contaminating the barrelhead cylinder head surface prevention sufficient gasket adheasion. Just saying.
Sincerely, Road Dog Cycles 🇨🇦 Canada
Where can I find that wrench. Need one
Any good tool supply should have it. This particular one is a "Snap-On."
I found them on Amazon from Stanley/Proto for about 130 USD. Not cheap but probably cheaper than Snap-On. I'm sure there will be some variants but I trust Proto tools more than some other non-US brands when it comes to not marring the bolts. Here is a Link: tinyurl.com/y5yvlmbl
What's name this purple grease
8:23 ?
I always buy a good "name brand" bearing grease and use it for "most" things. In my old shop, I always used red grease because I was the only one in the area who did. That way, I could tell if I was the last one there, or if someone else had been there since I touched it last. No real preference on bearing grease, but I like using bearing grease intended for trailers because it is usually more resistant to water damage.
@@pacificmike9501 Thank so much.
This joint is really stubborn;;
Life's like that.
put many heads on hahahahahaha
Okay. Thank You.
The video I most wanted to see is you putting cylinders on...WTF????????
Okay. Coming soon.
Where are you at Mike ?
SoCal