ive got a 98 road glide and just finished the top end with a 95 sputhe redo.
i got new rocker shafts and bushings to finish out the rebuild. i bought jims bushings and s&s shafts. i know im gonna have to hone to fit because the bushing are .010 smaller than the shafts. any tips? any secrets?

 

Use a 9/16 tap and thread it into the old bushing and press out one end at a time. Press in new bushings one at a time. Then you will need to use a special pilot reamer, then finish hone. Honing alone would take forever to size the new bushings to the shafts.

 

do i hone to size or clear a little for oil. since they are bronze, oil shouldnt be an issue or should it. thanks for the tips, that will save alot of time. also should i freeze the bushings before installing or does it matter?

 

Yes, freezing will shrink them a bit and make it easier to press them in. If you use a new, or near new reamer, you probably wont have to hone, if you do, it would take very little.

Tighter the better in my opinion. The clearance spec for the bushing/shaft is about .0007 - .002 so basically, if the shaft will comfortably slide all the way in/thru with everything clean, you're good to go.

 

the stock bushings are just plated no wonder they went bad. i got all of em out except for one rocker arm. can i use a little heat, not cherry red, to help
it release the bushing. ill use a drive punch and slowly tap it out. i think the heat will help. what do you think? will it hurt the rocker arm? thanks again.

 

Doubt it would hurt anything, but avoid getting it red if you can. I had a new one once, the journal drilling on the pushrod end had the "b-b" plug, but no silver solder. I was in a bind and welded it with a torch and tiny rod. Turned it red, but been running high RPM for over 12,ooo miles now - no problem.

Do you have a proper ream? An adjustable type won't give you the proper alignment of the 2 bushing per rocker that you need for longivity...

 

i need to buy a reamer. any suggestions where to buy. i thought i could lap in with old rocker shaft but like you said it would take forever. i'll just bite the bullet and buy a reamer. its not like i havent spent alot of money already. that sputhe stuff set me back a few, but its worth it. thanks

 

V-Twin # is 16-804. Jim's makes/sells one. Around 180.00 most places. I don't have one, but I bought a wristpin reamer from AEROSHARP (dot com) and I love it! 6 pairs of wristpin bushings, and I've not had to hone one! Seems the price was close to the discount outlets...

 

You already mentioned the freezer, you could put the rocker in the oven as well. Makes life much easier..

 

i measured my new jims bushing against my rocker arm machined holes for bushings and the jims bushings are .004 bigger on the o.d. than the machined i.d. in the rocker arm. will these things shrink up this much. i could understand maybe a .0015 press fit but .004 seems like im gonna shear them into place.