Today, I tore down the camchest and top end on my 2000 95" WideGlide with 31k miles. Good news and bad news.


Good news:


1) Cam chain tensioners were intact and in relatively good shape - say 1/2 worn (no tensioner/metal debris in engine oil passages to worry about).


2) Crank runout was only .0015 so I am good to go on installing gear drive cams. Everything, including the old chain-drive Crane 296-2 cams, stock cam plate, oil pump, etc. in the cam chest look good with very minimal wear.


3) 95" cylinder bores look good on both cylinders, very little wear on cylinder walls.


Bad news:


The top of the valve stems on my Edelbrock Performer RPM heads are galled and worn badly. The top of one valve stem is worn down to the keepers (rear cylinder exhaust) and two more are almost as bad. The forth (front cylinder intake) looks like new, but the adjustable pushrod for that valve was loose and destroyed the top of the pushrod and the stock rocker at the point where the pushrod contacts the rocker.


Looks like the indy that installed the Edelbrock kit (Performer RPM heads, JE pistons, Edelbrock/Crane Cams) in 2004 misadjusted the pushrods (too tight on three valves and too loose on the fourth) and, this coupled with my mistake of not using roller rockers, added up to create this issue.


Before anyone flames me, please remember that there was no hdforums or other type websites in 2004 and Edelbrock's installation instructions fail to mention the need for roller rockers with the kit's .619" lift Crane cams. There simply was not information available that I was aware of to know how to avoid this problem back in 2004. But I do now, thanks to you guys here on hdforums.


I purchased new Edelbrock/Crane 296-2 gear drive cams and S&S gear drive cam gear kit and plan to purchase the Feuling Race cam plate, Race oil pump, and Race lifter kit to completely redo the cam chest with the best components available.


I also purchased new Crane standard ratio roller rockers and plan to purchase the HD Screamin' Eagle forged rocker support plate and new S&S rocker shafts. This should make the rocker area bulletproof.

I would like your recommendations on an excellent machine shop to replace the valves, valve guides and valve seals on my Edelbrock Performer RPM heads. I live in Katy, TX (near Houston) and would like the find someone in Texas to do this work but am open to suggestions throughout the USA.

I really like the 95" Edelbrock Performer RPM setup (100+ HP and 100+ ft/bs of torgue SAE on several dynojet runs, fast revving with blistering acceleration and a strong, broad power band from 3000 to 6500) so please no recommendations to change heads, cams, displacement, etc.

Thanks ahead of time for your recommendations on a top shop to expertly refurbish my Edelbrock heads at a (semi) reasonable price.

 

This is why I never recommend adjustables...

I am looking for an oil pump and cam support plate, do you want to sell yours?

 

Absolutely. Please PM me about this.

 

OK got your PM and the best shop would be GMR(Steve) in the Keller area. Now if you want to try to do most everything yourself you could use AMS in Fort Worth to repair your cylinder heads, etc.

 

Thanks HD Pilot. I will call Steve on Monday and also AMS. Plan to do all the reassembly work myself and just need new valves, valve guides/seals, and a radius valve seat job on the heads (no port work). May have them go ahead and install compression releases while I'm at it.

Thanks again for your recommendation. I will keep you posted on the build. Merry Christmas!