Evo cam or head work?
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4th Gear
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Evo cam or head work?
I have a '97 FXDL w/10k miles that I'd like to tweak a bit, and I'm thinkingabout swapping in a little hotter cam. I mentioned this to someone I met at the MSF experienced rider course I just took who told me having some porting/polishing done on the heads to make them flow better would do more than just a cam. Is this so? Or would I be better off doing a cam as well to make the most of thehead work? I'm not looking for a huge increase in power, just a healthy tweak over stock. I'm planning on eventually using the factory pipes with SE slip ons for a nice sound, witha low restriction air cleaner (Ness Big Sucker?).
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 349
Likes: 0
From: Sugarland, Tx
RE: Evo cam or head work?
IT all works together.The cam will work better if you do the heads. Depends on the amount of money you want to spend. If you want to spend little money, then I would do carb/exhaust. Maybe go to a 2 into 1 with a Mikuni or S&S carb? Otherwise, you could drop one or two grand once you start adding it up!
Novice
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 23
Likes: 1
From: Mt.Mesa, CA.
RE: Evo cam or head work?
A cam is Always changed as an early stage of hop-up over head work unless you have the big bucks for a decent head port and polish plus cam. I own and operate an independent Harley shop and rarely do more to EVO heads than reconditioning and cut for more compression. Head work without a cam changewould be fruitless compared to just a cam swap alone.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 978
Likes: 0
From: Southeastern USA
RE: Evo cam or head work?
ORIGINAL: Kingfish
I have a '97 FXDL w/10k miles that I'd like to tweak a bit, and I'm thinkingabout swapping in a little hotter cam. I mentioned this to someone I met at the MSF experienced rider course I just took who told me having some porting/polishing done on the heads to make them flow better would do more than just a cam. Is this so? Or would I be better off doing a cam as well to make the most of thehead work? I'm not looking for a huge increase in power, just a healthy tweak over stock. I'm planning on eventually using the factory pipes with SE slip ons for a nice sound, witha low restriction air cleaner (Ness Big Sucker?).
I have a '97 FXDL w/10k miles that I'd like to tweak a bit, and I'm thinkingabout swapping in a little hotter cam. I mentioned this to someone I met at the MSF experienced rider course I just took who told me having some porting/polishing done on the heads to make them flow better would do more than just a cam. Is this so? Or would I be better off doing a cam as well to make the most of thehead work? I'm not looking for a huge increase in power, just a healthy tweak over stock. I'm planning on eventually using the factory pipes with SE slip ons for a nice sound, witha low restriction air cleaner (Ness Big Sucker?).
Do the head and the cams if you can afford it. A good head shop with a flow bench can do wonders with the Evo or TC stock heads. They're fat stock. And usually flow way out of balance.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 8
From: Minneapolis Area, MN
RE: Evo cam or head work?
Cam and exhaust...don't pull the heads unless you have a reason to. Although maybe I shouldn't talk.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,456
Likes: 16
RE: Evo cam or head work?
It all depends on what route you wanna go.As far as cams or heads.go with the cams.Now I have an 84 FXRP with an Andrews EV-3 cam and initially ran 1 3/4 drags but now have a Supertrapp 2 into 1 Stainless Steel system.Now my heads will flow more air than a stock 84 evo head but Id imagine your head,being a later year,would flow as good or better than mine would when they were stock.
Cam technology has improved greatly since I did mine but I cant stress enough to do the cams,pipes,and air cleaner first.You can get real nice results and still not loose money when you DO do the heads.
Evo heads flow more air that the twin cam heads do today,even though they are only running on an 80 Ci engine.Its a much better design.
A mikuni 45 with a Andrews cam will really wake it up bro.
Cam technology has improved greatly since I did mine but I cant stress enough to do the cams,pipes,and air cleaner first.You can get real nice results and still not loose money when you DO do the heads.
Evo heads flow more air that the twin cam heads do today,even though they are only running on an 80 Ci engine.Its a much better design.
A mikuni 45 with a Andrews cam will really wake it up bro.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,137
Likes: 17
From:
RE: Evo cam or head work?
A cam sounds like what you want. Getting rid of the stock cam's EPA mandated oddball timing is the most important performance mod you can do to any Big Twin of recent vintage. Evos do flow better than Twin Cams, but if you want more power later you can always do the heads then. A cam like Andrews EV13 will wake up the bike when you're really twisting the throttle, but will return as good or better fuel mileage than stock when you're just cruising. At least, that's been my experience.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,739
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From:
RE: Evo cam or head work?
ran a micky carb se pipes se 4 cam dynoed at 68 hp.really woke it up when went with cam trq was 74
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