Some will say that it is okay to disturb the rings, but I have seen first hand the importance of optimal ring seating/sealing, so I choose not to take the risk.

Re: pushrod adjustment, S&S has a good YouTube video on that and there are many here on the forum that have their own technique. Hopefully, they will chime in. The main thing is to make sure that you have the piston and cams at the right position, tighten the adjustment the proper number of turns based on your lifters' travel and your pushrods' threads-per-inch, and that you can spin the pushrods with your fingers before rotating the crankshaft (lifters have completely bled down).

Those were the set of videos I was talking about having. I believe I have stock pushrods in mine and not the adjustable or quickies. The builder didn't remember since it was several years ago and I haven't pulled the tubes to look.

I just took a peek and my push rods are adjustable so I'll follow the procedure on the S&S video that I have saved from YouTube for adjustment and bleed down. If anyone else wants to chime in please do so.

Started my tear down and got the front pulled apart. Holy cow was the piston and head full of carbon. Just mounds and chunks that took me at least an hour to clean the one head and piston. There has got to be an easier way than using a brass wheel and scrubbing with cleaner and brass brush. I'll do some searching.

I went ahead and installed the DK breather bypass for my big sucker intake and also going to go to a canned tune in my PCV. The guy that built the motor put a custom tune in it from another build he did that was put on a dyno but it has always run rich. There is no way it should have this much carbon with about 15K on the build. I'll get it dynoed after it's all said and done but I pulled the piston in the cylinder just as you instructed, dynawg1. I have my top end kit and need to get a couple circlips for my Wiseco pistons (don't think they are the same as HD). Wish I could just use the one I took off since it looks totally fine and not warped at all. I assume the other back cylinder will be the same. Hopefully a local shop will have them for my Wiseco pistons or I'll order them online.

I'm going slow as to not make any mistakes since this is the first time I've ever pulled a top end on a HD. Not hard at all, just takes time. I know if I would have taken it somewhere they wouldn't have cleaned the piston or head and slapped it back together.

Good progress. You can use a drill, die grinder, rotozip, or Dremel tool with a wire wheel attachment to remove the carbon from the other piston and the heads' combustion chambers. Make sure to clean the heads/cylinders/pistons/rings very well afterwards with compressed air and brake cleaner until a wiping rag shows no black residue and then rub down the cylinder walls with clean motor oil, ATF, or Marvel Mystery Oil before reassembling. STRONGLY recommend AGAINST reusing the circlips!

Bypassing the crankcase breather mist away from the air cleaner should significantly reduce the carbon buildup, but overly rich AFR will cause it to return quickly. Need to get a good tune on a Dyno. I use 4-5 ounces of Seafoam every 4 tankfuls of gas to eliminate any carbon buildup.

I did the Dremel and drill with a wire wheel and it still took forever. I think I'll put some Seafoam on a sponge and set it on top to soften things up. I'm taking your advice and WILL NOT use the same circlip and wondering if I should just go ahead and do the rings as well after seeing how caked everything was. I don't know if they are stuck because I did notice a slight power loss when my bases started to seep oil. Or if I should put everything back in and run several tank fulls with Seafoam. I can't say that I'm using too much oil before or seeing smoke but time is no big deal, I have a ring compressor and what's another $60 total at this point? I can take the cylinders to a shop and they will run a hone through them for $5 each and had them do it on snowmobile cylinders before. Thoughts? Again, I appreciate the help.

Not a good idea to use a wire wheel ( of any type ) on a piston ... Scraping the carbon off is a better option ... Next time try an old trick ... Without stalling the engine spray water into the intake ... it acts as a "blaster" removing all the carbon very effectively. Good luck with the repair and "happy motoring"

If you're having a local indy hone the cylinders, bring your pistons and rings and have them set the ring end gap as well. And yes Marvel Mystery oil is a great oil to use in the cylinder when re-assembling the pistons. Will help to seat the rings better...

IMHO, if it has that much carbon, I would remove the pistons and clean them outside of the cylinders. I wouldn't want to worry where all that carbon is going.

Of course new rings would be in order. But don't just have a hone run through it. these rings require a specific hone job, cross hatch and stone grit are important. Along with torque plate.

And by no means would you reuse a cir clip. no a gamble worth taking!