I've decided to go through the '90 Ultra I inherited a couple years ago. The bike sat of a few years so it seeps a bit and doesn't run well at the moment. More than that the frame is missing paint at several of the welded joints and has started to rust so I thought I'd tear it down to the frame and rebuild adding some updates along the way. I don't need a drag bike and will mainly be looking at fixing weak points in the stock 1340.
Some of the things I'd like to accomplish if feasible:
1. Keep stock pumper carb. It has cruise which could be nice.
2. Mild cam without getting crazy.
3. Stop the sumping.
4. Maybe change the battery location to get back some RH saddlebag volume.
5. Keep noise close to stock.
6. Better brakes. Stainless lines? A better pad material? Or does it need Wilwoods?
7. Switch to LED lighting.
8. Change oil filter PITA location.
9. Stock cassette player/speakers need to go. I wear earplugs anyway. What are my options?

Thanks for any/all help.

 

What's the budget.....there is SOOOOO many things you can do.

 

 

Let's say $2500. Is that reasonable?

 

I did a bunch of stuff to my 1990 ElectraGlide over the winter. Lots of the same stuff you're talking about.

Mostly a question of priorities. The problem I always run into is the "as long as I'm in there" factor. In my case, what started out as a simple cam upgrade turned into cam, pistons, head work, ignition, etc. I'm delighted with how it went, but the dollars add up quick.

I also converted to the new style bags and they are great. Great upgrade, but even if you buy cheapo bags, by the time you get them painted, and buy the $$$ fancy battery that fits inside the frame, and the fancypants tender they say it needs, you're knocking on the door of a grand right there.

 

0. I bought my 1990 Glide new and over its early years it also developed 'seeps' especially around the cylinder bases. That was easily fixed by using good quality aftermarket gaskets. It is tempting, as the cylinders etc have to come off, to do as 0maha describes above and giver 'er a real boost in the performance stakes. Mine also developed a trans output shaft leak, which required new seals and gaskets.
1. Your current carb should cope well, being able to deliver around 100HP.
2. Andrews EV13 or EV27, alternatively the 0maha way ahead will come with its own cam.
4. On the bags front, you will find that to get the bigger right-side you have to also buy the matching left one, as the symmetrical ones are actually larger than ours. I found a pair of as new Police bags, which were a lot cheaper than the 'normal' versions, although I have had to mount my tourpak higher, so the bag lids can open.
5. As for noise, I have a Supermegs 2-into-1, which is just great! Louder than stock, but not by a great deal.
6. I have found that floating aftermarket rotors, aftermarket pads and braided hoses give a decent upgrade in braking. I have gone beyond that more recently and have twincam Brembo calipers with EBC rotors and pads, although I'm not sure if they are available for stock Evos.
7. Take great care when shopping for LED lights! Our latest car has them, factory fitted, and they are fabulous. I have Trucklites in my Glide which are also great, however most aftermarket bulbs are cr@p and not worth buying. Why? Because they do not place the LEDs at the focal point of the stock reflector, hence creating flare or scattering of the light. That causes dazzle for other road users and doesn't let you see where you're going in the dark. I have yet to find any decent H4 LED bulbs for our other vehicle, or H3s for my Buell.
8. The oil filter location is just fine! Probably the best of all Harleys. Get yourself one of the fancy screw-on-off tools off Ebay for removing and replacing it. You do NOT want the silly thing up front where later bikes put it, just so it can create a mess!

 

Replace the lifters, the lifters that came in your engine were known to fail at the roller, the factory came out with an updated design in mid `90s, the new OEM lifters from the dealer are good units, also S&S or Johnson HyLift.

Avoid no name lifters like the plague...

Keep the solid pushrods.

Your bike came with an outdated front belt sprocket configuration that was notorious for coming loose, upgraded parts became available in mid 1994.

The parts that were upgraded were: Sprocket, Spacer, Oil Seal, Lockplate and screws.

 

Good price on lifters........

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lifter-Set-...9/121978535227

 

This is good stuff. I've started an excel sheet to keep track.

I'll hold off on bag replacement for now and see how deep I go on the engine/frame refresh.

grbrown - I guess my issue with the current filter location was the mount coming loose and allowing the filter to flop. I remember tightening it up a couple years ago and it being a total PITA to reach. Is there a mod to fix this?

I was looking at the Trucklites as well.

 

Trucklites are A+. Love mine.

If you're going to have it down to the frame anyway, you'll have the opportunity to clean-up/ tighten-up and red Locktite that oil filter mount with easy access.