SE heads
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,926
Likes: 138
From: NE Ohio
RE: SE heads
ORIGINAL: Firetender
Having your stock heads ported rather than porting the SE or S&S heads means leaving 8 - 12 hp on the table EVERYTIME. If you have the dough, buy the SE Hi-Per heads from Zanotti's and have 'em hand ported.
Having your stock heads ported rather than porting the SE or S&S heads means leaving 8 - 12 hp on the table EVERYTIME. If you have the dough, buy the SE Hi-Per heads from Zanotti's and have 'em hand ported.
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 611
Likes: 21
From:
RE: SE heads
Hear we go. 1st I have the SE preformance heads WITH the SE emblem on them and could give a rats a** if its there or not. I got them because they go with a proven build that did exactly like it was supposed to do. I got the S&S cams cause the chain drive cams in my case are not the best. I get tired of every one beating on the SE parts regardless. I keep out of these things most of the time but enough. Some of the SE parts are crap some arn't. Some are in a certain situation and not in others. Just like a part from X company is better than SE in this situation and SE is better in another application. When I got my SE heads they were about 600 or less from Zanotti. Sell stock heads and not much more than or less than porting own heads and have everything bigger and new. They work in my situation. I have done builds with stock ported heads and they do good. I will probably get my SE heads reworked but I expect it to cost more than a simple port job and I expect it to show. Bottom line is like msocko3 said "have a proven track record" regardless of who or what it is. Just had to say.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 346
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh, PA
RE: SE heads
This does get confusing. I was considering a build based on stock heads ported and a medley of parts from various suppliers. I do 99% of my riding in the 2,000-5,000 rpm range. The kit I am now looking at is the basic 103(not the street legal)for a stock 96" motor that calls for SE TC Perf. Heads, Flat Top Pistons and the SE-258 cams. This is the first graph in the EFI, racing, 103 section. This kit shows over 90 TQ @2,500 and about 108TQ @ 4,000 and 100HP@ 5,200 rpm.The graph looks real strong to 5,500 rpm. It doesn't have the big numbers at the very top of scale that the custom and more involved SE builds have. This seems like a safe, relatively inexpensive way to go with "out of the box" stuff that I can get at least 20% off. My friends and I have had great results with these SE kit in the past. I believe the SERT has 2 tunes for this kit depending on pipes.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,437
Likes: 15
RE: SE heads
Here is one thought on why he is saying the SE heads make more power. The SE heads come with bigger valves so if your porter does not change out to bigger valves then he is correct that with the right build the reworked SE heads will make more power(depending on build of course mild builds don't need bigger valves). That said most porters that are doing heads for monster builds are most certainly going to put in bigger valves. If they don't time to find a new porter.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,926
Likes: 138
From: NE Ohio
RE: SE heads
ORIGINAL: drhooligan
This does get confusing. I was considering a build based on stock heads ported and a medley of parts from various suppliers. I do 99% of my riding in the 2,000-5,000 rpm range. The kit I am now looking at is the basic 103(not the street legal)for a stock 96" motor that calls for SE TC Perf. Heads, Flat Top Pistons and the SE-258 cams. This is the first graph in the EFI, racing, 103 section. This kit shows over 90 TQ @2,500 and about 108TQ @ 4,000 and 100HP@ 5,200 rpm.
This does get confusing. I was considering a build based on stock heads ported and a medley of parts from various suppliers. I do 99% of my riding in the 2,000-5,000 rpm range. The kit I am now looking at is the basic 103(not the street legal)for a stock 96" motor that calls for SE TC Perf. Heads, Flat Top Pistons and the SE-258 cams. This is the first graph in the EFI, racing, 103 section. This kit shows over 90 TQ @2,500 and about 108TQ @ 4,000 and 100HP@ 5,200 rpm.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 8,129
Likes: 1,981
From: Ottawa, CANADA
RE: SE heads
ORIGINAL: Doc 1
Where did you get that information....?????
Where did you get that information....?????
It's Head Quarters' Yahoo group. Doug answers questions there.
Cheers!
[sm=icon_rock.gif][sm=icon_rock.gif][sm=icon_rock.gif]
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 10,449
Likes: 46
From: Roswell, GA
RE: SE heads
msock03: If you look at the HD SE dyno charts, the torque curves look like a mountain with a slope up and a fast slope down; good 95" and 103" torque curves rise fast and stay flat (at 100+ tq) until 5K rpm or so. That's one of the reasons that a peak number is virtually irrelevant (to me), especially with torque. Also, I wonder how many dyno runs and how much tuning the MOCO put into the build to get the numbers they show.
You would get better performance (with no loss of reliability), especially in the heads, with Head-Quarters, for example, than the SE stuff that costs as much or more. Also, with an HQ package, you get a SERT or PCIII map to load for your build so you can ride following installation.
I'm not knocking the SE stuff; they serve a large segment of the market whobuy for reasons personal to them.
Whatever you decide on, let us know how it turns out for you.
You would get better performance (with no loss of reliability), especially in the heads, with Head-Quarters, for example, than the SE stuff that costs as much or more. Also, with an HQ package, you get a SERT or PCIII map to load for your build so you can ride following installation.
I'm not knocking the SE stuff; they serve a large segment of the market whobuy for reasons personal to them.
Whatever you decide on, let us know how it turns out for you.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 5,926
Likes: 138
From: NE Ohio
RE: SE heads
ORIGINAL: Harleypingman
msock03: If you look at the HD SE dyno charts, the torque curves look like a mountain with a slope up and a fast slope down; good 95" and 103" torque curves rise fast and stay flat (at 100+ tq) until 5K rpm or so. That's one of the reasons that a peak number is virtually irrelevant (to me), especially with torque. Also, I wonder how many dyno runs and how much tuning the MOCO put into the build to get the numbers they show.
msock03: If you look at the HD SE dyno charts, the torque curves look like a mountain with a slope up and a fast slope down; good 95" and 103" torque curves rise fast and stay flat (at 100+ tq) until 5K rpm or so. That's one of the reasons that a peak number is virtually irrelevant (to me), especially with torque. Also, I wonder how many dyno runs and how much tuning the MOCO put into the build to get the numbers they show.