cam upgrade ?
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: Rosemark, TN
cam upgrade ?
I am looking at replacing my stock cams with a set from Andrews or Head Quaters for my winter project next month... Staying with the chain drives, nothing fancy, just a cam change. 2007 96 incher for a bit more torque. I am a fair wrench, and I've worked on a lot of scooter engines, but never gone into a Harley twin cam.
Now a Question or two for those in the know.
In a nut shell, what is required to change them out? I'll be getting a service manual of course, but just trying to get an idea of what is going to have to take place to pop the stock ones out and plop in the new ones.
I am assuming the gas tank and rocker covers will have to be removed to get at the top of the push rods for removal?
then the side cover and get after the cams from there?
thanks in advance!
Now a Question or two for those in the know.
In a nut shell, what is required to change them out? I'll be getting a service manual of course, but just trying to get an idea of what is going to have to take place to pop the stock ones out and plop in the new ones.
I am assuming the gas tank and rocker covers will have to be removed to get at the top of the push rods for removal?
then the side cover and get after the cams from there?
thanks in advance!
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,939
Likes: 3
From: TX
RE: cam upgrade ?
The service manual will help you out greatly.
If you want to re-use the stock pushrods, you do have to remove the tank, rocker covers, & rocker assemblies. If you replace the stock pushrods w/adjustables, you can simply cut the stock ones out w/bolt cutters. This way you don't have to jack w/ the tank, rocker cover, etc....
You will also have to remove the lifter covers & lifters before you pull the camplate & cams out.
"If it were me", I would go the route of the adjustable pushrods if I was not pulling the heads for work or going with a bigbore kit.
Pipes will have to come off too, so you can get to the cam cover.
If you want to re-use the stock pushrods, you do have to remove the tank, rocker covers, & rocker assemblies. If you replace the stock pushrods w/adjustables, you can simply cut the stock ones out w/bolt cutters. This way you don't have to jack w/ the tank, rocker cover, etc....
You will also have to remove the lifter covers & lifters before you pull the camplate & cams out.
"If it were me", I would go the route of the adjustable pushrods if I was not pulling the heads for work or going with a bigbore kit.
Pipes will have to come off too, so you can get to the cam cover.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: Rosemark, TN
RE: cam upgrade ?
thanks a bunch for the quick reply Phil!
Sounds like a lot lless work going with the adjustable rods. But, I am sit'n here trying to envison how/where you put the bold cutters to the stock rods to whack them and pull them out??
And how do these adjustable ones install?
thanks!
Sounds like a lot lless work going with the adjustable rods. But, I am sit'n here trying to envison how/where you put the bold cutters to the stock rods to whack them and pull them out??
And how do these adjustable ones install?
thanks!
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,939
Likes: 3
From: TX
RE: cam upgrade ?
The pushrod tubes telescope and are held in place by spring tension. (see svc manual) There is a retainer that is roughly the upper 1.5 ~ 2" of the tube. You simply pop it off, using a slot blade screw driver to twist the bottom away from the spring loaded retainer.
The adjustables are threaded so you make them short, put them in place and then unscrew them to the proper length ~ per the directions that come with them.
The adjustables are threaded so you make them short, put them in place and then unscrew them to the proper length ~ per the directions that come with them.
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 741
Likes: 11
From: West Central WI
RE: cam upgrade ?
Another trick is to use magnets to hold the lifters out of the way for the cam removal and install, saves time and gaskets for removing lifter covers, back bolts can be a SOB, I have done cam swaps both ways and prefer to remove valve covers and reuse the stock pushrods whenever possible, really not that much more time consuming and you never have to worry about a pushrod loosening up, which I have heard has happened but have not experienced first hand. BTW, love those HQ bolt in cams.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: Rosemark, TN
RE: cam upgrade ?
BVBOB, Magnets? Now I was not going to ask anything else on this thread, but you got me curious, how do you use magnets to hold the lifters out of the way?
Service manual is in route...
Service manual is in route...
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Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 611
Likes: 21
From:
RE: cam upgrade ?
Hear are a couple pics to show help explain I took last winter. If you look you can se how the adjustables work by looking at the nuts under the clothes pin. Over 15000 on my SE adjustables and no problems. I also used them on 3 other motors in town and no problems. There is always the chance that one could loosen up but not common if tightned correctly. Also included pic of lifter in boar.
[IMG]local://upfiles/1355/80268397511448A9A3E4203DBA33909B.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/1355/1BD5319C7CEC41C6B4433642D8874DEE.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/1355/D904F71C3022431BBBA4D95B0681645A.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/1355/80268397511448A9A3E4203DBA33909B.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/1355/1BD5319C7CEC41C6B4433642D8874DEE.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/1355/D904F71C3022431BBBA4D95B0681645A.jpg[/IMG]
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Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 741
Likes: 11
From: West Central WI
RE: cam upgrade ?
Cow magnets, these are small magnets about 5/8 inch square, 3 inches long with a light plastic coating, you need 4, put them lenghtwise into the top of the lifter cover and crisscross them at the top and they hold the lifter up quite well, I am pulling a bike down this weekend but will be replacing lifters, I can try to post a pic of it before I pull the covers off. Can you tell I grew up on a Dairy farm?, these are the same magnets fed to cows to remove hardware from their stomachs(nails etc), cows are stupid enough to eat anything. Aslo, I think the chance of a pushrod loosening up is pretty remote if tightened correctly but I still prefer the peace of mind a one piece, either stock or SE perfect fit gives you.
ORIGINAL: dg7080
BVBOB, Magnets? Now I was not going to ask anything else on this thread, but you got me curious, how do you use magnets to hold the lifters out of the way?
Service manual is in route...
BVBOB, Magnets? Now I was not going to ask anything else on this thread, but you got me curious, how do you use magnets to hold the lifters out of the way?
Service manual is in route...
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: Rosemark, TN
RE: cam upgrade ?
Thanks much for the pics and info JL. Very helpful
BVBOB, cow magnets, never heard of em, but I have now.. And any and all pics from your bike tear down this weekend would appreciated!
BVBOB, cow magnets, never heard of em, but I have now.. And any and all pics from your bike tear down this weekend would appreciated!