Greetings all:

2007 Street Bob, Doherty powerpacc intake, V&H slipons on stock headers, Mastertune TTS tuner. All different types of riding, including one or two tours a year. I live at 5,000 feet above sea level.

This winter I'm planning on installing Andrews 48h cams. I'm probably reusing the stock push-rods, as I'm probably replacing the rocker box covers.

While I have the rockerboxes off, should I go ahead and pull the heads and install cometic 30 head gaskets for better squish?

Thanks

Crazy

 

Put the wrench down and move away from the rocker box covers.Once those babies are off you can't resist the temptation to go all in, meaning: 103"-107 pistons and cylinders, headwork that will have your head spinning, it goes on and on. Cam only upgrades are unsubstantiated rumors. Imagine going into a strip joint and leaving as soon as the 1st chick takes her top off....that's a cam only upgrade. To answer your question though, I think those cams require more compression so you should have the heads milled, cc'd while you're at it and may as well have them ported. While you have the heads off, those pistons keep staring at ya.....get my point? One of the boys will chime in with a technical analysis of your question. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the thought, but I'm 52, been working on my own stuff since I was a teenager, and have gotten over the "temptation to do more" a long time ago.

Anyone?

Crazy


PS: I like your tank graphics

 

There's a little more work to pull the heads vs just removing the rocker box covers. Pull the rocker covers and you can get away with propping the gas tank up, and you're there. Pull the heads, you need to remove the gas tank, horn, air cleaner, intake, exhaust, etc. Not suggesting it's not worth the effort, but it's a bit more work, and once the heads are off, you're exactly zero bolts and a couple of circlips away from pulling the pistons and jugs.

 

Thanks, Boogaloo. I had spaced out the intake completely. As far as the tank goes, I was probably going to remove it anyway to get a little more paint work done. I figured I would have the AC and the exhaust off when I did the cams. That just leaves the horn and intake manifold/fuel injector. No big deal for the horn, and not too big of a deal for the intake. Still wondering if the .030 head gasket would be a good idea, as I heard it helps the squish. I know the 48h increases the cranking compression with the early intake close, so I don't want to bump the CR too high.

Still don't think I'll be tempted to mess with big bore or porting.

Crazy

 

That cam really needs more compression to come to life; the 255 would be a better choice for a cam only upgrade IMHO.

However, the 48 is perfect for a cam only upgrade in a 103". I would not pull the heads just to change the head gasket but if you go that far, you are only about another 30 minutes and $300 from a 103" upgrade. Then install the .030" head gasket and the 48s, get her tuned and let her rip.

In spite of what has been previously posted, cam only upgrades provide a noticeable improvement on the later models with the better breathing heads.

 

Cam only upgrades are unsubstantiated rumors. Imagine going into a strip joint and leaving as soon as the 1st chick takes her top off....that's a cam only upgrade.

Wow .... what an analogy .... I never thought of it that way !!

 

Really? I don't have any personal experience with the 48, but they look very similar to the 255 and I would have thought they would work well in a stock 96 with the relatively early 29* intake close. I had the 26's in mine and loved them, so I would just assume that the 48 would bring the torque on a little earlier in the same engine. I could be wrong though...

 

I'm now a big fan of the 48 cams in a stock 96" motor. You don't need/want to bump up the compression to use the 48 cams. This cam makes quite a bit of torque right off the bottom and carries it past 4500 rpm. 6th gear roll ons will show you 100 mph quicker than 5th used to.
Billy

 

I seriously considered that grind for my motor the other day also Crazy. I did a quick phone call to a super nice guy at Andrews called Gary and he said for sure use it in my 96 but if I was going to bore and build a 103 to avoid it at all costs. Instead use the 54 and I'd be smiling. I did go with the SE-204 and now stressing about what compressions to set either my present 96 or possible 103 to now.