I have a 1980 Sporty with a 1000cc ironhead. I was under the impression that I had a shovelhead until I was politely told on the forums that I have an ironhead or a "shovester". Can someone please explain to me why my motor isn't a shovelhead, but rather its an ironhead?

Thanks,

 

A shovelhead is specific to a Big Twin. The Ironhead has a similar rocker cover design but the heads themselves are made of iron, hense the name ironhead. There was a conversion done in the time before EVO where you could take actual shovelheads from a big twin and fit them on a sportster. That is a Shovster. Your bike would be a Ironhead if the engine has stock iron heads on it. There are very few actual Shovsters.

I believe after years of EVO's and lots of new riders, the term shovelhead was mistakenly applied to the ironhead sportster because of the similarity of the rocker covers.

 

The Shovester used Big twin cylinders, pistons, heads, rocker assemblies. Lots of machining to make it work, especially as the Sporty has 4 cams, and the Shovel only has one cam.

 

These guys got ya covered.
There was a conversion kit from Trock Cycle and I think also Axtell for the Shovester .
Special jugs that mated the Shovel heads to the Sporty case.

 

pssssst!!!.............dont ask that Q in a crowd on main st, during bike week.

 

The other reply was right .knucklehead had ***** on the end of the rockerboxs.panheads had a rocker box cover shaped like a pan.shovelheads had a rocker box with one side flat ,The other side is seperated.the sportys from the sixtys up to 1985 had the rocker boxes of the same shape.Smaller to fit the smaller sporty heads.In 86 the evo's were introduced.I have a shovster made from a 1985 sporty.5 1/2 in stroke s&s flywheel.corella rods,flat top pistons.Axtell barrells converted heads.to put stock shovelheads on a shovster,you weld up the orig.pushrod holes.Then you have to move the holes in to get less angle on the pushrod tubes.Other wise thiers no way to keep the pushrods in the motor.Took me nine yrs. to put mine together.Already had to replace a pushrod,cams.