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Too loose is better than too tight when it comes to pistons, isnt it?
I checked the pistons that came out of my pan and the KB pistons I installed at one time.. Both have 0 pin offset. That means it don't matter which way they go in except for possibly valve reliefs. On earlier, and shovels, I'd bet it don't mater which way they go in..
I checked the pistons that came out of my pan and the KB pistons I installed at one time.. Both have 0 pin offset. That means it don't matter which way they go in except for possibly valve reliefs. On earlier, and shovels, I'd bet it don't mater which way they go in..
Hey, thanks for taking the trouble to do that.
Okay, Ill double-check the reliefs to make sure theyre symmetrical, and if so, theres certainly no harm to installing them with the dimples toward the timing cover.
Dead in the water until wrist pin bushing tool gets here, so made up a lid for my ‘Plain Jane’ new style DIY Super E air filter. I want something clean and simple for the Second Coming, as I’m going to add a DIY sissy bar and pillion pad for a more classic look—and I’ve found the rack too limiting vs a sissy bar (can’t tote my guitar, tent, etc., with a rack).
I had my machinist just expand the diameter of my existing Red River Hogs base plate for the Offy manifold setup to fit a K&N filter (flattest one they make in a small diameter). Then just used a 5 lb dumbbell plate as a male die, made up an oak female die, and… presto.
I need to drill, sand and polish, which I’ll do after lunch, then it’ll take 2-1/2” stainless 1/4-20 screws and standoffs made up from leftover 5/16” aluminum fuel pipe. That setup will affix the whole unit to the Super E’s existing holes—and no more concerns about the screws rattling loose and getting sucked into the engine.
This sucker is light!
P.S. - if anyone should choose to make one of these, definitely used a face shield with the Dremel work. Those wheels get hard to handle when worn small, and they like to grenade…
Last edited by NM Pan-shovel; Apr 17, 2025 at 02:09 PM.
The air cleaner looks great. Nice idea to use a 5 lb dumbell.
The older Super E carbs have a vent that the S&S backing plate keeps open (the newer ones have a changable jet). If it is blocked, the engine will run rich. Hopefully it will run great, but if it does run rich check to see what S&S carb you have and if the vent hole is blocked. Or if you have the original cover, install it to see if the problem goes away.
The air cleaner looks great. Nice idea to use a 5 lb dumbell.
The older Super E carbs have a vent that the S&S backing plate keeps open (the newer ones have a changable jet). If it is blocked, the engine will run rich. Hopefully it will run great, but if it does run rich check to see what S&S carb you have and if the vent hole is blocked. Or if you have the original cover, install it to see if the problem goes away.
Paul
Yes, thank you—as you can see, my backing plate retains the vent hole.
It was machined with threaded ‘blind’ holes away from the inlet--which is radiused for good flow--but I decided not to use those in favor of the fastening system described above. I doubt the flow will be disrupted by the smooth 5/16” standoffs, but if I detect any fall-off in performance will make another lid. Just takes a few hours to make...
Came out pretty nice. I think it will look clean and cool against that classic Pan-Shovel engine profile with the side-by-side shotguns.
I’ll get the stainless buttonheads at ABQ Bolt, a local shop, tomorrow.
Overall height is a skosh higher than my Offy setup, but still much better than the S&S job, which extends rearward so far it shoves my knee off the tank.
Note: you can see in the last shot that I could machine a backing plate with a recess, such that it’d sit inward another ~3/4”, which would make it the lowest-profile, high-flow Super E air cleaner out there. But the cost would go up due to a much thicker piece of 6061-T6 plate, plus two-sided machining. This piece can be made in a single setup.
Last edited by NM Pan-shovel; Apr 17, 2025 at 04:59 PM.
Hmmm… well in fact, if I did make up an ultra low-profile version, two things:
First, the interior would be an inverted cone—much like the stock S&S backing plate. Lots of machining to remove all that material, but very cool;
Second, since the backing plate’s inward side would nestle up next to the enrichener, I could add a threaded hole to the back side, so that the stock S&S lever could simply be swapped from the OEM can to this piece. That said, aftermarket ***** would work as well…
The air cleaner looks great. Nice idea to use a 5 lb dumbell...
Paul
BTW it was pure dumb luck that a 5 lb plate turned out to be the exact fit for the K&N filter.
I had made up a headlight retainer & aimer ring for my 71 Bonneville (see pics), because the headlight that came with the aluminum fairing was well, a POS, and I wanted to use an inexpensive 6 LED light from Scamazon. Anyway, I happened to get in the air filter for the new backing plate at the time, thinking Id have to swap more work with my machinist to have him make a lid. On a whim, I dropped the air filter into my headlight ring and voila.
That knurled aluminum **** on the dash I made up adjusts the headlight up and down
I'll may be dealing with a similar problem on my FLH Shovel project. With 5 gallon tanks, you have to add a 1 inch spacer to move the S&S carb out far enough that the air cleaner clears the tank and you can operate the enrichner. My current plan is to use the S&S air cleaner, but I'll have to see how comfortable that will be on my knee. I like the way yours turned out, so I'll keep this in mind.
Amazing work.. You used 5052 on the headlight bracket also? Did you precut the mounting tabs on the side of the rim? About the only thin metal work I've done a instrument buckets / bracket.
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