I'm looking at a 1982 FXR with 20+k on the clock. Engine has not been touched since it left the factory. Did the shovels in 1982 have hardened valve seats to handle unleaded fuel?
I've looked all over the net and found conflicting info...go figure. Thanks

 

All that valve seat "talk" was B.S. in the highest degree... My '84 don't seem much different from my '74, and Neither one of them has ever had a valve seat Problem... In fact I have yet to own a Shovel, nor Ironhead, that had a valve seat problem...and believe me... they are stock seats!!!
Ignore the BS and ride happily...

 

every once in a while we get a machine in that has cracked a seat to memory 3 in the past 5 years all were exhaust and all were abused real hard one moron comes to mind who sat in 2 hours of stop and go traffic with the shovel head running yea he did that in the heat of the summer

the hoopla years back about unleaded conversions to early bikes when the gas first changed in 75 was actually a boom for the shops - what we still see is - Harley had used steel valve guides and steel valves - the conversion included stainless valves and at first bronze valve guides But they wore right out in short order -- the second fix was amco 45 valve guides BUT they required 3oo dollar reamers each one to set the clearance

then the real fix ( Harley followed suit ) --- cast iron valve guides and the stainless valves are a match still today

so the answer to your question was different then you were looking for - if you take the heads off and pull the valves put them on a magnet the 82 will already have cast iron guides in it, but they could be worn we set them .002 intake and .003 exhaust valve to guide clearance and we use a rubber valve seal --------- some think its over kill every body has an opinion

 

I have a Shovel and an Ironhead with solid lifters, if there was above normal valve seat wear on those I would have noticed by now certainly. Dont worry about it.