Guys, I always heard the late model Shovels have the same crank as the EVOs. Anyone ever hear this?I know the evo cranks are higher milage. Any idea what year they switched cranks? I am running the orginal bottom and a new top end and S&S oil pump. 14,000 total miles on the bike.

 

Yeah it's the specialty tools that are probably my biggest problem with doin' this myself. Not something I plan to use but once so not worth buying.I'll be checking at a local shop for their price of doing what requires the specialty tools.That is if the snow outside ever stops.

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My 1980 FX had 60k on the lower end, the last time top end was apart. Being flush with money, at the time, I tried to get the engine builder to condemn the lower end. After he checked everything out, I was told 'now I believe you about your changing oil often and switching to paper filters'. He told me the lower end felt better than most bikes when they leave the factory. I must have gotten 1 of the 'good' AMF's. I switched to paper drop in filters after the first time the fiberglass factory junk pluged the tappet screen filter. I have pulled that screen twice since 1983. Not because it needed to be pulled but because I just wanted to check it.

 

Ive rebuilt several shovels,your crank pin could have a slight flat spot in a small section anywhere around the pin ,so you must set a good dial indicator on the frame to the top of each rod checking up and down rotating very little at a time and rechecking you cant just check it in one little spot. note if there was a pinging noise at mid rpms that sounded like it was at the middle of the jugs theres a good chance there is a bad spot in the crank.the noise travels to that area from the cranks bad spot ,hope this give you some direction.

mark

 

Back in the Shovel days , rule of thumb was 20k for top end and 40-50k for the bottom. I re-did my top at around 20k but went for no lead set up and had a H-D shop check the rods while the pistons were off and they said was good and only put about 5k since.

 

The later Shovels are the same as early Evo wheels. They use the same rod bearings and and races since 1936. BUT, they changed the taper of the crankpin and sprocket shafts in '81 . Also, after the first several years of Evo, they made the left wheel a one-piece (non-removable sprocket shaft) and somewhere around '88, they made the right wheel a one-piece also leaving you with basically a 3-piece flywheel.

So basically, if you match-up the "removable" pieces, you can interchange them. You get into things like the pinion shafts end oiling or side oiling, 2 or 1-piece pinion bearings and the same with sprocket shafts concerning tapered/keyed or splined... But you can buy flywheels/rod sets that will work from 73-90.