[left][color=#0000cc]Up there a friend from RI has a ’04 RK over the winter he had some stage something done, screaming eagle heads, cyl, pistons and cams took it up to 1550 cc, I said, hay it’s fully broken in right

 

Some background…..

Well I guess it’s broken in a little over 2,000 miles, a little back ground on why I put a $7,000 engine and a $2,700 6 speed transmission in a 25 year old bike, back in Oct last year I was thinking about buying a new ’07 Low Rider so I got on this site/forum to find out a few things about the new ones.

I did find out, by Dec. I found out they run hotter than the �06’s which was suppose too run cooler than the 6, it didn’t it ran hotter, check #1 in the no column, I found out to change out the air cleaner (A/C) and pipes you must get a “map” a download ? WTF ? some ran fine some didn’t ? check #2 in the no column, ’07 came with a bigger engine (hotter) and a 6 speed ! wow now your talking ! but wait the 6 speed is not true overdrive ? WTF ? check #3, and of course fuel injection (FI) in cars it’s good in bikes maybe to much trouble on the road sensors etc, I rather have a carb, no check, just didn’t like it.

Then one day in early January, I was thinking what do I have to buy to get a new bike up to speed so to speak, I always heard in the past there are only two areas where manufactures try to cheapen up the bike, one is shocks and two the seat or saddle, so buy a new ride, nice and shinny, off the bat replace the shocks and saddle, not so fast what about forward controls, I am too use to them, I run Accutronix they are not cheap if I remember 6 years ago I paid around $850, next replace the turn signals bulbs with LED’s I did this in ’02 at $45 per unit (4) I like the speed of flashes with LED’s, you can see where this is going, this is almost right off the bat, I am not taking about getting a new Sturgis solid wheel or custom paint, I added these items over the years, now with a new ride I would be starting over ! leave out the wheel and paint and it’s still big bucks, forget about the no column, now there is a big question mark ?

But I was at a point I have to do something, buy a new bike, rebuild it again, get a new engine or stop riding ! bullcrap, so I came to this section of HDForum “Shovelhead” to see if anyone had or knew about complete new S&S engines, that is why I started this post I wanted information like which model etc. the do’s and don’ts, no answers (except deep into it, thanks Chief)

[font="times new roman"][color=#0000cc][size=3]Well I was going to spend some money on a new EPA model harley, so use some of that money for a new engine, (grandfathered with the EPA) in looking at $&$ line up I knew I didn’t want a stock 80 ci motor, I also knew I didn’t want a high compression (HC) one either, not with this crap they call gas now a days, so it’s the 93 ci, 82 HP middle of the road model, anyone following this post knows what I went through to get this motor powder coated from S&S, 4 full weeks waiting for someone at S&S to make the call ! they did $300 extra, what I found out later is why it took them so long to make that call is they never painted or powder coated a whole engine before, notice S&S heads kits or heads on their engines, never painted, (or engine cases) anyway this motor wasn’t done on the usual line, the parts has to be PC first before putting it on the line, that ain’t going to work too well getting them in order for the d

 

CJ,

It has been a while since I dropped in. It is great to hear that things are still going well with all the upgrades. I finally got my mods and have put a few thousand on the road since I have been back. Took some leave and went to the mountains and rode the wheels off. https://www.hdforums.com/m_1851405/m...tm.htm#1851405Here is the recap w/ pics.

The S&S ran great and plenty had of pull. We rode all over, mostly two up, and never were we left wanting for torque.

el Jefe Grande

 

So great to hear from you Chief, I was figuring you were out on the rode with the wife all this time, I remember when you were over, that was the one of the main reasons to get back !!!

Wait a minute how can your ride get better looking than the last picture I saw of it ? : - ))) I will click back over there and leave a message, as for my ride well as you read (like your S&S 93) I couldn’t be happier !

The biggest surprise was the Baker overdrive, the title of this part of the post states it all, I knew it was going to be good but I didn’t know how it changed my ride and me on the road, the superslab that is, I feel I could ride forever in 6th : - )

I rode my bike into work last Friday, the trip is approx. 60 miles on the PA turnpike, in and back at 70 mph in overdrive 2500rpm'sa few miles to get on and into work total 64 miles, I did 4 miles local onSaturday getting my bike state inspected, I top it off, 68 miles on the trip put added a mistake! confirming what I got at the first leg checking miles on the way up to Lake George NY in June, 61 mpg, but that was the last time I saw that mileage since last week, on that trip I couldn’t keep out of it : - ) the rate it moves from 70 on up is un-believable ! I still can’t get over what 30 extra horses can do !

As for the regular gas mileage in rides on state roads mainly to 5 th gear no matter what can’t get above 43 mpg, so I live with it, wasn’t easy to do comparing this engine with the old one getting 50mpg on the same roads, getting in the low 40’s gives me the feeling I am using a Sporster tank ! : - ) I am thinking of putting on a 4.5 or a 5 gal tank on, friends think that sucks it will screw-up the lines of the bike, maybe they are right, I have a stock front end, a low rider.

Chief, great to hear from you and I will click over to your post later in the day.

Take care, ride safe !

cj



[IMG]local://upfiles/16813/2760C648C6C4432A8E64E8E3664D677E.jpg[/IMG]

 

Learning lessons !
[color=#0000ff]
Ok, learning lessons learned but not too bad, maybe will help someone getting into this up-date it’s not a re-build so it’s got to be a up-date and up-date it is, it was well beyond what I imagined it would be at the start of this last December, anyway what better time to do this than today a raining Sunday !

When I finely made the decision not to buy a new ’07 Low Rider I had 3 options, one – re-buld, two – new complete engine, three – stop riding, since I been riding since I brought my first ride in 1973 ( a Triumph Bonnie 650 left-over ’72) the third option was never really thought of, being I went through a few re-builds I really didn’t want to go down that road again, it would after all in the end still be a Harley Shovel with all the old tech, of what little tech there was : - )

No, since I was going to buy new, then damn just buy new, not that I am some rich yippie or something, I am riding this HD well over 20 years, no I took a loan for the engine well $7,000 it ended up being 7400, but the rest of it I paid cash, for the tranny etc. etc : - ) and to me the only complete shovelhead engine to buy was S&S, their Shovel was loaded up with advance improvements to say the least, most people following this post read the list of improvements I listed in past posts, this is a good place to understand when ordering the engine from S&S get what you want from the beginning it’s cheaper in the long run, take their new billet nose cone or timing cover you don’t say anything it comes in Alum, it cost somewhere if brought separate around $425 in chrome about $450 (or Black powered coated less) for $25.00 more one could get the chrome one since your only paying the difference in list price, I forgot that (paying attention to getting the whole engine done in black powered coating) as it turns out I like the Alum it goes nice with the engine black and the Alum oil pump, note: S&S will never powered coat or chrome there oil pumps.

But if I was thinking I might have ordered the dual plug option, no, not the high compression engine model with higher compression specs (no-way with todays garbage they call gas ) ! but thinking now, dual plugging really makes the stupid hemi-head design workable, yeah I think I would have done that, whats a little more for the dual coil and extra wires ? I paid $140 for S&S coil.

I didn’t tell them what carb E or G to put on it, after all who would know best what to put on this 93 ci motor ? S&S put on a Super E and jetted it correctly they timed the motor, everything was set-up at the factory.

The one mistake I made at the time and I just new it was a mistake then, was not getting the frame powered coated ! this was stupid on my part, here is my bike with nothing on it from the front end to the rear tire and fender (and wiring) and I was thinking about saving money ! what $250 or so ?? stupid, very stupid !

I knew I wasn’t going to use any of my electrical system except the wiring and battery, I wasn’t going to use my original rotor/stator or starter, (rotor/stator doesn’t come from S&S on a complete engine) so I paid approx $280 from Cycle Electric, rotor/stator and voltage regular, but up the rating to 22 amps, no way was I going to use my original starter hitachi style, don’t need to re-place this months after installing a new engine, so I ask my independent dealer what is out there only HD ? he said get an "All *****" starter it’s double the power 1.4Kw (their smallest) instead of a stock .8Kw and small in size both length and dia, $250, it fit but with a trip back to the manufacture to have them drill two more mounting holes on each side, no big deal, I believe it was the tranny that made this happen, maybe better than the warning that comes with the Baker "you might have to relieve a little of the tranny to make it fit with a stock starter" o

 

First let me eat some sh*t here, I don’t know what I was smoking but this engine dose not get 60 miles to the gal, no, more like 50, (on the interstate) since I don’t smoke any more I can’t even blame it on that, maybe the math, maybe ADD or dyslexia ? : - ) sorry for any confusion.


Also the total miles on this engine I am embarrass to say was only a touch over 3,000 miles, damn not like the first hd I had, 8,300 the first year I owned it, I believe I did mention that for the pass 3 years or so, I was letting the house and grounds go, going out for rides with the group, always saying yeah, I get it do next week, well next week came and things didn’t get done only riding, you can do that only for so long, this year when I have a new engine and tranny in the frame, yeah, I am force to do some of the work I didn’t do in the years past, believe me, if the local gov didn’t come down on me, it still would be “I’ll do it next week” : - )


I did mention one mistake I made when doing this update was not getting the frame powder coated, that was a big one and the second one I made was not getting this 93 ci S&S Shovel a pair of extra spark plugs, yes, S&S does have them on the high compression 93, I should have paid the freight and had them installed in mine, as most here know, that hemi-head design the shovel has, is about the worst design you can have for firing all the vapor, I mean spark doesn’t go around corners so to speak, the fix is to add two more plugs, but I did think about it, but really didn’t think, I would like to have a little more efficiency and a tiny bit more punch, look there is proof give a guy a little more hp, in my case 30 extra and a few months down the road, he wants more, even a tiny bit more : - ) well maybe I’ll add them in the first re-build down the road ?


I don’t think I ever listed the total cost of this, engine, baker 6 speed, replaced the entire electrical charging system, starter, drive train, compensator, chain, rivera clutch plates, sprocket, final chain, exhaust, ignition and other little extras somewhere north of 11 large, as I said before worth every penny ! I just couldn’t start over with a new ride, then adding the things I put on mine over the years, I would have gone broke and let me not rule out the headaches of the bullcrap like computers and adding “maps” when I change anything.


Well since riding is all but over this year for me (road crews the past week was laying down road salt) I want to do some testing, well not me but a lab testing oil, I want to test my original break in oil, S&S sent me 4 qt’s of Mobile V Twin synthetic, I dump it at 53 miles, 500, 1000, 2000 miles, (I kept it just in-case their was any problems) I want to see the amounts of metal in it, then compare more resent sample, really, it's just for shlt’s and giggles.

 

This is a bump !
Never heard anything so I’ll turn this thread into a lessons learned sort of thing, like a step by step on what to expect doing that kind of job, the little extra items etc. plus the money needed, this is something what I was looking for, so this thread (Shovelhead front end update) is a sorta continuation of S&S engines thread, but I gave it a new title, I will just stick to the front end update, doing this in parts of triple tree, tubes, sliders or glides, headlight, brakes and control switches, not necessarily in that order.

Shovelhead front end update

https://www.hdforums.com/m_3114868/tm.htm


cj




[IMG]local://upfiles/16813/99321ED3CC0B4826AC9D0030BA56E9CC.jpg[/IMG]

 

Very nice Job CJ.
If you mentioned what battery your are using I missed it when skimming the posts?
Is there a kick start offered for the 6 speed transmission.
I ran a set of those same pipes on my 68 for a coupe of years until I went with the tru Dual. They look good.
tricky if you hid the reworked rear pipe welding under that heat shield.
I read you cant get the rear rocker box off but will the head come off with out removing the engine?
What did you use for a top engine mount?
excellent Job!!

 

Rodney

“Very nice Job CJ.
If you mentioned what battery your are using I missed it when skimming the posts?"


I like you have ordered a Odyssey, my model is PC-545, should be here by the middle of April !!


“Is there a kick start offered for the 6 speed transmission.”


Yes there was but (to me) it was hanging so far off the right side of the tranny, I was afraid I would be catching little old ladies standing curb side !!! again to me it look like an after thought, you know as it was going down the assembly line, someone shouted hay, you forgot the kicker and through it on and it just stuck there : - )) that is why I guess I am a little **** about the battery : - ))) no kicker !!


“I ran a set of those same pipes on my 68 for a coupe of years until I went with the tru Dual. They look good. “


There was no way I was getting any other style on the bike, the evo style oil filter prevented any front pipe from going straight down along side the engine, it had to come off the head go (out front) in between the frame then back to the rear, I had to call S&S and tell them what style pipe I used, (because of that oil filter) there was no-way I wasn’t going to use that real oil filter, I was impress that S&S put that provision there and they did so I used it (good bye small oil drop-in oil filter in the tank

“tricky if you hid the reworked rear pipe welding under that heat shield. “


Good eye : - ) it turn out the front was no problem with that set up, but the rear was a different story with the baker, the baker sticks out enough I can’t imagain add a kicker to that mess, a ½” or so long extra piece had to be welded in place to drop that pipe down. Btw I didn’t weld that, that exhaust is very thin !!


“I read you cant get the rear rocker box off but will the head come off with out removing the engine?”


I heard the opposite but I can show you a pic of the smallest clearance between the top of the rocker and the frame tube, but remember the rocker is two piece, anyway by the time it needs a top end I might be dead, if I am not I just might take out the engine bring it up to S&S and have them re-build it ! : - )))


“What did you use for a top engine mount? excellent Job!!”


[size=3][color=#0000cc]I used what S&S sent with it, nice chrome engine mount, I t

 

since the 925 odyssey won't be available until mid may I may go with the 545 as well and it will fit my 88 as well.

thats not much room for the rear head but looks about like stock clearance with the 74 ci in. if need be the head might just wiggle out if need be.
sorry I missed this tread on your project, it was a treat to read and you did a fantastic job.