Cam Help Needed..Weak Idle Exhaust
Cam Help Needed..Weak Idle Exhaust
With my engine build can someone give me some suggestions on what Cam can I change to, to make my bike sound better at Idle...A Stock Bike with Rinehart's on it, sounds better at low RPM and Idle that mine does... It is just pathetic the way it sounds..I know that this might seem to be a trivial matter to lots of you all, but it is a big deal to me...I hate to start it up when someone asks to hear it, because the way it sounds...Lets not get it twisted, because it runs Strong, like a Raped Ape, but sounds like a stock bike off the showroom floor...It is a 01 Road King with the MM FI System and makes 95HP with 103TQ...It has as S&S Full Header with 4" Rinehart's...I have had several different combinations of Headers and Exhaust systems and nothing has changed much with the Idle Sound...I even have the Reinhardt, Competition Baffle installed...I have the S&S 510 G cams installed in my build...95" SE Flat Top Pistons... 9:7:1 Compression... .030 Head Gasket...82 CC Combustion Chambers...1.900 Dia. Intake Valve... 1.610 Dia. Exhaust Valve...590 Lift Beehive Valve Springs...195/205 Exhaust Port Flow... 265/270 Intake Port Flow....There you have it.....So, What Cam can I put in this motor combo that will give me some Exhaust Lope, so that it will not sound like a Stocker...
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 86
From: Centeral Coast, California
I am going to be interested in reading what others more "in the know" than I have to say. My first reaction is that no matter the cam you put in, you have too much air flow with those 4" mufflers, and it's robbing you of back pressure. I am not so sure that it's a deficiency in cam choice at all.
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 338
Likes: 23
From: Wisconsin
Had an '03 EFI ultra with SE A/C, SE 95", SE 203 cams, true duals, SE slip-ons (the old ones were loud) with a 900 rpm idle and it sounded good. I now have a '14 with stock decat header, FP3, SE A/C, V&H twin slash rounds and woods 777 cams running at 900 rpm (tried to get that old sound I remember) and it sounds good. I don't have a camera that the microphone can pick up the sound well. I would think if you have Rineharts and true duals, yours should sound good already IMO. What RPM is it idling at? A lower idle makes a better lope. The new bike FP3 warns you about oil pressure when adjusting the idle to low.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,800
Likes: 307
From: Houston, Texas
I'm no export by any means but that old school "potato potato potato" sound you are looking for is difficult with a fuel injected bike. It was achieved in older bikes by setting the idle so low it was barely running and as mentioned, almost zero oil pressure at that slow idle. The ecm in a fuel injected bike will keep the idle at higher speed.
I'm sure someone will chime in with a cam selection that will work with your build that will help. I bet your bike does have a nice bark when you romp on it.
I have two bikes. One has the same 510 cam you do in a stock 103. Sound good at idle but it's a higher end cam and don't really come in until higher RPM's. My other bike is a 103 that was built up but more on the bottom end then any head work or compression and it has SE204 cams. They are a lower end cam and do have a nicer lope at idle than the 510 but I couldn't say how the 204 would work with your build. The two bikes I have aalso have totally different exhaust setups, THe bike with the 510 cams has a decatted head pipe and slip ons. The bike with the 204 has Rinehart true duals that are 8 years old now. Again I am no expert on cam selection.
My suggestion is to find a good independent shop that has a dyno, That's what I have done. I trust him and just tell him what I want and he always comes through. Tell them what you are looking for and they would know better than anyone what to change. They maybe able to make some tuning changes that will give you that lope with out changing cams. If not, they can make some suggestions that would help. Hopefully one will chime in here but it helps to talk face to face with an expert.
Good luck!!
I'm sure someone will chime in with a cam selection that will work with your build that will help. I bet your bike does have a nice bark when you romp on it.
I have two bikes. One has the same 510 cam you do in a stock 103. Sound good at idle but it's a higher end cam and don't really come in until higher RPM's. My other bike is a 103 that was built up but more on the bottom end then any head work or compression and it has SE204 cams. They are a lower end cam and do have a nicer lope at idle than the 510 but I couldn't say how the 204 would work with your build. The two bikes I have aalso have totally different exhaust setups, THe bike with the 510 cams has a decatted head pipe and slip ons. The bike with the 204 has Rinehart true duals that are 8 years old now. Again I am no expert on cam selection.
My suggestion is to find a good independent shop that has a dyno, That's what I have done. I trust him and just tell him what I want and he always comes through. Tell them what you are looking for and they would know better than anyone what to change. They maybe able to make some tuning changes that will give you that lope with out changing cams. If not, they can make some suggestions that would help. Hopefully one will chime in here but it helps to talk face to face with an expert.
Good luck!!
Please, can some someone post some CAM suggestions...All I want is an engine that has some good idle lope, like a lot of the bikes that I hear...I am not talking about like an EVO Motor or Lowering the Idle to say 500-600 RPM's...
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: Indiana, USA
510: Designed as a bolt-in cam for 88, 95, and 96 CID engines with compression ratios below 9.7:1, it is primarily intended for use with stock, un-ported heads. 3000-5500 rpm. Bolt-in overall.
You have ported heads with 9.7:1 CR. Do you want to stay with gear drive? I got a good lope with SE 211 cams, ported heads 95" 10.5:1 CR. The S&S website suggests the 585 is similar to the Se 211
585: Designed for 88 to 95 CID engines with compression ratios from 9.7:1 to 10.5:1 and 100 to 124 CID engines from 9:1 to 10:1 compression. Provides massive horsepower and torque increases starting at 3000rpm and holds steady all the way to redline. 3500-6000 rpm for 88" - 103" engines and 2500-5500 for larger engines.
You have ported heads with 9.7:1 CR. Do you want to stay with gear drive? I got a good lope with SE 211 cams, ported heads 95" 10.5:1 CR. The S&S website suggests the 585 is similar to the Se 211
585: Designed for 88 to 95 CID engines with compression ratios from 9.7:1 to 10.5:1 and 100 to 124 CID engines from 9:1 to 10:1 compression. Provides massive horsepower and torque increases starting at 3000rpm and holds steady all the way to redline. 3500-6000 rpm for 88" - 103" engines and 2500-5500 for larger engines.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,630
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From: Mountain West, Big Sky Country
Cam selection may not be your issue. You indicated you have the MM fuel injection system.
Given its limitations, you might be $$ ahead to consider changing to a carb other than mess with the MM fuel system.
As to cam,SE 204 has a decent idle lope with a carb.
Given its limitations, you might be $$ ahead to consider changing to a carb other than mess with the MM fuel system.
As to cam,SE 204 has a decent idle lope with a carb.