Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

compression and cams, help!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Nov 25, 2008 | 05:31 PM
  #1  
gregsdart's Avatar
gregsdart
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
Default compression and cams, help!

I would like to upgrade to a better cam than the stocker, which is only 195 degrees at .050 from what i understand. I have a 2008 roadKing with Jackpot mufflers, thier good aircleaner, and a power commander 3 so far, but woulod like to improve the low speed torque and midrange some more if possible.

Does the stock motor have room for a thinner head gasket to improve quench and compression? Do i need to cut the heads a bit when i remove them for a bit of head work to go with the cam? Any cam in the 1800 to 4800 to 5000 rpm range is what i want to consider.
My cam choices are going to be in the .500 lift range, roughly 218 to 225 intake duration , a bit more on the exhaust. I don't rev my bike much over 5000 rpm so i want to really build the low end / midrange to its optimum. Greg
 
Reply
Old Nov 25, 2008 | 05:34 PM
  #2  
bdavis385's Avatar
bdavis385
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 579
Likes: 3
Default

Don't know about the head and gasket stuff, but I went with Andres 37G cams and love them. Good low end torque that begins around 1800 RPM. Changed the exhaust to something more traditional as well. Best modifcation I made to the bike.
 
Reply
Old Nov 26, 2008 | 03:58 AM
  #3  
gregsdart's Avatar
gregsdart
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
Default

Thanks for the reply, Bdavis. I will look them up and see what the specs are.
 
Reply
Old Nov 26, 2008 | 07:40 AM
  #4  
miacycles's Avatar
miacycles
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,468
Likes: 12
From: Bluffton, South Carolina
Default

Check out the Woods 6 series of cams lots of bottom end. As far as head work: check out some of the sponsors, they have head work starting around $300 and up. The primary areas of importance for the street are the bowl area under the valves, the valves themselves, and port matching. Try to keep the compression ration under 10-1 to minimize detonation. Hope this helps.
 
Reply
Old Nov 26, 2008 | 09:04 AM
  #5  
scootertramp's Avatar
scootertramp
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 697
Likes: 1
From: Just west of Tahoe
Default

Originally Posted by bdavis385
Don't know about the head and gasket stuff, but I went with Andres 37G cams and love them. Good low end torque that begins around 1800 RPM. Changed the exhaust to something more traditional as well. Best modifcation I made to the bike.
I'm runnin Andrews 37H cams and I don't really think the torque comes on to around 2200. But I'll tell you what - between 3k and 5.5K those cams roll!
 
Reply
Old Nov 26, 2008 | 12:29 PM
  #6  
gregsdart's Avatar
gregsdart
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
Default

Thanks, guys. I am wondering what the head to piston distance is on a factory motor, and what gasket thickness comes stock. With that info i can figure out what to do next. Anybody know off hand?
 
Reply
Old Nov 26, 2008 | 05:27 PM
  #7  
gunnert's Avatar
gunnert
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 749
Likes: 2
Default

The big bore kit (103") will improve low/mid range torque much more than any cam.
As with cars, there is no substitute for cubic inches...
 
Reply
Old Nov 26, 2008 | 06:43 PM
  #8  
jag1886's Avatar
jag1886
Grand HDF Member
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,122
Likes: 44
From: Boise Idaho
Default

There is quite alot of clearance, Head Quarters has a special set of pistons for the 96's because the stock pistons don't come all the way to the top of the cylinders.
 
Reply
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

10 Most Awkward-Looking Motorcycles Ever Built

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Jason Momoa Is Turning Classic Harleys Into PHEVs

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-7

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-8

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Nov 27, 2008 | 08:44 AM
  #9  
Heathen's Avatar
Heathen
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 491
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
Default

Look into cams by Dave Mackie,the 510 is a good bolt in choice.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
marcodarq
Engine Mechanical Topics
6
Aug 19, 2017 07:09 PM
02BlueDeuce
Exhaust System Topics
6
Nov 10, 2012 07:49 PM
punkmxcn
Dyna Glide Models
2
Jun 30, 2012 03:00 PM
inverse121
Exhaust System Topics
16
Aug 19, 2010 06:16 AM
Valk1
Exhaust System Topics
7
Aug 17, 2007 08:27 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:32 PM.

story-0
10 Most Awkward-Looking Motorcycles Ever Built

Slideshow: Not every motorcycle can be a design icon, and these machines prove that bold styling doesn't always age gracefully.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-18 10:29:31


VIEW MORE
story-1
Jason Momoa Is Turning Classic Harleys Into PHEVs

Slideshow: Jason Momoa's latest restoration project blends 1920s Harley-Davidsons with modern electric technology, creating some of the most unusual hybrid motorcycles ever built.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-10 17:18:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 18:28:05


VIEW MORE
story-3
6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

Slideshow: From military-inspired singles to scooters and three-wheel utility vehicles, these Harleys took the company far outside its comfort zone.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-02 18:34:10


VIEW MORE
story-4
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-5
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-6
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-8
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-9
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE