Harley-Davidson FXSTS 1992 valvetrain picture

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1992 Evo with according to odometer about 16k miles. I have owned this since last summer and I have no information of maintenance history.

We are taking "upstairs" apart to change the seeping cylinder bottom gaskets. Will be doing valve lapping etc. while we are there as well as honing the cylinders for +.005" rings.

I have put maybe 1k miles on this and changed the oil twice to flush things. My oil has been Quaker State Mineral Racing 20W-50.

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The cam chest wall has had a bump or crack as it has been welded and it's still a bit bent. Doesn't leak though.

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The cam is original EPA/CAFE mandated N-grind which is severely choked on the exhaust side. Buddy has a practically unused pre-EPA L-grind which will go in. It should wake the engine while producing hefty low/mid rpm grunt.

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Cheers.

This -92 has crankcase ventilation with hoses and tubes into the back plate of the air cleaner. IIRC -93 has ventilation built in the heads.

Despite that this does not spill too much oil in the air cleaner I'm going to vent it with a hose and a filter to open air.
 
ev46, new b138 bearing and a steel breather with elongated oil hole, re-use your original gear. re-use stock pushrods. keep it as stock as possible for reliability.
 
Originally Posted By: Finn
Just ordered EV13 - I'm old.
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lol...you then got the wrong bike. vt 3020 or the andrews ev46 for that bike. your not doing yourself or the bike any favors. at least vt 3010 or andrews ev27
 
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im sure you are changing lifter??? if your not, it could come back and bite you, any good lifter will do the trick. stock harley updated are good as are most aftermarket, just comes down to how much you want to spend. they have skyrocketed in price for the evo, ridiculous, make sure you change lifters.
 
Originally Posted By: skully
lol...you then got the wrong bike. vt 3020 or the andrews ev46 for that bike. your not doing yourself or the bike any favors. at least vt 3010 or andrews ev27

Nope...EV13 it is. I want reliable engine with lot's of low rpm torque and no mechanical noises from valvetrain. My experiences of EV27 is that it pulls nicely but needs a bit more rpm than what I'm after. So EV13 with about 9.25:1 and Supertrapp Supermeg it is.

Also, the maroon will become black.
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Originally Posted By: skully
im sure you are changing lifter??? if your not, it could come back and bite you, any good lifter will do the trick. stock harley updated are good as are most aftermarket, just comes down to how much you want to spend. they have skyrocketed in price for the evo, ridiculous, make sure you change lifters.

I'm getting Crane 3-2050 big axle lifters for peace of mind. They were considerable cheaper than H-D 18523-86B lifters.
 
ev13 does not make your engine more reliable than the other camshafts, if you had a 27 before, you know it works well in the evo. sounds like you bought the 13 anyways, good lifters, now there a s&s company. like i said, comes down to how much you want to spend, allot of lifters these days are made off shore anyways, people buy names thinking there better than others, meanwhile there no better or worse. leave the paint, paint it black and it will look like the other 1000000 other harleys, springers are unique and should stand out. have a look at your neck bearings, if you have a notch, replace them. if you have the bike torn down over winter this is a good project, easy and you have the time. youll need a 1 3/8 socket for the bearing retainer and a deep 1" for the riser studs, and i mean deep. are you changing pistons for the comp. bump or shaving heads?? id change pistons, hate altering/[censored] heads for for nothing. the ev13 really doesnt need a comp bump, it works fine stock. nice bike. ive had a few.
 
I have not had EV27 as mine still had the N cam but I rode EV27 a couple of times and it's not for me.

I will "convert" my maroon FXSTS to black and gold FXSTS with factory colors and decals. Nothing fancy but the maroon is not for me.

Lifters will be Crane big axle.

The only thing with compression is to bring it to Andrews recommended 9.25:1 with Cometic .030" head gasket and shaving the heads by .040".

Bike has only 16k miles and cylinders were just honed for new rings.

That's about what I will do this winter. Well, perhaps new brake pads and Metzelers and that's it.
 
i would not shave heads, no need to with that camshaft, its a bolt in camshaft. changing brakes and looking at wheel bearings while changing tires, metzellers are good tires, definately wise but if you can feel a notch in your steering head, you need to change neck bearings. there only 10$, and your time. that is very important in all motorcycles let alone a mechanical front such as the springer. good luck, post back when your done, winter will be over in another 6 MONTHS. lol
 
Originally Posted By: skully
i would not shave heads, no need to with that camshaft, its a bolt in camshaft. changing brakes and looking at wheel bearings while changing tires, metzellers are good tires, definately wise but if you can feel a notch in your steering head, you need to change neck bearings. there only 10$, and your time. that is very important in all motorcycles let alone a mechanical front such as the springer. good luck, post back when your done, winter will be over in another 6 MONTHS. lol

Well, 9.25:1 is Andrews' recommendation so that needs a bit of shaving. Would work OK with stock 8.5:1 I guess but if that's what they recommend that's what we'll do. The valves/seats get machined anyway so shaving the heads is not much extra work.

Front feels tight, no extra "clonks" and such. Probably will change the wheel bearings too but I'm trying to keep this minor project for now. Well, perhaps a few extra chrome bits will find their way such as my trade mark the Kuryakyn Silhouette levers. They are a must.
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Originally Posted By: splineman
Nice bike.....How is that springer for handling?

Well, it's been a while since I rode another Softail so I cannot compare but this rides sweet. It's funny how when standing still you try to pump the Springer front end down and it feels hard. And I mean h-a-r-d. But when you take it for a spin it feels extremely fine and not hard at all. I like it a lot.
 
looks good, post pics when done. about the front end, its not a clunk, its like a goove/notch that will lock the front end forward. if you can swing the bars left-right, back and forth and not feel them wanting to lock into one position, then your good, if the want to go to one spot all the time, without any fallaway then you have pooched bearings, that can be very unsafe. this all is done with the bike on a stand, but then again, your old so you'll never be at any hi-speed...lol.

to the other poster, the springer and my fxlr are my favorite bikes to ride, i will and always have had a springer
 
I do use 3rd gear every now and then.
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We'll check the front end for abnormalities.
 
Originally Posted By: Finn
Originally Posted By: skully
i would not shave heads, no need to with that camshaft, its a bolt in camshaft. .....



Well, 9.25:1 is Andrews' recommendation so that needs a bit of shaving. Would work OK with stock 8.5:1 I guess but if that's what they recommend that's what we'll do. The valves/seats get machined anyway so shaving the heads is not much extra work.


I have to agree, I would not be shaving the heads any more than cleaning them up.

I may be missing it but I don't see anywhere Andrews specs 9.25:1 for the EV13.

Andrews EV13 description from their catalog.
Quote:
Bolt-in street/touring cam for heavy bikes. Much more
low and mid-range power than either stock cam. Best
cam for 2 up riding with camping gear and side cars.


Most street engines have the best power output(are most efficient) with a dynamic compression of 7.5-8.5:1. With out having actual CC volumes and measurements of your parts my quick calculations are as follows. Using a stock 3.498" bore, 4.250 stroke, and a ball parked 7.4375/7.440 rod length with the given static compressions.

With static compression set at 9.25:1. The EV13 with a 31° intake valve close puts the dynamic compression up at around 8.8 to 8.85:1.

If not set up properly this is a recipe that can provide favorable conditions for pinging/detonation as it may run hot. Requiring you to pull back the timing to control engine temps and detonation, thus cutting power. Or make you one of those guys who is always on the hunt for "good gas".

With the factory 8.5:1 static compression, I work it out to be around 8.0 to 8.1:1 dynamic compression. Putting it right in the sweet spot for trouble free operation. Which may allow you to start with more timing and add timing more aggressively, thus building power sooner and higher peak numbers VS the 9.25:1 static compression combination that could be a troublesome.

Again these are just quick calculations, but are enough that to me, I would question the changing of the compression, the rest of the setup(head/ piston cc, valve/port flow, exhaust) and or the choice of cam.
 
Originally Posted By: Finn
I do use 3rd gear every now and then.
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We'll check the front end for abnormalities.



omg...not third??..lol. all kiddin aside, whatever you do to the gearside of the motor is up to you, make sure you use the steel breather, plastic is not supposed to be in an engine. make sure that the neck bearings are good. have fun


Originally Posted By: flstffxe
Originally Posted By: Finn
Originally Posted By: skully
i would not shave heads, no need to with that camshaft, its a bolt in camshaft. .....



Well, 9.25:1 is Andrews' recommendation so that needs a bit of shaving. Would work OK with stock 8.5:1 I guess but if that's what they recommend that's what we'll do. The valves/seats get machined anyway so shaving the heads is not much extra work.


I have to agree, I would not be shaving the heads any more than cleaning them up.

I may be missing it but I don't see anywhere Andrews specs 9.25:1 for the EV13.

Andrews EV13 description from their catalog.
Quote:
Bolt-in street/touring cam for heavy bikes. Much more
low and mid-range power than either stock cam. Best
cam for 2 up riding with camping gear and side cars.


Most street engines have the best power output(are most efficient) with a dynamic compression of 7.5-8.5:1. With out having actual CC volumes and measurements of your parts my quick calculations are as follows. Using a stock 3.498" bore, 4.250 stroke, and a ball parked 7.4375/7.440 rod length with the given static compressions.

With static compression set at 9.25:1. The EV13 with a 31° intake valve close puts the dynamic compression up at around 8.8 to 8.85:1.

If not set up properly this is a recipe that can provide favorable conditions for pinging/detonation as it may run hot. Requiring you to pull back the timing to control engine temps and detonation, thus cutting power. Or make you one of those guys who is always on the hunt for "good gas".

With the factory 8.5:1 static compression, I work it out to be around 8.0 to 8.1:1 dynamic compression. Putting it right in the sweet spot for trouble free operation. Which may allow you to start with more timing and add timing more aggressively, thus building power sooner and higher peak numbers VS the 9.25:1 static compression combination that could be a troublesome.

Again these are just quick calculations, but are enough that to me, I would question the changing of the compression, the rest of the setup(head/ piston cc, valve/port flow, exhaust) and or the choice of cam.



flstffxe, i was gonna get into it but because its a oil forum really and finn seemed convinced, i wasnt gonna get in depth as you did, absolutely correct what you said in your post!!! with today gas, stock compression for a daily reliable driver is plenty and for the setup that Finn is working to achieve. so be it, its gonna happen anyways. Finn just make sure those neck bearings are in good shape!! enjoy the winter boys, its gonna be a long one.
 
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