Editor’s note- This is from a long time reader and contributor to Bikernet, Anson Alexander, also one of our friends. He is a regular family man like many of us out there who enjoy riding when we can and always appreciate a little more power. He is a former Buell rider who has upgraded to the Electra Glide. Some people say, “upgrade?” The truth is the Electra Glide is so big and heavy that it runs like a dog when compared to the zippy and light Buell.
Here is his solution, which I believe we all at Bikernet will appreciate as this site is for all us little guys who cannot afford to plop down 3-4 grand for the latest engine upgrade. Truthfully, I won’t even plop out the 300 for a 20k service. Enjoy the article and be sure to check the references he used. Also enjoy the shot of his kids at the end.
Been a long while since I wrote you a line. Never fear, a more devoted Bikernet reader you will be hard pressed to find.
I especially enjoyed your Salt Flats story as I just finished a book about Burt Monroe the Indian Scout racer. Partially due to the influence of all your Salt Flats build, and the fact that my 2005 FLHT warranty ran out, I decided to upgrade my engine to a 95-incher.
I contacted Dewey, of Dewey's Pegs, after looking him up in the Bikernet archives. He offered a build plan and I rolled with it.
Unfortunately Dewey isn't doing any outside maching service at this time, so I had to find another machinist. As luck would have it, I found a great guy offering cylinder and honing services on Ebay. He hooked me up; bored and honed my cylinders, and fitted the pistons and set the ring gaps.
Also on ebay, I found a set of new Andrews's 26 cams. I bought a few tools from George's Garage and had some from JIMS. I used the oven and refrigerator trick to avoid having to purchase the cam installation tools. I used the JIMS cam installation article from the Bikernet Tech archive. I learned about the cam “freeze and heat” technique for the cam installation on the website http://www.harleyhog.co.uk/. I photographed the teardown in order to have a reference for the build up. It worked like a charm. I used my Dremel tool to increase the inner diameter of my old Jim's Evo inner cam bearing remover to allow for pulling the larger TC B-148 bearings. A couple of tricks to save a buck as this was a home garage project and not a shop job.
I picked up a set of new 2006 cylinder heads off ebay. The new head exhausts flow better than the previous TC heads and were cheaper than a stock valve job on my 05 heads.
Note the carbon build up on the cylinder head. I checked at the local dealer and was told that was normal. I stayed with the chain drive cams in order to keep the mechanical noise down. Doug Coffey, in his Head Quarters tech blog, points out that the cam tensioner wear minimizes over time as the cam chain wears in. He sees no problem with staying with the chain drive and that was good enough for me. Another good reference was Joe Minton's 95″ build article on the American Rider website http://www.americanrider.com/output.cfm?id=1054045.
Word to the wise, the hardest part of the project was finding a machinist to bore and hone the cylinders. Most shops require that you purchase the pistons from them before they will do the cylinder work. I used WISECO flat top pistons that I purchased off an internet site. Next time I will purchase the pistons from the shop doing the cylinder boring. The recipe top down:
2006 heads,
95″ cylinders
Cometic .030 head gaskets
WISECO flat top 9.4:1 pistons
Andrews 26 cams
Baisley oil spring
S/S E carb
Vance / Hines HS Pro Pipe exhaust
Total cost:$1500.
I did my own labor in my garage and followed the service manual. I got an email from Dewey. He told me to do full throttle roll-ons from 50-80 mph and cycle the engine to seat the rings. This is pretty much the same advice Joe Minton prescribes and what I did yesterday. I should point out that the bike had 5000 miles on it when I tore it down.
Here's a rundown of actual costs:
S&S E Carb $240
V/H Exhaust $415
2006 Heads $285
Andrews 26 Cams $215
Crane Pushrods $ 75
WISECO Piston Kit $270
Cometic .030 MLS Head Gaskets $ 45
B-148 Bearings $ 25
J&P Gas Petcock $ 25
Baisley Oil Spring $ 15
Oil Filter and Oil $ 25
Cylinder boring 95″ $140
George's TC tools $ 70
Misc. Purchases / Labor $1845
2005 Cylinder heads -$175
Samson Mufflers -$150
eBay Sales -$325
Total Project Cost $1520
Am I pleased? You bet! A big improvement in roll on power. No need to constantly downshift. The bike loves fourth gear, I don't know what I would do with six. The bike starts, idles and sounds terrific, much better than stock.
Hell, the FLHT is now as much fun to ride and more comfortable than the Buell M2 Cyclone was,( I miss that bike). I have attached a photo for what it's worth. Unfortunately I did not photograph the build up ( I figured what was the point?). You should consider this build for your Road King. You almost have it in the bag given you have the heads and the cams installed. I guarantee you would dig the results. I can only imagine the kick the 2007 103″ upgrade gives.
Author’s children in a great shot taken in Colorado.
