[Lakes]

Well one year back I bought a used Harley Sportster, with the plan to rebuild motor how I wanted.
Have just started


Resizing cases in Bridgeport Mill, using micro bore


New barrels , fitted to resized cases. note, this is a pic of drive side of primary. where engine Sproket , triplex primary chain and clutch hub go. the drive side of flywheels on this model, use tappered timkin bearing, was the last year this was used. much stronger than the new model's. also that cave you see is where gear box goes. comes out via trap door. new models lost this and to get to gear box. it needs a full  engine & cases disassembly. so I wanted this model as was last year of these features.



I picked up these new heads came from a 2018 EFI, guy imported modified heads from USA. offered them at a good price. these heads are the best Harley have offered. they have smaller & higher ports, but slightly larger intake valves. they flow more air & higher velocity , than the older model heads my bike came with. I had to import a special intake manifold to fit a carb to these heads.
the new barrels came with JE forged Flat Top pistons. with the chamber the new heads have the compression is 11.5, higher than I want, I'll drop it to 10.5. as cam set I'm using with 10.5 should have 200 p.s.i cranking pressure.
I'll get the ports lightly ported & fit larger intake valves & bee hive valve springs to take 600. valve lift.
hope I did not bore you with detail's.
cheers

[Dazzler]

Pretty cool for a 70 y/o guy! Plus, looks like you worked out how to add pictures yourself!

I'm not  a bike person but it didn't BORE me (see what I did there).

I'm sure our Motorcycle members will really enjoy following your story as it unfolds.

[CraigB]

Good job Lakes  I love build projects

Are you dropping the compression for reliability? or you just don't want to use 98 RON

[John B]

Good stuff John. My brother is right into bikes. He is into vintage bikes and likes to get them back to original condition

[Lakes]

Hey thanks Dazz. I enjoyed finally meeting you & Trish!!

The next plan might shock you.

once I run it in on Dyno. I plan to enter an all Bike Drag race meeting up near Gladston, ride up ride home.

Good job Lakes  I love build projects

Are you dropping the compression for reliability? or you just don't want to use 98 RON

Thanks Craig.
well I will have to use 98 RON with this build, but cam manufacturer told me the cams I'm going to use best at 10.5. they are relatively mild. but I believe . it's not the cam that determines how much HP you make but the Heads. also I want bulk torque. but it will make it harder to race, as this bike light & short wheelbase.
I'm having forks custom built to my & bikes weight & have Ohlins shocks.
bike will not be low like most Harleys as I like riding around corners too. will make it harder to drag race. but I'll be riding on street more than racing.
I would love some carbon wheels!!

[Lakes]

Good stuff John. My brother is right into bikes. He is into vintage bikes and likes to get them back to original condition

Thank's John, I remember you mentioning your brother and his bikes, I love old bikes too!!

[CraigB]

I would love some carbon wheels!!

You'll be poppin wheelies left right and centre with no weight on the front

[Dazzler]

Likewise John, It took 3 attempts but we got there in the end. Your 5 hour return journey was much appreciated.

See I told you everyone would love this thread. I'm sure it will get lots of views. 

[Lakes]

Likewise John, It took 3 attempts but we got there in the end. Your 5 hour return journey was much appreciated.

See I told you everyone would love this thread. I'm sure it will get lots of views. 

Thanks Dazz, it was well worth the drive to meet you. I thought I owed it to you & myself.
you have always been tops & ready to help.!!

[mickd]

Great stuff Lakes 👍
Not a Harley guy myself,  but I like things that have grunt. You'll have a truck load of torque available.
Have you thought of going to the "dark side" and using a car tyre on the rear, wider grip area / more traction. Is that equipment in the pics yours ?

[Lakes]

Hi Mick thanks, the mill is a friend of mine, Bridgeport  he has a really good set up, can cut high quality valve seats too. I will get him to do the heads. he has a flow bench. and a Dyno Jet 250i ( with load control ) chasis dyno. in a climate controlled sound proof room, with real time afr monitoring. more for mapping EFI. but helps jet carb close, some carbs a compromise. the one I have is good I can get it very close.
I would not use a car tyre as they are flat, I like riding in twists too. that's why I got this model Sportster it can lean ? I'll have to work out angle, but could knees down ( if you were good ) I like skinny tyres, as less drag so faster. on the street never use what you have. but at drag strip they spray traction compound, so normally wheel stands, what I'll have to control ( I do that with the clutch ) also getting a guy to do the forks & Ohlins shocks to the weight. the brakes won't be that good but ok. the engine braking would surprise you, a bit like a truck using exhaust brake. when you built to increase torque, it also increases engine braking.

[Dazzler]

Still plenty of life in the old dog yet!  I'm talking about you John, not the bike! 

[mickd]

What a set up !,
👍👍

[Lakes]

few more pictures, I had the piston skirts dry lube coated, and about to do heads, the intake port looks good stock, will weld up exhaust port floor. also a few carb's I have, not sure what one I'll use. one is a 2 inch SU with improved float chamber.
the other one is an S&S super D that has a thunder jet ( gives it one more fuel curve up high so can use a smaller main jet, for sharper mid range throttle response )

[Dazzler]

Interesting stuff John. Thanks for sharing. You are getting good at posting pictures. 

[mickd]

Great progress lakes,
The coating is a nice touch along with recess in the pistons to avoid smacking the valves 😊👍.
S&S might be a bit more practical on the road.
 Either way, going to make some awesome induction noise when cracked open 😀😀👍

[John B]

Looking good. Cant wait to see the finished product

[tw2005]

few more pictures, I had the piston skirts dry lube coated, and about to do heads, the intake port looks good stock, will weld up exhaust port floor. also a few carb's I have, not sure what one I'll use. one is a 2 inch SU with improved float chamber.
the other one is an S&S super D that has a thunder jet ( gives it one more fuel curve up high so can use a smaller main jet, for sharper mid range throttle response )

Work of art

[Lakes]

more work done, but still lot more left to do.



 
chamber has been enlarged to get compression ratio to 10.5 to match the cam's




this is exhaust port, had floor welded & D port as increases flow, I'm getting better flowing valves, the intakes will be larger and exhaust stock size.

will also get better quality bee hive valve springs and set to take 650 valve lift, but cams I'm using only open to 560, but I want valves springs to last a long time so as they won't be close to compressed they will last longer.




this is intake port the port looked good stock so just had it roughed up and now just need to finish matching the port to intake manifold.
after heads are set up , then motor will be mocked up to check all clearances. then pulled apart the re built properly.

I have forks & Ohlins shocks back from Shock Treatment , they set them up for the weights, these guys experts & do factory race bikes.

[Dazzler]

I don't really understand all the ins and outs so to speak,  but still an interesting journey you are taking us on thanks John. 

[mickd]

@Dazzler , don't know how much you know,  simply :
Basically Lakes is aligning the intake flow to allow faster amounts of mixture in . "More Power"
Valves bigger for increased flow. "More Power ".
Valve springs stronger enough to handle roughly 20% more valve lift than he's going to use .
"No Stress" - reliability increase.
Forks - front suspension units. Springs coils inside hyd tubes.
Rear shocks- rear suspension units. Spring coils over hyd tubes.

Its being built strong enough to be :
flogged all day, every day, for the next 20 years.  

@Lakes ,
Not going to get much traction is in 1st,  or 2nd !   

[Dazzler]

@Dazzler , don't know how much you know,  simply :
Basically Lakes is aligning the intake flow to allow faster amounts of mixture in . "More Power"
Valves bigger for increased flow. "More Power ".
Valve springs stronger enough to handle roughly 20% more valve lift than he's going to use .
"No Stress" - reliability increase.
Forks - front suspension units. Springs coils inside hyd tubes.
Rear shocks- rear suspension units. Spring coils over hyd tubes.

Its being built strong enough to be :
flogged all day, every day, for the next 20 years.  

@Lakes ,
Not going to get much traction is in 1st,  or 2nd !   

Cheers @mickd 

[Lakes]

thank's Mick, the bee hive valve springs, are able to run at much lighter spring pressure, than the old multi straight valve springs , that used three coils one inside the other. the benefit of one bee hive spring ( shaped like a bee hive oval ) is can stabilise valves at high revs with a lot less seat pressure. so less wear on components. the idea on setting up for 650  valve lift is the spring can compress to 650, before spring bind, were as if had springs that could only allow 570 lift, the springs would be almost fully compressed at 560, so if valve springs compressing almost fully & also when motor turns off you will have a valve open. so that spring will be sitting almost fully compressed. were as having springs that can open 100 more before they are at the limit and fully compressed to spring bind. they will keep there tension for a lot longer. when your valve springs loose tension they lose control at high rev's and don't keep cam followers on the cam lobe. but the cams I'm going to use farly gentle on opening and closing.

[mickd]

My old 192 ran triple springs, low lift but long duration.  Quick open and quick closed.

[Lakes]

My old 192 ran triple springs, low lift but long duration.  Quick open and quick closed.

I had a few hot Holden 6 packs Mick.

the cam's I'm using on the bike shorter duration medium high lift, I found with last Harley ( big twin Dyna Twin Cam ) doing mods to head and intake, got me to same speeds same ET at drags with milder cams, as I got with longer duration high lift. I was tuning on a Dyno & testing at Sydney Drags eastern creek.
was a small motor by Harley standards and I could ride it anywhere, I had it doing 11.2  @ 121 mph 1/4 mile with that trap speed it could have ran high 10 seconds, but I would have had to get 60 foot time down more ( higher rev out the hole ) with a lot of air under front tyre.
a guy I know with a sportster like mine same size motor as I'm building runs 10.2 @ 128mph and rides it to the track. but good rider.
but you can buy a new 1,000 , Yamaha, Suzuki , Kawasaki, or Honda . and if you can ride run high 9's @ 140mph straight from showroom floor. ha ha but riding the Harley totally different they pull hard from 2,000 with a power & Torque band like a hot V8.
the 1,000 gap multi run 6,000 up like a high turned 4 cyl

[Lakes]

Back at it, my mate just sent me a few pictures of work he has done, this is on his Mira Centronic , cutting valve seats, have larger intake valves than stock but stock size exhaust valves, just higher performance than stock valves as have stroker retainers for higher rev's.



here is a picture of intake port and new intake valve. if you look at earlier pic's you will see the valve guide end is flat and wide, then later you can see valve guides have been pressed out to make it easier to do the ports. not look at this picture, you see the valve guide is back inlace & the end has been machined round and tampered for improved flow. with mass production, can't expect this but say Holden special vet or Ford Performance would prep heads like this. or similar.




here is a pic of heads with the new performance valves & bee hive valve springs, the valve stems are the new 7mm as give improved flow. all new stock Harleys come with 7mm stems. but the old Harleys I think about 2003 & back had thicker valve stems.

[Lakes]

Well a bit more work done to motor. when you modify a motor it's always a bit more work as have to check clearances and then , check you have correct compression ratio to work with rest of the set up.
I got larger intake valves but stock exhaust valves , just stronger more durable & more secure, retention ( the type of collars valve stems have & the coating valves have ).
also with the use of larger intake have to check valve to valve clearance @ TDC valve lift. that has all been checked now measuring combustion chamber volume ( C C ing chamber ) will also have to measure valve relief pockets that are machined into pistons , then work out & check we have 10.5: 1 comp ratio. when that is done, do an engine mock up to check all clearances when engine rotates. then pull apart. then assemble motor & gear box ( will back cut gears for quick shifting ).
should be up and running in around three weeks.

[mickd]

Thanks for the update 
Nice looking beast in the background as well, love Red & Chrome.

[Lakes]

setting up cylinders & cams , dummy assembly, check clearances.



Machine Barrels for squish

[mickd]

Seeing a barrel in a lathe like that is unusual