Tryng my own Cam change

[03fxst]

Ah, why not.
It's winter and I'm still a little crazy so here we go again. I successfully pulled the Cams today and already I have a few questions.
I removed the lifters so lets start there. I had a tough time getting the bolts close to the cylinders out of the lifter covers. What kind of fastener or adapter will I need to get them torqued back in place when I re-assemble. I took them out with a standard L shaped hex key. Any suggestions on best after market lifters to replace the stock ones while I'm in here. I have just over forty thousand miles on the bike.
Tensioner shoes are worn but not too badly. I'll credit AMS oil. I will change them though. Sorry, no gear set.
I am pretty sure all of the oil, or darn near all of it, drained out once I pulled the cam support plate. I had a drain pan there thanks to Chris's 101 performance projects book. The shop manual didn't say that would happen. Is that normal? Everything else worked as the book predicted.
Haven't finalized my Cam choice. Looking for enough duration to ease compression on startup without giving away too much bottom end. I'm taking the support plate with the cams in it to the shop to have the olds ones taken out and the new ones pressed in with new bearings.

Thanks for any help you have to offer.

[Wrightturn]

On a fxst the oil tank is above the cam chest so oil may fill and go back into the tank when you start up. Get a ball end allen.

Did you pull the inner bearings ?

[shovelmike]

If you can find a ball end 3/8 drive hex bit that might do the trick. As for the oil drainage, It's expected since the oil tank is higher than the engine on the Softail. On a Dyna or Bagger the tank is below the tranny and wouldn't drain out.I'll relate what I've been finding out, since I've been reading up. Disclaimer- I don't claim to be an expert. I'm learning as I go too. If I remember correctly your compression is 10-1, therefore you can use a cam with a narrower lobe separation angle to drop static compression a bit. In the past I always heard that aspect referred to in degrees of overlap.(Span of degrees of crankshaft rotation when both valves are open) I haven't yet established what numbers work best with what compression. The 510C might work well in your bike since it's fairly light, though I haven't seen the LSA on it. Andrews makes several cams with similar lift and various durations which would yield results in terms of where they would produce peak TQ and HP. Perhaps the TW37B cam would be suitable. I wish the budget would allow experimentation. One moderate project and the pocketbook is on the recovery list for quite a spell .
I'm slowly getting together the special tools to work on mine. I'm probably going to buy a decent press. I've been burned just about every time I've farmed out any of the work, that's another long story in itself. Sincerely: Shovelmike.

[shovelmike]

Hey, I was posting the same time you were, Wrighturn. A very good evening to you sir.

[Wrightturn]

Good evening to you sir,

Good info. The cams I have used or been involved with are limited to the Andrews 26g the 37g and the S&S 510. All were gear drive conversion. The 37 benefits from head work more than the others. Gasket selection can recover the compression drop on the 37 but if you are going to stay with stock heads there is really little difference. My Dyna has the 26 and pulls great even though the 37 seems to be the popular choice for the lighter bike. Long story.

The Dyna is first year twin cam with stock heads. I have always done my own work . Shop Ebay and Georges Garage for tools. The bearing puller and inner bearing installer are from Georges Garage and are very high quality. The others I got used on Ebay and are from Jims. I have a 2002 FLHP with 42k that is completely stock. New bearings and tensioners at 25k. Runout prevents going gear drive so I am just going to ride it. Spend more time on the Dyna.

[03fxst]

Thanks guys.
The heads are done Wrightburn, should have included that. I'm running the forged high compression pistons in a 95 kit as well at 10:25 to one and I did use Screaming Eagle head gasket.
Shovel I've been reading about Lobe Seperation Angle as well. I am looking at the Andrews TW31s which has the same duration and lift numbers as the 37b but with a different "timing" number is that the same as LSA. The 31 comes on at 2000 rpm as oposed to 2200 on th 37. Also looking at the screaming eagle 211.
This may be a silly question but are tappets and lifters the same?

[hdnt1550]

I'm in the same boat with cams but am going with a S&S 625G. I also have to change valve springs and move to roller rockers to work with the extra lift.
I can get at the alan bolts with a regular flat hex socket. I have a hard time not striping the caps with a ball end.
Also I ordered S&S H2lt lifters. They have limiters in them so they work better at high rpm. A lot of people will use Jims power glides as well. Or you could use the same kind you are using now and adjustable pushrods will allow for different cams/tappets.
I am currently using SE258 cams. The are good but are kind of week under 3000 rpm and then come on strong.

[shovelmike]

I need to take a look at the timing specs on Andrew's site again, but judging from the differences in power characteristics between the cams the 37's appear to have a narrower LSA than the 31's. Narrower LSA= higher RPM at which the engine "comes on the cam" . The terms lifter/ tappet refer to the same component and are used interchangeably.

[BlueBob]

*sigh* I have so much to learn. Half of what you guys just said sounded like a foreign language.

I need a "Motorcycle Mechanics for Dummies."

just completed replacing the cam chain tensioners on my 01 flht this site was a big help http://www.harleyhog.co.uk/tensionerinstall.htm. pictures and tips.
the bake and freeze of cams, bearings, and cam plate worked really good (that was the part i was worried about. it was an easy job.the tools i bought were inter cam bearings remove and install, centering bolts for oil pump(from George's garage). cam gear locking tool. i had everything else.
one tip on flt's there is not enough room to remove just the front exhaust pipe without loosing front motor mount and raising the motor. if you have a motorcycle-atv lift cut a piece of 2 x 4 short enough to go between frame,slide lift toward front of bike,put 2 x 4 on lift under motor and when you jack it up motor is raised enough to get the pipe out.
good luck and have fun