V-Twin "Replica" Pan Heads

[Raytag]

Loving this shot with the reflection

[awander]

Damn! It's cold and snowing here, so I guess I won't get my first ride in today...

When i was a kid, I used to love the snow...now I don't, so much...

[RooDog]

Where are you located, Andy?
We have't had any fun snow here in Knoxville for a lot of years. Being retired I would not need to get out into it unless I wanted to play. Even bought an AWD SUV just cause I could, and haven't got a chance to use it either. Not even on Daytona's World's Most Famous Beach.
PS: Wanna do a lathe project for me?
I can PM a pic, and specs if you want to pick up some beer money....
....RooDog....

[awander]

Hi Roo:

I'm in Eastern PA, right by the Delaware River. We tend to get a good bit of snow here, though for the past 5 years or so, anything that we get, even up to a foot or so, tends to melt within a day or 2.

Sure, send me the info on what you need, I'll let you know what I think.

[awander]

Well, I still haven't had a chance to actually go for a ride-every time I get the chance, it is either snowing or raining, and cold.

I'm using the time to clean and polish and paint some parts of the bike, in addition to some stuff that I've been putting off forever, like installing the "Hydra-Glide" emblems on my front fender, installing new spark plug leads, etc.

The bike has been run 2 or 3 times, each time enough to get the oil tank hot enough that I don't want to leave my hand on it for more than a half a second.

I've done a quick tune on the Linkert, though whether i got it right will only be proven once I get out on the road. But she starts right up, and runs well.

The oil light will come on at idle when she is warmed up, but goes out with any real engine speed. This is with the pressure switch that I tested and found it was opening at 7psi.

Now for my confession, that I promised a few posts back.

I finally decided to go for the new heads when, after doing some work to seal up the intake nipple on the front cylinder, the bike just would not start reliably. Before this, it was always a few prime kicks at full choke, ignition on and choke to 1/4 on, and one kick would start it.

So after I got the new heads done up and installed, I still had the same problem! For some reason, I decided to check for spark, and found I was not getting any! I checked the points, and they were only opening "every once in a while"-it seems that the rubbing block had worn to where the points were pretty much staying closed.

I adjusted the gap, reset the timing, and it was back to one kick starts....

Check the simple things!

[awander]

I'm gettin' to be a wimp in my old age-went for a 2-3 mile ride today-temp in the upper 40s.

Sure seemed colder than I remembered!

The bike ran great, pulls really strong, at least as good as it used to....

Now I just need some warmer temps so I can go fir a long ride to really test it out.

[RooDog]

Andy....
They always run better in cooler weather, they really do....
....RooDog....

[awander]

makes sense...denser air, cooler engine...

[RUBONE]

Usually really good in the rain....

[awander]

Usually really good in the rain....

Yeah, it's just ME that doesn't do so good in the rain any more....

[awander]

Took my first real ride of any distance, and with a good amount of higher-speed running this evening.

I went about 26 miles round trip, with a lot of it at 55-60mph, and the bike felt great!

No signs of any intake leaks with those oversize O-rings I installed.

[Mongrel505558]

Took my first real ride of any distance, and with a good amount of higher-speed running this evening.

I went about 26 miles round trip, with a lot of it at 55-60mph, and the bike felt great!

No signs of any intake leaks with those oversize O-rings I installed.

I just installed those same oversize O-rings. I had the same too-big-a-gap problem with the manifold and the V-Twin heads. You're right about no leaks. It's tough to get the clamps to sit evenly since they don't hug the manifold/ports since the O-rings are so big. Bike starts and runs just fine, though.

[Panacea]

I always said 45 degrees is my minimum temp for riding, and that's coming home!

[awander]

So these heads are working out great so far.

Not only do they run great, with plenty of power, but I'm getting greatly increased gas mileage. I used to get 26mpg or so with the old heads; I'm getting mid- to upper-thirties now.

[Mongrel505558]

So these heads are working out great so far.

Not only do they run great, with plenty of power, but I'm getting greatly increased gas mileage. I used to get 26mpg or so with the old heads; I'm getting mid- to upper-thirties now.

Great to hear. Mine were running great until a couple of weeks ago. I seem to have lost a lot of compression in the front cylinder. Kicks right through the front compression stroke and a compression test measures 30 psi cold. I put some oil in the plug hole and repeated the compression test with no change. Rear measures 130 psi. Checked pushrods cold and they are easy to spin with tappets on the cam base circle. Brand new re-bore/pistons/rings (correctly clocked). Replaced all the valve springs after one of the orange painted ones that came with the heads broke into two pieces in under 100 miles. Going to pull the front head soon to inspect. After seeing how long their valve springs lasted I don't trust much about the valve gear they came with. Funny thing is the motor runs great! Plenty of torque and effortless acceleration. Starts on one kick (on the good cylinder). I did find a use for their cheesy orange valve springs - I have an outer one around my '68 FLH seat post acting as a bumper. It's holding up so far and matches the orange/cream paint job.