My buddy who rode my bike home comment on how he wished he now had an Evo instead of his TC. I mentioned why doesn't he just swap out the TC engine out his 02 Super Glide for an Evo. Ever since he bought it, he complains about how many things has gone wrong with it. He then proceeded to say it not possible to add an Evo engine to a TC frame however failed to explain why. I always thought that the was an adapter plate that would make such conversion possible. The only thing off the top of my head that may be problem is the differences in the trans.

So can any give more details in what would be involved to make it work if it was do-able. If you think its not possible why?

 

Your buddy can always get a crate engine from S&S Cycle if they don't like the stock Twin Cam.

 

Your buddy's obviously a moron.

 

It's easy, sell the twin cam, buy an evo. Plenty out there, he may have a little extra cash for mods. I've seen adaptors to put twin cam in evo, not the other way. The evo motor bolts in the frame independently from the trans. The trans bolts to a mounting plate. The twin cam has the trans and engine bolted together. Anything is possible, but why waste the time and money?

 

WRONG!!!


Ever heard of an FXR, FLT, Evo Road King, Evo Dyna and many other rubber mounted Evo models?

There were even rubber mounted Shovelheads as far back as 1979 when Harley introduced the 1980 FLT mid year.

All of these models had motors and transmissions that were bolted together and mounted as a unit into the frame on rubber mounts.

Those engine/transmission units could easily be made to fit into some of the later model bikes, but it wouldn't be an improvement over the T/C motor.

I love my Evo's, but I harbor no illusions about them being a "better" motor than a T/C is, in many ways the T/C motor is far superior to the Evo....especially the earlier T/C. (1999 to 2002)

With the exception of the cam chain tensioner design which is easily overcome with an relatively inexpensive upgrade or a simple periodic maintenance procedure, the T/C motor is a pretty bullet proof design and is capable of handling with solid reliability much more horsepower/torque than the Evo.

The MoCo bean counters have steadily over the years cheaped the T/C motors down and made them less reliable from the factory by eliminating the Timken bearings in the lower end and cheaping down the crankshaft assemblies.....But they did the same kind of thing with the later Evo's by cheaping down the flywheels and making the cases too thin in the later Evo models.

I would never consider for one second replacing a T/C motor with an Evo, but I have built a few wicked T/C powered FXR's and converted one Evo Ultra to T/C power trains.

 

The "adapter plate" you referred to allowed a TC motor to be installed in a EVO rigid mount frame (as in a Softail.) The reverse (installing an Evo where a TC was,) on a rubber mount Dyna would require a tranny swap as well.

 

Glad you finally got yer bike Joe.


EGs rock.

 

Sounds like a challenge to me. Bring me the bike and the parts you want installed.

 

Here is how to do it:

1. Sell current bike, pocket money.
2. Buy evo bike, fork over mony; hopefully leaving a little residual adult beverage money.

That said, I'll be keeping my 2002 efi road king. No fuel petcock, no choke, runs pretty good even cold. Plus, I can feel that Timken bearing in there, when I ride.

 

The "reliability" debate gets spewed out so much. I'd actually call it a myth.

If someone is caught up in the horsepower wars....guess one can try to debate that twinkies are "better motors".

But what defines "better"? The answer to that differs from person to person. If pure horsepower and speed were my goal, obviously I wouldn't be into Harleys.

But to me..."better" is defined with other reasons. Simplicity of working on them in my own garage with my own hands with basic tools . Instead of getting bent over, without butt lube, and raped at the stealership. Tons of other reasons I likely won't own a twinkie again...prefer Shovels but likely will get an Evo soon. And those reasons are what makes them "better" to me. I like nostalgia, I like classic old engine sounds (no matter what some people try to say...twinkies will never...ever...sound nearly as good..idle, or at highway speeds, and all in between).

"Better" is defined by the individual. Just like..if I won some contest where I had a choice of a brand new, highest optioned 'Vette...or Challenger, or....my other choice was a mid to late 60's model Vette or Challenger or Cuda....I'd without question choose the 60's one over a new one.

But back to the "reliability" thing...my Shovelhead engine itself hasn't let me down. Buncha buds I ride with..with their old Shovels...haven't seen their engines let them down either. Sure..other things go...but same things that twinkies have. Shift linkage, brakes, electrical stuff, whatever. Same things that can go on any bikes.