I need some help from my brothers about my SG! I decided to keep my bike and invest some cash into her because I know at almost 30k she will be needing NEW cams! The motor is a 88 in size and I think if I do this right and put the right cams I could liven her up! Please share your experiences and what direction you guys decided on and what will give me the best bang for the buck! I only put about 3000 miles a year on her and I really don't need the most expense thing on the market but I do want to do it right!!

thanks in advance
Ranger Rick

 

Why do ya think it needs cams at only 30k??

 

I love my Andrews 48H cams in my 96 incher ... I hear they also work very well in an 88 incher - or in a 95 incher, if you want to go big bore .....

 

Cam selection is based on a number of things. Generally speaking, people do cams after they've already done a higher flow air cleaner and mufflers, and added a tuner. You pick a cam based on what rpm range you want to make power in. If you spend most of the time operating at say 5K or below, it doesn't make sense to add cams that pulls to 7K. For an early twin cam that displaces 88 inches, Andrews 21 or 26 is a well proven option. the 21's com on right off idle and pull to 48K, the 26 start at 1800 and pull to maybe 51K or so. Assuming your bike is unmolested and has 30k on the clock, you would do well to replace the cam chain tensioners while you're in there. Those things are a well known design flaw that can fail, and when they do it sends bits of plastic into the oil pump. Replacement shoes are available, but most often people replace the cam plate with one from an 07 or later plate, which has a different type of tensioner and an improved oil pump as well. You'll need adjustable pushrods too, and new lifters is a good idea while you're in there, but not absolutely required. It's not too terribly hard to do, and there's lots of you tube vids that can walk you through it. If you do the cam plate, pushrods and lifters, along with the cams and gaskets, oil, and whatnot expect to spend $1000, depending on what cam plate you choose. Billet plates are cool and all, but a stock 07 or later plate will work fine. I myself got a used one on ebay. I also saved some coin by removing the pushrods through the top and reusing them, although it's a little more work to do so.

 

By the way, Andrews makes a specific conversion cam for bikes that use the later model cam plate, they're a bolt in. It's the N series. Removee your stock inner bearings and replace them with Torrington bearings. The cam plate requires no outboard bearings. I have a cam bearing puller/installer tool I'll loan you, just pay for the ride both ways.