build it,

i like S&S but it still a non harley engine.

build it, get it like you want, numbers match, no hassle down the road

my .02

 

Quite the opposite, it's just that I'm on the 12 Step Program for Power Junkies. It got so bad I was wearing out front tires as quickly as rear ones in single figure thousand miles durations, at which point, I realized I was powerless needed divine assistance with my right wrist.

I'm just at that stage of making personal inventories, admitting to others the exact nature of my wrongs and attempting to make amends wherever possible, so consider this my message to you.

More power feels great but it is actually a drug addiction. Unfortunately, these days it only increasingly means that you get to the next traffic jam or lights sooner.

 

Thanks for that response. Plenty to think about . Your observations are equally true of the 16" handlebars, the heated grips, the aftermarket seat, the current exhaust, the passenger backrest, etc., etc., etc. I agree with you that if the bike was adequate before, it should be adequate to go back to what it was. But the bike was not adequate before. The performance was disappointing, particularly when riding two up fully loaded across the country.

Do you have data to support the assertion that resale value is lower with the S&S motor than the custom built motor? I would be interested in that data, although I really don't see me selling this bike once I do this work to it.

The chicks I ride with will notice the difference between 85 ft./lbs. of torque and 140, or even 110 and I think they'll appreciate it. Now . . . would they rather spend the money it takes to get there on shoes? Probably.

The quote to rebuild it is right where I would be with the S&S. Definitely could save money with a takeoff engine.

 

OK, for you that may be the case. For me I wanted a well mannered, well built engine that gave me the power that SHOULD be in these bikes in the first place. HD is finally trying to get there with the new M8 but I wanted it in my 09 that I had set up perfectly. If I was addicted to power I would have went with the HC124 instead.

My addiction is Bowhunting, I can't tell you how much I end up spending on this sport. Luckily I haven't started a 12 step program cause I am enjoying it too much!!

 

If it was my bike, I would pull the spark plug on the offending cylinder to see if the noise goes away. That would indicate a broken wrist pin. That can be replaced without removing the motor, just the cylinder. If that wasn't the cause, a used Ebay motor might be the next option. I've seen then for between $1600-$2500. Drop that one in and go. It also depends on how much and how far you really ride. Would you really need a $6500 motor installed for short Sunday cruises?. Only you can decide that.,,,

 

Too bad the shop I took it to was unaware of the diagnostic you mention. Is it different for a broken wrist pin vs. a wallowed out bushing? Obviously I don't know yet which of those it might have been, but the best guess was the bushing.

If it was your bike (an '05) I would have been able to replace the wrist pin and bushing w/o tearing down the bottom end. In '07 the MoCo went to tapered connecting rods which, so they tell me, makes that wrist pin repair a little bit of impossible. One could conceivably go to the expense of replacing the connecting rod without upgrading the bottom end but . . ..

I like Sunday cruises as much as the next guy, but this is what I want my bike to be up for:

 

A broken wrist pin hopefully would not score the cylinder making the replacement kinda easy, if that is the problem. I can't see how they could tell the bushing is wallowed out, without disassembly and measuring it. How many miles are on the motor?.,,

 

Your observation is correct -- that they couldn't know what was going on in there without taking a look. It was just their best guess based on previous observations.

A little over 75,000 miles on the motor.

 

Well, I dove in yesterday. I'm not experienced, so I'm going slow. Spent a LOT of time trying to get the right muffler off. No luck. I'll start another post for tips on that. The debris that fell out of the front head pipe are undoubtedly an omen of what I can expect to find once I get inside.

Thank you all for your input. I just read a really nice review of Fuel Moto's Outlaw 126 Crate motor. There's gotta be a tipping point someplace though, and for me the $2,000 difference between the Fuel Moto and the rebuild/S&S options is probably it. Sounds lie a pretty nice build though.

 

Good luck brother. The exhaust removal is the hardest part (as far as you know). I don't know exactly where you live at, but I'm in the Tooele-ish area, and can provide moral support (and drinks) if you need it.