Intro

[Wiseguy]

Hey, I'm Wiseguy from the Shovelhead US forum. I saw this place about a year ago. Since the other forum is getting reconfigured, I thought I'd stop in here. I'm the guy with the three barrel Weber and some oddball stuff on my bike. I'll try to post a pic here.



It might take me a while to find my way around here, but I'll manage. I'm the one that toasted a piston on the interstate last month. I hope to get my bike on the road in a couple weeks. It normally would be quicker, but my back is giving me problems lately. I'll be making progress as soon as my new pistons that came today get fitted. That, and a few other details.
Thanks for letting me in, guys.

[02roadcling]

Welcome! Pretty neat refinery you have hanging on the side.     

   cling

[HotRodShovel]

Yes, welcome. I can say with a great amount of certainty that I've never seen that set up before.  Pretty cool.   So tell us, how did you cook a piston?

[moose]

hi and welcome from New Jersey   sorry to hear about the cooked piston       but at least you had something to cook a hot dog on

[Wiseguy]

I don't know how to reply directly to a post, so I'll explain here how I toasted a piston. My cranking compression originally was 203-205 pounds at 60 degree intake closing, but I changed to a cam with 42 degree closing, which jacked up the pressure to 265! However, I decided to start it up and see just what it did. I somehow had NO pinging or overheating, so I enjoyed riding it around town and other places for a couple weeks.
Things were great until I was in a hurry and decided to take te interstate for the last 5-6 miles to get home. I thought I'd try out opening it up a bit, running 85-90 for a mile or so. Unfortunately, that pushed this borderline setup over the edge, and detonation reared its ugly head. I was at least smart enough to check things by varying my throttle input, and detected it starting to run a little flat. I let off the throttle immediately, but the damage was already done.



I was really lucky that after scraping the scored aluminum from the cylinder, it only took about .0015" honing to clean up the scuff marks. My one-off pistons were .035" over my 3 5/8" bore, so a set of .040" over pistons fixed up things nicely. Here's a pic of my prior piston assembly weight.



Here's my new piston weight.



I've NEVER heard of off-the-shelf pistons matching existing parts that close! No rebalancing, so I'm a lucky dog.

Wiseguy

[harttoo]

Welcome from Wisconsin.

[Hossamania]

That is some serious carberated! Welcome to the site.

[Pete_Vit]

Welcome to the fray - from Arkansas, nice scoot ! looking at those pistons (before) looks like what happened to me some years back on a Sporty 
there's some very great folks here to help with all of you needs....

[Wiseguy]

I'll post what things look like when I check the breather gear and oil pump. Gotta make sure that no debris screwed up those parts. I'll flush the oil tank and change the oil lines. Waiting on new valve springs and .043" copper head gaskets. My old springs are for a .654" lift cam. No sense keeping them in the heads if I don't need all that pressure. I'm running a Mackie .580" lift cam. Great cam, pulls all the way from the bottom on up.

Wiseguy

[Hossamania]

Post your pics, especially that sweet carb, and progress in the Shovelhead section. You'll get much more feedback and interest there on this project.
This is the introduction section where we are nice to you. In the other sections we help you spend your money like a drunken sailor!

[Leed]

Welcome from Texas! 

[Big Dave]

Hi ya Bill

Dave

[Wiseguy]

Hey, Dave, I'm still kinda feeling my way around here. Looks like things might be stalled out for a bit yet at Shovelhead US, so I'll share my latest nut and bolt stuff here. This makes twice in the last five years that I pushed things a bit too far, but that's just part of the price of having something that runs on the edge of too much of this and that.

Wiseguy

[Hogman]

......and a HEARTY Welcome my Friend! Watching the Engine Saga Closely, as Usual!!!!!  LOLOL
Just Read The Post about the Crapola in the Cam Chest. GLAD you Did Decide to Go in my Friend, VERY Smart Move!
Good Luck With All the Rest Bill.








ME

[SixShooter14]

Howdy, welcome from Arkansas.

Sounds like an interesting setup you got there.