74 in bolt in cam recommendation

[1stop]

would like suggestions on bolt in cam for stock 74 in cam. (early model) low end torque preferred. going to run a 2-1 baffled ex. thanks

[Trouble]

Last I remember, Andrews made a decent cam or two that was good for down-low torque and added horsepower. I would add : read the description carefully.

[RTMike]

For 70-77 motors VThunder 4001 is good all around bolt in cam and 4011 if you are replacing the springs.

[Ohio HD]

S&S 450 or Andrew's A2. Both good cams for stock 74 and 80 inch motors.

[SP33DY]

would like suggestions on bolt in cam for stock 74 in cam. (early model) low end torque preferred. going to run a 2-1 baffled ex. thanks

If your main concern is low end torque, Andrews J grind would be a very good choice.

[Ohio HD]

I was never much for stump puller cams in Shovelheads because of the gearing they have.

Cruising down the road you're in the midrange of RPM.


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[JW113]

No disrespect intended here, Ohio, but in my humble opinion, 3500 is not very high rpm. The rev limiter on my 113" TC is set at 7200! THAT, is high rpm.

Again, in my humble opinion, Shovelheads are not high rpm motors. With lots of time, effort, and especially MONEY, they can be made into high rpm motors, but out of the gate, not really. More like a truck motor. Truck motors have truck cams, i.e. stump pullers. However, they are also typically gears REALLY low. My truck is 3.90:1, and 3/4 or 1T pickup trucks of the 50s/60s usually 4.56:1. And yes, you would have to wind the livin' bee-jesus out of them on the highway. But that's just how they are wired. Same with the Shovelhead. Until '78.5, the were only 74 cubes, unlike the 96-103-107-114 monsters that are in the more modern bikes. Smaller motors have to spin higher to make the power needed to push the bike at higher speeds. So, 3500 at 75 on a Shovelhead is no big deal at all. My Ironhead is spinning a heck of a lot more than that! Like 4200 at 75...

-JW

[Ohio HD]

I said 2,500 to 3,500 is midrange RPM.   

A stock Shovel runs out of grunt just after 5,000 RPM. I always used cams in Shovels to pull the midrange, because that's where they run.

[Don D]

Crane H288-2B worked good back in the day, the Andrews A2 is similar. My 76 had a CV carb and this cam otherwise stock and ran well everywhere.

[1stop]

the s&s cam has earlier intake closing. think ill try it. thanks everyone. i got a crank post if anyone has input on crank work.

[One4Tone]

...the Andrews "B"grind, solid lfter cam is great in a shovel especially a 750 lb. bike like the FLH. It will cruse all day at 70 mile an hour at around 3200 or less with 24 motor sprocket. I

[JW113]

Sorry Ohio, I think we're maybe saying the same thing. The part that threw me is "stump puller". Do you consider the stock cam a stump puller? I consider it a low to mid range cam, as that is what HD put in there to run with the way the bikes were geared. And with stock 8:1 compression, mine sure runs a hell of a lot better with the stock H cam than it did with the Crane 288.

Them's some pretty crazy timing numbers on the stock cam. I can only imagine the engineers spent a bit of time on the factory dyno to come up with these. But they must of had a good reason.

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-JW

[Ohio HD]

Yeah I think we were on the same page JW.

I consider cams like stock or the Andrews J grind stump puller because they really make power low, and don't pull very hard past the midrange.

Even today on M8's HD uses similar odd timing, and also front and rear differences. Once past the experience I have with cams, I have no understanding of that level of cam design detail.

[Reddog74usa]

I always liked the Factory "S" cam in the later low compression Shovels. They always seem to run great with that cam for a stock bike. This 82 I just picked up runs as good as they get stock and feels like  one of those "S" cams. The Sifton 440 was always my fav cam back in the day and was a bolt in.

[motorhogman]

I always liked the Factory "S" cam in the later low compression Shovels. They always seem to run great with that cam for a stock bike. This 82 I just picked up runs as good as they get stock and feels like  one of those "S" cams. The Sifton 440 was always my fav cam back in the day and was a bolt in.

I had a 73 Superglide. Ran like a bear.. Sifton 440 T cam, Crane Hi 4 Ignition, dual plug heads, taper light push rods, Jims big axle lifters .005 over.. S&S Super E carb, S&S oil pump, Balanced wheels and clutch hub,  OEM .030 over pistons. Cycle shack pipes.  Owned that bike for 28 years.

[Hillside Motorcycle]

Andrews #1 cam.

[Hybredhog]

 

Andrews #1 cam.

[Burnout]

Pick a cam that closes the intake early, those motors have no compression.
AN early intake closing will increase the cylinder pressure and make up for the lack of compression.

Your exhaust system plays a major factor as well. Drag pipes suck.

[Hillside Motorcycle]

Shovelheads do not flow well at all, unless welding and major reconstructive work, and even then nothing close to what an Evo, T/C will.
The best one can hope for is torque for street Shovel, and that said, those #1, 2, and 3 cams from Andrews do that, as an example. The 6 worked also, as did the Lieneweber L-2 and L-3S.
One of the all-time best street-use Shovel cams that we used years ago was the now defunct Red Shift .580, and in our AHDRA C/E Class 101" Shovel racer, we used both the Lieneweber L-6, and the big Andrews .660 cams, with great results.

[Buglet]

  Also had good results with Crane, V thunder and S&S, they all ran about the same.

[kd]

The 468-S Sifton (.466 lift) worked real well in my slabside 86" with heads worked off a flow bench by a real top porter.  I was running a mag and they were recommended for mag start engines for some reason. The intake close is not that early but it still pulled bottom to top.  I believe the Tom Sifton grind specs are now in the hands of Black Widow cams. They do have a 468+ that is the alternator offering with an earlier close.

Here is some info.

The Andrews B grind was always a sure thing go to cam though.

[Trouble]

Sure, B grind but didn't use it until 80" wheels and added compression. Impressive!

[Hillside Motorcycle]

Most Shovels of yesteryear were over-cammed, contrary to popular belief.

[DA71FX]

Sorry for the late reply to the thread...but I agree with Scott, most shovels just like most hot-rod cars were over cammed back in the day. I learned that in the early 90s with a a very mean sounding 289 ford....it ran like a dog, too much cam for the heads and compression. It sounded great, but ran like a turd....Same with my 71FX, previous owner decided that a BIG cam was in order for the low compression 93.....so when I got the bike.....it did not run to its best potential. I am a fan of high lift short duration cams for the street. My choice for a 74" shovel would probably be an Andrews #1. I am currently running a #2 in my 71FX. I could see running a J grind if you did something with the gearing to keep it in cams happy spot....

[Hillside Motorcycle]

Without strong torque output, the hp is worthless in a daily driver/street machine, from a motorcycle, car, truck, and even Herman Munster's T-bucket.
Hp is what is happening north of 5200, and you need to get thru the torque to arrive at the hp, and how often are most there?
I know I'M not in that zone all the time, so make mine torque.