tappets - hydraulic or solids, and rocker box oiling

[dbdevkc]

First - I am a newb to this stuff. I put the bike away 18+ years ago when at the time I thought the lifters were collapsing and it was running terrible. Plan was to tear into it, and things got in the way. Now I'm into it and I realize I don't even know what I have... stupid newb question - is this a hydraulic or a solid? I mean are solids 100% solid/one piece. With these there doesn't seem to be much room for movement.

Second, the more I read about better hydraulics for the shovel, the more confused I get about options - evo tappets, evo style oiling through pushrods and evo style roller rockers, and evo cams, etc...

I just really want something more reliable (and maybe a bit of a performance bump). But I found that it has and old Andrews A cam - and that might be fine.

Head=spinning...
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[JW113]

Interesting. That looks to be a 'Evo' type tappet, no idea who's. My Jim's look fairly similar. So you say this bike had been sitting for 18 years? I'm going to make a wild and uneducated guess, and say they might be Velva-Touch?

-JW

[dbdevkc]

Whoa. I just looked for and found some close up photos of the velva touch lifters and rods - they do look exactly like what I have, right down to that snap ring. Not 100% sure, but I can contact them share photos and ask.

If they are indeed VT's, two good things from their website:
"REBUILDING SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALL PREVIOUSLY MANUFACTURED VELVA TOUCH PRODUCTS"
"If you would like to change the oiling option at a later date you would only need to purchase a 65.00 kit that includes new lower cups,snap rings,pushrod adjusters and nuts."

The shovel top end oiling has always been a concern to me, so I could switch to evo style roller rockers and take advantage of that oiling option. That is, IF these are really VT's. Regarding top end oiling, the other option I had been looking into was a feed directly from the oil pump to two hoses each going into the center rocker box oil fitting of each box. Not sure if that is even available anymore, unfortunately.

But, the more I get into this, the more surprises I find. Like all Andrews gears in the trans, Wiseco pistons... I better go measure the piston rods, for all I know maybe I have a stroker. haha!

[JW113]

So what is your concern with the stock Shovelhead top end oiling? I personally think it's rather cool. Iconic. There is nothing wrong with the Evo & later design, but I look at that more as a H-D bean counter cost saving deal, you know, fewer parts and less labor to assemble. Either way, both get adequate oil to the rocker arms.
 

If you think you have a stroker, measuring the rods won't tell you anything, they're all the same length. Most stroked flywheels that I've encountered have the stroke stamped into the side of the flywheels. If the motor is still together, you measure how far the piston goes down in bore.

-JW

[capn]

I had my velva touch shovel lifters apart recently.They looked exactly like the picture.

[dbdevkc]

Confirmed, they are indeed Velva Touch. I'm sending them in for them to evaluate and bring them up to their modern standards. 

[dbdevkc]

So what is your concern with the stock Shovelhead top end oiling? I personally think it's rather cool. Iconic. There is nothing wrong with the Evo & later design, but I look at that more as a H-D bean counter cost saving deal, you know, fewer parts and less labor to assemble. Either way, both get adequate oil to the rocker arms.

I was always of the understanding that the top-end oiling of the shovel was somewhat inadequate and that the Evo style was a step in the right direction. Maybe I was misinformed?

[capn]

Stock shovel oiling works fine.You can still use S&S shovel roller rockers even though they are drilled for evo style oiling.

[Reddog74usa]

I was going to go the evo oiling route but after checking into it I decided to keep my shovel a shovel as the shovelhead oiling is really just fine. My 82 FXE has 23K on it and has never been into and has no issues at all. If your concerned about the front exhuast rocker having to wait for the oil to run thru all the other rockers before it gets to the front exhuast there are oil line kits that will feed the front and rear rockerboxes at the same time.

[dbdevkc]

If your concerned about the front exhuast rocker having to wait for the oil to run thru all the other rockers before it gets to the front exhuast there are oil line kits that will feed the front and rear rockerboxes at the same time.

And after you wrote that, a quick search I found what I had been dreaming up in my head. Old-Stf for the win! Was planning on going brass highlights and their brass split line fits the bill perfectly.

[76shuvlinoff]

Doesn't brass and copper work harden with vibration?

[dbdevkc]

Yeah. They do.