evo heads on shovel

[stroker800]

   my motor guy is goin too try to put stock evo heads on my other shovel motor, gonna use stock flat top evo pistons , wrist pin bushings , use evo lifters and blocks and evo oil pump. Is there anything we have missed???
Dave

[crazycanadian]

And you wanna ruin this engine why?

You need an entire evo top end.. including barrells.. and then you need to redrill your cases for evo bolt pattern and then you need to install evo studs to hold everything down.

If your engine guy not know this you better find new engine guy.

[Ultrashovel]

That's a big mistake. If you do this, you will encounter all sorts of unintended consequences and surprises.

I wouldn't do it for the main reason - The Shovelhead is one of the two best-looking Harley motors along with the Knucklehead.

I'd have a couple of beers and lie down and forget it. 

[billbuilds]

     STD makes evo style heads that will bolt up to 66-84 shovel barrels. You'll need an evo cam , rocker arms, shafts and push rods too. If you really want to do it that's your gig but I don't think that you'll find a whole lot of people on here that'll be cheering you on. Fitment into a stock 4 speed frame will be another issue.   Search "Shovelution". Bill 

[fulldress79]

 Why???

[shov60]

I tried this back in the 80's when evo's first came out and it doesn't work it will cost more than buying a new evo.  Like the guy said kick back and have a couple of cold one and forget about it.              shov 60

[ST40]

If you have a frame that will accommodate an EVO engine, you can buy a complete engine for under $3000.00.   Why ruin a Shovel engine?

[crazycanadian]

Umhm and a shovel engine is worth twice as much as an evo.. you look at prices of a new shovel?

[catmcaw]

Axtell makes a cylinder/ piston kit. The one I saw was 3 13/16 bore but I'm sure they can make other sizes . Seems like the price was around $950 ( I think). It has a shovel base and Evo top end bolt pattern. The cylinder length is about the same as stock Evo so you need a frame that will work.

[crazycanadian]

still be cheaper to sell the shovel complete and buy used evo offa ebay for 1200bucks. and not destroy a good engine.

[stroker800]

   Well 1st,,don't want another evo(ugly square cyls)
         2nd I do want the performance of the evo heads
         3rd I have all parts needed accept the rocker boxes
         4th the shovel motor is already a bastard motor(right side evo& left shovel) mismatched parts
         5th a frame is not an issue, I run a custom evo hardtail with a shovel now ( I built frame)
         6th I have never seen it done,,as said ..1 evo , 1 shovel , 1 pan , 1 flattie,,,time to build something different
 thanks
 Dave

[crazycanadian]

 Dave,
If your looking for heads go to www.spchoppers.com.
He got the best shovie parts coming on the market.. kick the "Potty mouth" outta a evo.

[catmcaw]

 If I had a frame that would work with an Evo I would buy a Ultima 127 (140 HP= big smile on face) but thats just me.  Jireh had them on sale for around $3400.
  When you start building a motor, parts add up fast and before you know it you've got $2000-3000 in it.

[crazycanadian]

1o-4 on that one.. man you can invest a ton of cash real quick in an engine hey?

[Ultrashovel]

Well, you gotta do what your head tells you to. When you get finished, though, it will look like an Evo.

One of the things that I really like about the shovelhead is the appearance of the engine.

Happy Trails!

[stroker800]

It will only have the evo heads, lifter blocks..The cheap priced evo DOES NOT interest me ,, the only motor uglier that an EVO is a TC,,,,if I liked that style of motor,,I wouldn't have put 6Gs into a pan. As far as putting 3-4 grand ito it ,,,not happening. I have all the parts on hand,,,my motor guy only charges me $25.00/hour as he is our old shop machinist.
Dave

[crazycanadian]

ugh twincam.. easy to work on.. but yeah i hear you... i don't find them at all appealing the way the trans bolts to the motor.. Yuck!

[Ultrashovel]

ugh twincam.. easy to work on.. but yeah i hear you... i don't find them at all appealing the way the trans bolts to the motor.. Yuck!

They aren't all that bad. I've owned 45's, VL's, Knuckleheads, one Panhead, one Shovelhead and a Twin Cam. The Twin cam is the only Harley I ever had that I didn't have to work on all of the time.

I personally think they are rather pretty but that's only my opinion and that of the Harley-Davidson design department.

[crazycanadian]

nahhhhhhh pans n shovies way sexier...sep trannies n all..

[Ultrashovel]

nahhhhhhh pans n shovies way sexier...sep trannies n all..

They got rid of the separate transmission on British bikes much earlier than Harley-Davidson. One of the benefits has to do with time saved in manufacturing as the engine can be installed as a unit with the transmission and the primary already attached.

Other benefits are less vibration with a much stiffer engine assembly and better alignment of the primary chain. I just prefer it the way it is now.   

[crazycanadian]

from and engineering point of view.. for sure it's stronger.. easier for sure alignment .. but it just looks like a molded blob.  The seperate component look is nice.

Biggest problem is the Twinky is a piece of crap now. and poorly built. Instead of fixing the problems HD has opened up their specs on runout allowing them to get worse. I have seen twinkies with over .020runout on the pinon shaft and they wonder why the oil pump goes and have lifter noise..  and if you hop em up really good you better be converting to timken bearings or that side play on the crank will have it destroying itself in no time.. ... They have gone forward so much.. but then they get stupid and take 10 steps back.

[Ultrashovel]

from and engineering point of view.. for sure it's stronger.. easier for sure alignment .. but it just looks like a molded blob.  The seperate component look is nice.

Biggest problem is the Twinky is a piece of crap now. and poorly built. Instead of fixing the problems HD has opened up their specs on runout allowing them to get worse. I have seen twinkies with over .020runout on the pinon shaft and they wonder why the oil pump goes and have lifter noise..  and if you hop em up really good you better be converting to timken bearings or that side play on the crank will have it destroying itself in no time.. ... They have gone forward so much.. but then they get stupid and take 10 steps back.

It's a much better motorcycle than it ever was. The knucklehead was only 4 steps back and, although pretty, they weren't much of a motorcycle. I owned several of them. Everything is relative.

[vern]

your evo heads will not fit on shovel barrels you cannot do what your thinking about doing.

[crazycanadian]

Hey they dont leak! 

[crazycanadian]

Hey stroker..,

It spring down east yet? Actually half assed decentfor a change here..