Have a fresh 74 ci top comming up.

[66SHOVELHD]

Do yall have any advice on break-in procedure?

[hd76fxlr]

I like to start them up;run for about 30sec. to one min. shut off and let cool for one hour.Repeat process 2or3 times.Ride 20-30 minutes and let cool off.Change oil; ride gently for about 100 miles to seat rings.Then ride it like you stole it.Lot of people have their own method.Charlie

[96flhpi]

How ever you do it don't forget to retorque heads frequently.  I thought I could wait til 50 miles to retorque.  I heat cycled a few times then next day took a 10 mile ride - came back with head gaskets leaking.  Checked torque on a couple bolts and they were way low.

Might sound like overkill but this time I retorqued after a few heat cycles (like hd76 said), after first ride (10 miles), after 50 miles, and I'll do it again at 250 miles and a last one at 500 miles.  In fact did my 50 mile check yesterday - still had three or four bolts that were about 5lbs. low but most stayed put.

Just my $.02 - from experience.

[Hybredhog]

   Everybody has their own way, But I have never retorqued the heads on a shovel, and haven't lost a gasket. Now there are a few qualifiers to that, Yes re-torque if your useing S&S style all copper HG (with copper coat), as it will settle in. But I mainly use cometic fire ring with copper coat type or James fire ring types raw, as for the old blue teflon types, I put them on as is. Contrary to popular reality(more than not shovels are hand torqed by # of grunts), I actually use a torque wrench with a 2" torque extention, and do a star pattern that starts with the left side middle bolt & end with the bolt under the exhaust flang, as its the place most leaks start, so it get the advantage of the other bolts doing the brunt of the work during torqueing. I do it in a 25lb, 50lb 65lb incriments. Just MHO, but it works for me...Jeff

[76shuvlinoff]

I used cometic steel coated head and base gaskets this time, just gaskets add nothing. Nice gaskets and even though they said you don't need to retorque when I bought em, I still did and got just a little more in 6 out of ten bolts, might'a been fine if I left it alone but I felt better after doing it.

I was tempted to go with cometic rocker box gaskets to but I went with my tried and true James steel with the bead on em there, it's been a year and she's as dry as day one.

[Hillside Motorcycle]

After the 3rd heat cycle, we ALWAYS re-torque cylinder base nuts and head bolts here.
Scott

[Big Ed]

Do yall have any advice on break-in procedure?

Info I was told while breaking in a complete rebuild on my 72FX. Ride it normal, don't lug it or fast excellerating for the first 500 miles to allow everything to seat properly. The bolts and studs tend to grow so recheck for torque.