Cam Choice Help

[Heatseeker]

I have asked for advice in another thread, but after doing a little research, I thought I'd start a thread of my own.

I have an 85 FXRS. The engine has been bored .010 over, running Edelbrock heads with their 10.5:1 pistons. It has a S&S E carb, a Dyna 2000 ignition box and a set of Santee shorty pipes. I have been running a S&S 561 cam. The bottom end is stock. It's a light bike, I'm a light rider. I normally just cruise the bike, 75-80 on the freeway but I do enjoy getting on it now and then.

Due to another lifter failure, I've started looking for a new cam. Advice offered in the earlier thread led me on a path to find something with later valve closing numbers.

I called Bob Woods and ran down my situation. He recommended his W8 for my set up. He told me that the engine would crank a lot better(it has always barely turned over with the 561)and with my narrow ass, run like a striped ape. That cam has an increased lift(.590") over the 561 so I called the guy that set up my heads. He told me that I should not run anything over .575" lift. Since then, I have been pouring over cam sites and comparing numbers.

I think I have found something comparable in the Red Shift 559. The close numbers are very close to the W8 although the lift is less and the duration is a little shorter. The Red Shift 576 also looks attractive although it's exhaust close number is slightly earlier. The lift does fit within my set up max.

What say the experts? Are the Red Shift pieces worthy(I had never heard of them prior to finding this site)? Can anyone give me a review of either of the chosen cams?

Thanks in advance fellas.

[14Frisco]

Not an expert, but my head guy recommended a Wood 8 or a V-Thunder 3030 for my EVO.  I chose the V-Thunder 3030, which has a .530 lift, and has been happy.  You can see the result on a dyno at http://harleytechtalk.com/htt/index.php?topic=1749.0

[John/1]

Hi
I think an Andrews ev46 might work for ya

[hbkeith]

Not an expert, but my head guy recommended a Wood 8 or a V-Thunder 3030 for my EVO.  I chose the V-Thunder 3030, which has a .530 lift, and has been happy.  You can see the result on a dyno at http://harleytechtalk.com/htt/index.php?topic=1749.0

Hows the ass dyno with that 3030 Frisco ,when do you feel it workin ?

[Powerglides]

At that compression, with those limitations on the valve travel, I'd consider the Andrews EV51.

[shovelbill]

i would recommend using one of the Edelbrock cams as they were designed and tested to work as a "recipe"........valve size, port shape, velocity, etc blabla all play into how a cam works or doesn't work for a build.......and when I say build I always take into consideration the purpose (riding style), weight, geography and MOST importantly gearing.

just the opinion of a backyard hobbyist wrench spinner.

[speed limit]

At that compression, with those limitations on the valve travel, I'd consider the Andrews EV51.

[speed limit]

At that compression, with those limitations on the valve travel, I'd consider the Andrews EV51.

[ramcr913]

.....I called Bob Woods and ran down my situation.....

What say the experts?

Hmmm.....

[Heatseeker]

Evidently Edelbrock is getting out of the HD cam business since their only listing is a 1749 with .650" lift. Too bad since it's listed at $54!

The EV51 looks pretty good. Maybe I'll give it a try. I found it for $145 online. Cheaper than the Woods of the Red Shift.

Has nobody ran a Red Shift? That 559 looked pretty attractive.

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

[turboprop]

Evidently Edelbrock is getting out of the HD cam business since their only listing is a 1749 with .650" lift. Too bad since it's listed at $54!

The EV51 looks pretty good. Maybe I'll give it a try. I found it for $145 online. Cheaper than the Woods of the Red Shift.

Has nobody ran a Red Shift? That 559 looked pretty attractive.

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

RedShift cams are the product of legendary engine developer Dick Hilferty and are very good. Zippers has taken over manufacturing RedShift cams, countless records have been set using RedShift cams.

The 576 cam is a new version of the older 575 cam which I ran in my old 88" evo. At 10.5 compression, S&S heads and a thunderheader, that old evo was a blast to ride. Rode it coast to coast twice and blasted all over the east coast. No complaints. The 576 cam is an update to that cam. The 556 is the cam that Zippers puts in their smaller evo kit, I think they call it their 80/80 kit. A couple of guys in town have that cam in their 80" bikes, one is in an FXR and the other is in a rigid bobber, both bikes have thunderheaders and CV carbs and run pretty good. On my old DJ-150 they made mid 80 hp and tq.

Andrews, Crane, S&S and some other cams will typically cost much less than cams from RedShift (and Woods, T-Man, Black Widow, Leinweber).

If you have not already, check out the online cam comparison tool on the Bigboyz website, very helpfull.

I might be biased, Dick Hilferty (Redshift Cams) and Danny Fitz (Owner of Zippers) are personal friends. In almost thirty years of riding worked over Harleys, I can count on one hand the non-RedShift cams that I have run.

[Heatseeker]

Thanks for the reply turboprop.

I took your advice and looked up bigboyz(you need to be careful googling 'bigboyz' lol!). Using their compression tool, I find that the Red Shift 559 & 576 both bring my compression down to just below 9.4:1, with the 576 being to lower of the two. Plenty manageable for my application, I think. The EV51 comes in at 9.5:1. From what I've been reading on this site, 9:1-9.5:1 should be my target. I think the Red Shift cams are still looking like my best bet here. I just need to decide if the 559 will make me happy or if I should go for the gusto and get the 576???   

When you ran your 88 with the 575, how was your low end power? If the updated 576 can provide a little grunt down low and have legs for the occasional high rev blast, it may be a good choice for me. Also, do you run the suggested lifter limiters?

Thx!

[shovelbill]

if I remember correctly, and that's getting to be a stretch.....Edelbrock made two different heads for the evo application.....an rpm head and a "torque" version. with this in mind they will respond differently to cam timing as the ports were designed differently. I may be wrong, I may be right........someone with more experience than me may chime in on what i'm getting at.

again.......for what it's worth

i'll go back in my corner now................

[Heatseeker]

shovelbill, from what I was told you are right. Edelbrock put out two different versions of heads. Mine are the smaller of the two, whatever they were calling them...

[hbkeith]

Edelbrock Evo heads were called PERFORMER RPM heads and PERFORMER heads, I had the Performer heads on my 93 FLHTCU with a fireball 3162b ,stock pistons and a S&S E , that thing ran like mofo

[turboprop]

Heetseker, the 88 with the 575 cams was allot fun, no issues with its power down low, but always wanted to try one of the torque cams like a Woods 6. I put allot of highway miles on that 575 cam, seemed to be very happy clipping along at 85-90 mph nd pushing a full FL style windshield.

[shovelbill]

the other thing I do remember is that Edelbrock made both series heads with two different chamber volumes .....the 72cc for smaller motors and an 88cc chamber for larger motors......tis all I remember along with the different "Edelbrock only" intake manifolds for various carbs.

[Deye76]

Too bad your heads arn't set up for higher lift. The Mackie .580 is an animal from 2500 to redline. I ran one with STD heads in one of my Evo's, it was a blast.

[shovelbill]

Too bad your heads arn't set up for higher lift. The Mackie .580 is an animal from 2500 to redline. I ran one with STD heads in one of my Evo's, it was a blast.

I run the 581 in my 80" shovel.........absolutely love it.

[Heatseeker]

Too bad your heads arn't set up for higher lift. The Mackie .580 is an animal from 2500 to redline. I ran one with STD heads in one of my Evo's, it was a blast.

Grrrrr. Another choice thrown in the mix.... I think I could go to .580 lift without any troubles.

[shovelbill]

Too bad your heads arn't set up for higher lift. The Mackie .580 is an animal from 2500 to redline. I ran one with STD heads in one of my Evo's, it was a blast.

Grrrrr. Another choice thrown in the mix.... I think I could go to .580 lift without any troubles.

and it has such a mellow idle



sorry.....I forgot this is the evo section......

[Heatseeker]

Well, after a couple of months of research and procrastination, I finally pulled the trigger on a new cam. I consulted with one of the tech guys at Zipper's and after careful consideration, I popped for the Redshift 576. I can't wait to get it installed!

Thanks to Turboprop. Your comments really headed me in the Redshift direction!

[turboprop]

Glad to help.

[Heatseeker]

I finally got the Redshift installed.

I got the bike started, got the carb adjusted and took it for a short ride. The idle is surprisingly smooth and the power seems to be good. I'm still a little gun shy, so I haven't really laid into it yet. I didn't experience any kind of a bog when rolling the throttle, which was a concern when talking with the guy at Zippers, so that is good.

The valve noise seems a little excessive to me so I'm going to readjust the pushrods. I stopped by a buddy's while out and he thinks the valve noise is par for an Evo, so maybe I'm just being paranoid. Like I said, gun shy.

One thing is apparent, after pulling the plugs when I got home, there's a carb re-jet in my future. The plugs looked very lean! Reading my literature from S&S, it may be the intermediate jet that needs changed. Since I never really opened it up, the main may be a candidate as well.

Anyway, it felt good to up on two again!