American Iron Magazine – August 2019

AIMag.comIssue #379 / American Iron / 77

TECH • BY CHRIS MAIDA

With the rings on their pistons, noting any dots or

bevels, position the ring end gaps as per the S&S

instructions, which are outlined in Tips & Tricks. If

doing a H-D engine, check your piston manufacturer’s

instructions.

Since the lower end, gearcase section, and lifter as-

semblies are assembled and installed, we’ll start the

top-end installation by checking the piston ring gaps in

their respective cylinders with a flat feeler gauge.

2

1

TOOLS NEEDED

• Clean rags


• Blue Loctite


• High-temp black silicone


• High-temp copper
  sealant


• 3/32" Allen


• 9/64" Allen


• 5/32" Allen


• 1/4" Allen


• Flat feeler gauge


• Small flat-bladed
  screwdriver


• Flat-bladed screwdriver


• 1/4" open-end wrench


• 7/16" open-end
  wrench (2)


• 7/16" 12-point box
  wrench


• 3/8" deep socket


• 7/16" 12-point dog bone


• Piston ring compressor


• Torque wrench (in-lbs.)


• Torque wrench (ft-lbs.)

I

N OUR LAST ISSUE, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THIS

family of early H-D engines, which consists of the

1966-69 (Flatside) Shovelheads, all Panheads and

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the similarly shaped right crankcase are designed this way to

enclose a series of gears that drive the charging

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this section, called the gearcase or cam chest,

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charging system. We also mentioned the option

S&S offers on its Alt/Gen series of engines to

run an alternator instead of a generator and yet

retain the kidney-shaped right crankcase and

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mounted on the front corner of the right crank-

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which is connected to a shaft that goes into

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internal gears. As soon as the points open, the

externally mounted single ignition coil sends

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the same time. Unlike the ignition found on

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performance, however, since only one cylinder at a time

is on its compression stroke and has an air/fuel mixture to

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nothing really there to ignite.

When the Shovelhead was re-engineered to have a

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this cam is now connected directly to the outer end of the

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production run, the mechanical setup was replaced with an

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disc attached to the camshaft instead of a cam. As it is on

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cal and electronic versions of the cone

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ignition was improved multiple times

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via a crankcase sensor mounted on the

front corner of the left crankcase, right

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article. And, as it was for the gearcase

Part II: Installing the top end

Harley/S&S Engine Build