Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/776310
73 www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS nFebruary 2017n changes to the primary drive as well. The outer primary got a removable clutch inspection cover and a bulge in front to clear the stator and rotor, as well as the new spring-loaded compensator (shock absorber) living inside. Oh… and no more "standard" kickstarter. Then, there's the single bolt intended to hold the head pipes to the engine… never a complete success and never changed from that day forward. Net results? All-around improvements, even though the igni- tion still involved points, condenser and mechanical advance. Downside? Width and weight added. 1971—AMF ownership and a new VIN numbering system as well as a carb switch from Tillotson to Bendix/ Zenith. Willie G.'s FX appears… not a moment too soon… at a svelte 565 pounds half full of gas! 1972—New oil pump gears 1973—New oil pump scavenge gears and new pinion gear. Oh, and no more hand-shift option! 1974—Can't think of a thing. But everyone seemed to want a "74, 74"! The alternator Shovel was pretty well in its prime at this point. 1975—Still prime, still no changes 1976—Keihin carbs and no more "dead man" throttle. From here on, snappy performance from the carb with a snap-shut throttle (shades of modern times indeed) partly because of no more low-compression FL option. (Although, in hindsight, that might have been a bad decision… as we'll soon see.) 1977—Breather gears get messed with, the transmission get a new main drive gear using caged bearings and the countershaft gets caged needle bearings Uh-oh… Trouble ahead for the "Troublehead!" 1978—Whoo-eee! 80 friggin' inches (really almost 82) courtesy of an increased bore, a longer stroke… and the DOT! (Remember them from 1966?) You see, AMF H-D was at the point where quieter muffl ers and baf- fl ed air cleaners were killing power… to say nothing of stupid-lean carb jetting and limp cam timing mandated by new smog rules. Also, by now a dresser it was scaling in at over 800 pounds—give or take… mostly give! Frankly, a lot to ask of a 50-some horsepower, de-smogged, hot-running, over-taxed, old-tech engine. In other words, the best way ahead at the time (as it does most of the time) seemed like adding inches to compensate. The visual giveaway between 74" and Shovelhead 80" cylinders is fi n count… 10 for the former and nine for the latter. But the big deal was the revised heads (and to a lesser, still heat-related degree, the "steel strut" 8:1 com- pression pistons they worked with). Which, among other details, are noted for having longer (¾") reach spark plugs. If things are apart, you can spot a '78-on head by the fl at, so-called "rubber band" manifold, instead of the O-rings used up until then. The trouble with these "Troubleheads" was poor choices for heat resistance. (First, even though the ignition was now electronic, the advance was not. The same old wandering, inaccurate spark timing was hardly a giant step forward in temperature control!) Then, the initial choice of valve guide material (steel) on much hotter-run- ning 80-inch "smog" engines allowed the valve stems to stick or seize. A quick change in both dimensions and materials (iron alloy) helped. So did hardened valve stems—a mid-year upgrade. The other thing, valve seats, was probably the worst problem and harder to solve. The mere two- to three-thousandths of interference fi t into the heads let the seats literally drop right back out of the heads if they got hot enough… and they often did. These early seats were also less than robust in terms of dimensions and materials, so issues ensued, dis- tortion and cracking being a couple of common ones. Jerry Branch and other aftermarket wizards picked up on the solutions quicker than the factory would acknowledge them. The cure amounted to heavy-duty, robustly-di- mensioned, hardened replacement valve seats, not only installed more tightly, but nearly "heat-proof." All well and good… now… but back then was when (and why) the term "Troublehead" was coined! The whole sad saga amounted to "getting the lead out"… in the worst way. Not entirely H-D's fault, since they had no say in the early formulations of the mandated unleaded fuels—particularly variable after the oil crisis(es)! 1979—No big changes, still sort- ing out details of the new 80" engine and starting to plan an even newer one 1980—Screwing around with valves, guides and seats continues, but the big news was belt drive on the FX Sturgis. Double belt actually, requiring a little re-engineering of the starter arrangements, to make room for the wide belt. The rear drive belt is now a hallmark of Harley design. The primary belt, on the other hand, lasted a whole two model years, never to be seen again. Too much trouble, two major fl aws and all the aftermarket had to do is fi x it, which they did, so that's the only type of primary belt system that exists today. The short primary, fi ve-speed rub- ber-mount FLT premiered this year as well (oddly enough, with an enclosed chain drive), instantly proving to be a game changer… and smooth survivor. 1981—The buyback from AMF. No more 74"s. Solutions to the troubles with "Troubleheads" and great leaps in reliability and rideability. Small refi ne- ments continue, the most notable being the second-generation electronic igni- tion called V-Fire II. From this model year to the end of Shovelhead pro- duction, these are desirable machines, probably the best of the lot in today's market for classic Big Twins. Yet only third on my list, behind fl at-side Shovels and mid-70's 74"s. 1982—FLT series gets a higher output alternator. The FXR shows up, gets tested by magazines and sells Harleys to people who never even con- sidered them before. 1983—All four-speed Shovels get a rear belt. Five-speed Shovels do not… go fi gure. Third time's a charm for the electronic ignition. The V-Fire III has no mechanical componentry and works very well. 1984—No updates. By June 1984, Shovelhead engines were done. Worth noting: When the Shovelhead was introduced in 1966 it had no direct competitors. By the time it went out of production damn near every manufacturer on earth had a big-displacement touring machine that made the venerable Shovel seem obso- lete. The Shovel endured through thick and thin for the company that produced it, got through tariffs and changes in ownership, emissions hassles, qual- ity control variables… and a whole lot more! Even though The Motor Company quit building it (and, unlike the Evo, dropped it like a hot rock, in terms of parts support afterwards) the Shovelhead never really died. The aftermarket and the market itself have made it immortal, whether you keep an original on the road or build a "new" one with a non-Harley engine. Arguably the best way to get the "best" Shovelhead engine is to buy a brand new one. Improvements, based on 30-plus years of technological advances in electronics, lubri- cation, metallurgy and manufacturing, abound in something like this S&S crate motor (or those from other reputable suppliers). All to correct and perfect original quirks. Notably, oiling systems, ignition and cam train. But even more can be had from a platform like this… cubic inches! There's just something haunting about a phase like "kickstart-friendly 93" Shovelhead"… isn't there? Oh, the possibilities!