Shovelhead Cylinder Prep

My rear cylinder was junk, so R Horn hooked me with a great OE rear and then I found out my front chinese/taiwanese cylinder needed cleaned up to 0.020 over. That sucks because I might could have gotten the front from him too, if I knew I needed machine work done.

So I have both cylinders and new pistons back from the Okie City Customs, but they still need a little work. I think the machine shop blasted most of the paint off of them, but I'm not sure. They will need paint soon enough anyway.

I put a little pipe insulation on the front rod for a reason.




I mocked up the front cylinder. This is the problem with cheap cylinders. The torque adaptors or closed end wrenches don't fit the basenuts. I didn't know that until it was too late last time.



I can make the needed clearances though. I used both die grinders and every rotary file I had to get it done. I taped off the ends to protect the honed inside from chips.


Cut and bench check with a bolt and washer. (over and over again.)


I think we're there.



Pat washes both cylinders in dish soap to prep for paint.


Rinse 'em.


Dry 'em.


One more mock up on the crankcase to make sure. This one still needs help where the silver paint mark is.


Back to the bench.


It fit the second time so it was rewashed and dried.

This is why it is good to have a friend that likes to prep and paint more that you do.


You can make gaskets like this with heavy paper bags, too, he tells me.


Time to paint.


Pat also worked extra to clean the oil off the outside and carbon off the inside of the heads. I didn't help or get a ton of pictures, because I was working on another part of the project.


Bench mock up. The OE cylinder fits so much better to the head than the cheap cylinder, too. The black on the cylinders is a bit blacker than the rockers, but I dig it.


Hopefully we'll have this together soon.