I love what you are doing. I am doing a 1970 Shovelhead. Engine and trans is done. I am getting ready to start rewiring and am looking forward to your next video.
Good morning 🌅, very nice job, it/you reminds me of 55/60 years ago working on my own bikes, Norton and Triumph Bonneville, back in the Uk , I still am riding a Softail Deuce, 2003 , now living in France, keep up the great work,
New to your channel . Just like to say that i really appreciate you taking the time to film and explain as you go along. I always learn a lot from men like yourself. You and Mr. Gary over at Ironhead cycles and definitely my two favorites. Oh yeah, please tell us more about your valve seat cutter. Id like to get one for myself. Again, thanks for all that you do.
Welcome and gald you are enjoying it. You can check with a company called Goodson, in the US I believe, for many different kits avaliable and I am sure they will give you an idea for what you might need. Thanks for commenting.
I am from France, I really like your video, I restore an old sporster and I love harley davidson. I learn a lot from your videos and I work my English too, it s perfect, thanks!
Nice to her you are trying to save another piece of old iron, and glad you are learning some things from the videos. Thanks for letting me know where you are from, and commenting.
Glad I am able to pass on a litle bit of knowledge to others. I am no expert but hope some of it is usefull to others. That is my goal. Thanks for commenting.
Andrews A B grind is a better cam gets out more exhaust and the motor runs a bit cooler without loosing intake performance.I have built a few shovel heads duel spark plugs Will really wake that hemispherical motor up . Dyna single fire IGN with two coils. To bad I live in the south east I would luv to come visit your shop. Canada is to far for my old 67 year old wore out body to travel. Luv your videos and your common sense approach to the projects you work on. 👍✌️😎 AL from SC
I agree with you. Yes we would all like to travel a little more but hard when the old body says not any more. I hear ya.Thanks for letting me know where you are from and commenting.
You don't need to port them, you fill them up the dead spots were air doesn't move , usless you have a flow bench & mearsure air speed ,you fuck them up lost count of guys with shovelhead evos & twincams, porting & Polish do a lot of damage ,then i put them on the flow bench & show them what they did lol , we all have one thing in common we cannot see how the air moves in the port , learned that from joe mondello 35 years ago
I have done these minor clean ups on many old heads and it does seem to help some. I am no expert and take what you want from it. I "stress to others" to resist the temptation to get in there and hog out a lot of material, as I agree you can ruin a set of head quickly doing that when you really don't know what you are doing. I do not think that doing the small things that I have done will ruin the heads as it is really very minor cleaning and smoothing. But you are welcome to your opinion and unfortuately we all do not have access to flow benches. At times I wish I could afford one to play with. Thanks for your input and commenting.
I have heard that over the years that it is better a little rough, so to speak than polishing them out shinny. That is why I just clean them up a little and leave them as is. There are many opinions on the subject and I am not a head porting guy so cannot say for sure. Thanks for commenting.
@@itsmytimeletsgo build your own flow bench I build mine 27 year ago , it makes you a better engine builder " why guess" that why I gage my performance @ wildbore speed shop LLC NJ
@@jackwillson8099 I probably could build one but I do not do enough head work, at this point in my life, to justify it. I am not a porting and polishing guy, and state that, and sometimes you just can't have all the tools to you would like to have. Just trying to clean some things a little bit to help where I can. Thanks for commenting.
I am edified by your tips and enjoy watching your work. Looks like you were very thorough, but I did not see you check the guide bore at all except for the hone. Did you check the guide for size? Thanks
Thanks for taking the time and doing the video's, i have a 74 fxe, that should get rebuilt soon, before anything catastrophic happens, ive ben patching it up for many years now. It usedto blow smoke intermittently now and then ,when I freshened up the heads i found and replaced all valve guides sizes went from std .up to max o.s. on them, guides were loosing up letting oil dump through smoking like crazy then sticking back in place then the smoke would stop.? I tried to check rod bearings while i had top end off by seeing if the rods would push down a little, i felt it move down a little bit ,might not have ben the best way to check the lower end but enough to make me start thinking time for overhaul? was about 19yrs ago crazy how time Flys. I'll probably need to find a shop for the main/big stuff outta my ability, probably keep it stock depending on wear and parts availability, also interested in your cam choice as i dont want the motor over built maybe just a little? I want longevity but the bike, like yours deserve to be back on the road and enjoyed again. ! Love and will always have a Xlch but the ol shovel w/kick and electric seems more practical for me these days. Can't wait to see your bike when done . Thanks again!
Sounds like she's due for sure lol. I always found the A grinds to work well in 74's. If I am looking for that little extra" percolating". Andrews also has a J Grind, I believe that is just a bit up over stock but definitely an improvement. They have an A2 Grind that is good mid range to top end, nice around town etc. The AB that I am using for Margaret has a little long duration on the exhaust so runs a little cooler, and contributes more mid to top end as well, as I understand it. Hope that helps you think about a cam. Lots of opinions out there. Maybe others want to jump in on this and voice their experiences. Feel Free. Thanks for commenting.
I think they look pretty cool. But sometimes I wonder how well the will seal up, in the long run, without the center bolt. Maybe other who have run them can add to this question. Thanks for asking and commenting.
Amazing videos. I just picked up a 1976 FLH. Who do you use for a parts supplier? I too am in Nova Scotia. It’s been many year since I worked on a shovelhead. I’ve been mostly British iron for the past 40 years.
My suppliers are distributors for product and do not sell to the public at large. But that being said Preston Cycle is a great source for older parts. If you need something just contact me an I can try to help you out. ralph@itsmytimeletsgo Thanks for commenting.
I have an MS-8450 kit, but have had it for many years so the numbers may have changed. Don't think they had one specifially for Harley back then.Thanks for the question and commenting.
Ther are some in the US ( AMI, MMI) and only one here in Alberta in Canada. I originlly went to AMI myself in Daytona many years ago. I am not familiar with how they are but any one I am sure would be a good choice. Maybe others have an opinion on the subject and can add to this. Thanks for commenting.
I am looking for damage as well to see if there was any problems before that may have caused problems. Some are obvious and sometimes I just go a bit overboard lol. Thanks for commenting.
Just time and patience and you can salvage many things. They are just old, like me (lol), but hopefully a lot of years left in them yet. Thanks for commenting.
Hey Ralph I have a question I need help with bud. I bought a 1981 lowrider it has dual plug heads. Here’s the thing it has long plugs on the left and short plugs on the right side. Did someone mess up these heads or is this normal. Doesn’t seem right to me. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks bud you take care and ride safe.
I don't think there is anything wrong there. They just used the different reach plugs because of where they are positioned in the head. Make sure the the end of the plug is reaching far enough into the chamber and not way up inside the hole, if someone has the wrong plug in it. They are probably ok to use. Thanks for the question and commenting.
I will probably be selling her when she is done. They ship bikes everywhere these days so anything is possible I suppose. Thanks for your interest and commenting and letting me know where you are from.
Hello Ralph, Pauline, and Norman... Excellent Job on the Video's that You are providing. I enjoy watching and learning a thing or two. I have viewed all of Your Videos and give You a lot of credit for saving the Old Iron. I have saved a couple of I/H Sportsters and Shovels from the Scrap Yard and am presently attempting to resurrect a 1919 HD Model "J". I am located in Connecticut, USA. I'm seeing a lot more Shovels here in My area out there on the road these days which is fine by Me. I also really enjoy the background Music that are in Your Videos. So, I have a question...Is it possible for You to provide some of the Bands, or Artists names of the Music that You are playing? Thanks Very Much! And please keep up the Great Informative Work. Take Care.
Thank you very much. I do appreciate that you, and others, are enjoying the channel. Its my way of passing a little on to the next generation if I can. Sounds like you have save a few and have a real project on your hands. I did some work fixing a trans in an old 1918. I remember driving it and thinking about all who had driven it before me. A great feeling. As far as the music goes I get it from a company call Epidemic sound royalty free stuff. I have to pay for it. I do not have time to list all the artists as the editing alone keeps me pretty busy. If there is a particular song or two that you are looking for you can email me at ralph@itsmytimeletsgo and I will see if I can go back in the editing program to find it. Thanks for letting me know where you are from and commenting. I hope you enjoy more of the channel. spread the word!
Had a problem with uploads a few times, seemed like the music got boosted. Can't change it after its up loaded. Sorry about that. It should be getting better as we go. Thanks for your input, as I value everyone's input. Thanks and commenting.
What year did that bike turn out to be, becsuse i thought by 78 all of them had 80 cubic inch engines. Also when i saw it in the feild i thought it looked like an 80 the 74s where in my oppinion a much better built engine that could take power up grades great with heaveier case castings. That said i usually replaced the bottom end with s$s but shit was a lot cheaper back then. Ypu could build a basket case for 5- 6 grand that was way better than anything you could by. Today whats that 15- 20k? Hell id buy an engine and a rolling chassis for $500 . At a swap meet.
It is actually a 74", now that I got the flywheels out. Fooled me at first becase it had the triangle plates where the base bolts went, but definately a 74". Yes times have changed for sure. Thanks for commentig.
Thanks for the the vlog Ralph, I've allways thought it strange that Harley left their head ports a bit underwhelming, I guess it all comes down to cost , anyhow Margaret has a long way to go to be ready for the ball 💆♀️ , she's in good hands , and it's great seeing progress 😤👍✌
Shes' coming along on the road to recovery. What do you think?
Good start.
I love what you are doing. I am doing a 1970 Shovelhead. Engine and trans is done. I am getting ready to start rewiring and am looking forward to your next video.
@@05flhri Thanks and glad to hear you are saving another one. Thanks for commenting.
I thoroughly enjoy all these videos. Thank you so much for sharing. I have an 82 Shovelhead.
I am so glad you enjoyed them. It is always great to hear that from viewers. Keeps me going. Thanks for commenting.
Another awesome video Ralph, thanks for the mention 😆🇨🇦
Thanks Gus , you are welcome. Thanks for commenting.
Great progress. Look forward to your videos each week.
So glad to hear you are enjoying the channel. It is always nice to hear and makes the the time and work it takes worth while. Thanks for commenting.
Great vids, enjoying watching you work on the machines .
Glad you find it entertaining. Thanks for commenting.
Good morning 🌅, very nice job, it/you reminds me of 55/60 years ago working on my own bikes, Norton and Triumph Bonneville, back in the Uk , I still am riding a Softail Deuce, 2003 , now living in France, keep up the great work,
Thanks . Glad to hear you are still riding. Thanks for letting me know where you are from, and commenting.
Just subscribed to your buddy this old chopper thanks for sharing 👍 you have fantastic videos 😊
Thanks and welcome to the channel. I know Gus will appreciate it as well. Glad you are enjoying the video's. Thanks for commenting.
I wish I had your expertise on shovels 40 odd years ago.
So do I. Wish I knew then that what I know now. Thanks for commenting.
you're plugging away at it. nice to see
Trying to stay at but but have other things that need attention as well. Thanks for commenting.
love it, keep it coming!
Trying to keep at her, but have other projects as well that need attention. Thanks for commenting.
I’m liking the videos, Ralph. Margaret will breathe again. Cool little flashlight too.
Gald you are enjoying them. She will ride again. Thanks for commenting.
You’re making much progress on your new project, looking forward to your completion and test ride.
She will take some time, as every piece has to be dealt with, but it will be worth it in the end I am sure. Thanks for commenting.
You got those heads cleaned up pretty nice in my opinion
Just a little clean up to help her run better. Thanks for commenting.
Those heads really turned out nice Ralph. Great job buddy.
Just cleaning them up a bit and glad they will be usable. Thanks for commenting.
@@itsmytimeletsgo by the way I mentioned to say we are from Richmond, Va
@@daviddavis2321 Thanks for letting me know where you are from!
Excellent video
Thanks so much! Thanks for commenting.
I see your t-shirt, I was at the 89th Laconia. I rode there from our camper outside Lake Georgia. It was a great ride.
My how the years pass by for us all. Good times! Thanks for commenting.
nicely done work
Thank you for the compliment. I only do what i can do and always strive to learn more as I go. Thanks for commenting.
Most would have just gave up and junked it. This series is coming together nice Ralph!! Great stuff I am thoroughly enjoying this series!!!!
I am to pig headed for that lol. Miles to go yet but I will get there. Thanks for commenting Tbone.
New to your channel . Just like to say that i really appreciate you taking the time to film and explain as you go along. I always learn a lot from men like yourself. You and Mr. Gary over at Ironhead cycles and definitely my two favorites.
Oh yeah, please tell us more about your valve seat cutter. Id like to get one for myself.
Again, thanks for all that you do.
Welcome and gald you are enjoying it. You can check with a company called Goodson, in the US I believe, for many different kits avaliable and I am sure they will give you an idea for what you might need. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks Ralph!
You are welcome sir. Thanks for commenting.
Good video. Thanks Ralph
Thanks glad you ejoyed it. Thanks for commenting.
Looking good Bro
Appreciate it. Thanks for commenting.
I am from France, I really like your video, I restore an old sporster and I love harley davidson. I learn a lot from your videos and I work my English too, it s perfect, thanks!
Nice to her you are trying to save another piece of old iron, and glad you are learning some things from the videos. Thanks for letting me know where you are from, and commenting.
@@itsmytimeletsgoI will continue to follow your videos with interest, and can't wait to see it start

@@baladesbricolages3734 Thanks!
Learning a lot. Thanks Ralph!
Glad I am able to pass on a litle bit of knowledge to others. I am no expert but hope some of it is usefull to others. That is my goal. Thanks for commenting.
One of your best videos Ralph.
Thanks for saying that. I keep working at them and trying to make them better if I can. Appreciated! Thanks for commenting.
Andrews A B grind is a better cam gets out more exhaust and the motor runs a bit cooler without loosing intake performance.I have built a few shovel heads duel spark plugs Will really wake that hemispherical motor up . Dyna single fire IGN with two coils. To bad I live in the south east I would luv to come visit your shop. Canada is to far for my old 67 year old wore out body to travel. Luv your videos and your common sense approach to the projects you work on. 👍✌️😎 AL from SC
I agree with you. Yes we would all like to travel a little more but hard when the old body says not any more. I hear ya.Thanks for letting me know where you are from and commenting.
Branch Heads…man I hadn’t heard that in quite a while.
Showing my age ha ha. Thanks for commenting.
You don't need to port them, you fill them up the dead spots were air doesn't move , usless you have a flow bench & mearsure air speed ,you fuck them up lost count of guys with shovelhead evos & twincams, porting & Polish do a lot of damage ,then i put them on the flow bench & show them what they did lol , we all have one thing in common we cannot see how the air moves in the port , learned that from joe mondello 35 years ago
Yes I can recall an magazine article in the eighties , that stated your point , especially not to polish the intake ports ?
I have done these minor clean ups on many old heads and it does seem to help some. I am no expert and take what you want from it. I "stress to others" to resist the temptation to get in there and hog out a lot of material, as I agree you can ruin a set of head quickly doing that when you really don't know what you are doing. I do not think that doing the small things that I have done will ruin the heads as it is really very minor cleaning and smoothing. But you are welcome to your opinion and unfortuately we all do not have access to flow benches. At times I wish I could afford one to play with. Thanks for your input and commenting.
I have heard that over the years that it is better a little rough, so to speak than polishing them out shinny. That is why I just clean them up a little and leave them as is. There are many opinions on the subject and I am not a head porting guy so cannot say for sure. Thanks for commenting.
@@itsmytimeletsgo build your own flow bench I build mine 27 year ago , it makes you a better engine builder " why guess" that why I gage my performance @ wildbore speed shop LLC NJ
@@jackwillson8099 I probably could build one but I do not do enough head work, at this point in my life, to justify it. I am not a porting and polishing guy, and state that, and sometimes you just can't have all the tools to you would like to have. Just trying to clean some things a little bit to help where I can. Thanks for commenting.
I am edified by your tips and enjoy watching your work. Looks like you were very thorough, but I did not see you check the guide bore at all except for the hone. Did you check the guide for size? Thanks
Yes I did and they were fine to use. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks for taking the time and doing the video's, i have a 74 fxe, that should get rebuilt soon, before anything catastrophic happens, ive ben patching it up for many years now. It usedto blow smoke intermittently now and then ,when I freshened up the heads i found and replaced all valve guides sizes went from std .up to max o.s. on them, guides were loosing up letting oil dump through smoking like crazy then sticking back in place then the smoke would stop.? I tried to check rod bearings while i had top end off by seeing if the rods would push down a little, i felt it move down a little bit ,might not have ben the best way to check the lower end but enough to make me start thinking time for overhaul? was about 19yrs ago crazy how time Flys. I'll probably need to find a shop for the main/big stuff outta my ability, probably keep it stock depending on wear and parts availability, also interested in your cam choice as i dont want the motor over built maybe just a little? I want longevity but the bike, like yours deserve to be back on the road and enjoyed again. ! Love and will always have a Xlch but the ol shovel w/kick and electric seems more practical for me these days. Can't wait to see your bike when done . Thanks again!
Sounds like she's due for sure lol. I always found the A grinds to work well in 74's. If I am looking for that little extra" percolating". Andrews also has a J Grind, I believe that is just a bit up over stock but definitely an improvement. They have an A2 Grind that is good mid range to top end, nice around town etc. The AB that I am using for Margaret has a little long duration on the exhaust so runs a little cooler, and contributes more mid to top end as well, as I understand it. Hope that helps you think about a cam. Lots of opinions out there. Maybe others want to jump in on this and voice their experiences. Feel Free. Thanks for commenting.
Thank you
@@DG-hb8rh You are very welcome. Thanks for commenting.
Making progress for sure hey what's your thoughts on split rocker boxes?
I think they look pretty cool. But sometimes I wonder how well the will seal up, in the long run, without the center bolt. Maybe other who have run them can add to this question. Thanks for asking and commenting.
Amazing videos. I just picked up a 1976 FLH. Who do you use for a parts supplier? I too am in Nova Scotia. It’s been many year since I worked on a shovelhead. I’ve been mostly British iron for the past 40 years.
My suppliers are distributors for product and do not sell to the public at large. But that being said Preston Cycle is a great source for older parts. If you need something just contact me an I can try to help you out. ralph@itsmytimeletsgo Thanks for commenting.
@@itsmytimeletsgo Thanks Ralph.. I'll be in touch. Last time I was at your shop was 25 years ago to buy some Fitch for my 91 Police Special..
@@SteveHighfield-c2f Guess its time for you to drop by again then .. ha ha. Looking forward to seeing you. Thanks for commenting.
Thank you ! Another great video! Do you have the Neway KM2451
HARLEY-DAVIDSON KIT ?
I have an MS-8450 kit, but have had it for many years so the numbers may have changed. Don't think they had one specifially for Harley back then.Thanks for the question and commenting.
What's a good school ? My kid really wants to learn ,about rebuilding older Harley motors.
Ther are some in the US ( AMI, MMI) and only one here in Alberta in Canada. I originlly went to AMI myself in Daytona many years ago. I am not familiar with how they are but any one I am sure would be a good choice. Maybe others have an opinion on the subject and can add to this. Thanks for commenting.
@@itsmytimeletsgo we sent my daughter to mmi. She was there for about a year and a half. She really did not learn much
Hi, question in your teardown your looking for any damage, are you or is it nessary to check and note down the spec. that motor parts have worn out.
I am looking for damage as well to see if there was any problems before that may have caused problems. Some are obvious and sometimes I just go a bit overboard lol. Thanks for commenting.
A little elbow grease goes a long way. Those heads look great, considering.
Just time and patience and you can salvage many things. They are just old, like me (lol), but hopefully a lot of years left in them yet. Thanks for commenting.
Hey Ralph I have a question I need help with bud. I bought a 1981 lowrider it has dual plug heads. Here’s the thing it has long plugs on the left and short plugs on the right side. Did someone mess up these heads or is this normal. Doesn’t seem right to me. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks bud you take care and ride safe.
I don't think there is anything wrong there. They just used the different reach plugs because of where they are positioned in the head. Make sure the the end of the plug is reaching far enough into the chamber and not way up inside the hole, if someone has the wrong plug in it. They are probably ok to use. Thanks for the question and commenting.
If you're planning to sell Margaret I would be interested but I live in the USA in alabama so it might be difficult to get it home.
I will probably be selling her when she is done. They ship bikes everywhere these days so anything is possible I suppose. Thanks for your interest and commenting and letting me know where you are from.
In your country, how much does it cost a round hammer as you have??
Not sure what hammer you mean but they are not expensive here, unless you are the government buying it lol. Thanks for commenting.
Hello Ralph, Pauline, and Norman...
Excellent Job on the Video's that You are providing. I enjoy watching and learning a thing or two. I have viewed all of Your Videos and give You a lot of credit for saving the Old Iron. I have saved a couple of I/H Sportsters and Shovels from the Scrap Yard and am presently attempting to resurrect a 1919 HD Model "J".
I am located in Connecticut, USA. I'm seeing a lot more Shovels here in My area out there on the road these days which is fine by Me.
I also really enjoy the background Music that are in Your Videos.
So, I have a question...Is it possible for You to provide some of the Bands, or Artists names of the Music that You are playing?
Thanks Very Much! And please keep up the Great Informative Work. Take Care.
Thank you very much. I do appreciate that you, and others, are enjoying the channel. Its my way of passing a little on to the next generation if I can. Sounds like you have save a few and have a real project on your hands. I did some work fixing a trans in an old 1918. I remember driving it and thinking about all who had driven it before me. A great feeling. As far as the music goes I get it from a company call Epidemic sound royalty free stuff. I have to pay for it. I do not have time to list all the artists as the editing alone keeps me pretty busy. If there is a particular song or two that you are looking for you can email me at ralph@itsmytimeletsgo and I will see if I can go back in the editing program to find it. Thanks for letting me know where you are from and commenting. I hope you enjoy more of the channel. spread the word!
Great video.. but hard to hear you completing with music!
Had a problem with uploads a few times, seemed like the music got boosted. Can't change it after its up loaded. Sorry about that. It should be getting better as we go. Thanks for your input, as I value everyone's input. Thanks and commenting.
What year did that bike turn out to be, becsuse i thought by 78 all of them had 80 cubic inch engines. Also when i saw it in the feild i thought it looked like an 80 the 74s where in my oppinion a much better built engine that could take power up grades great with heaveier case castings. That said i usually replaced the bottom end with s$s but shit was a lot cheaper back then. Ypu could build a basket case for 5- 6 grand that was way better than anything you could by. Today whats that 15- 20k? Hell id buy an engine and a rolling chassis for $500 . At a swap meet.
It is actually a 74", now that I got the flywheels out. Fooled me at first becase it had the triangle plates where the base bolts went, but definately a 74". Yes times have changed for sure. Thanks for commentig.
A diegrinder in the wrong hands can way more harm then good.
You got that right. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks for the the vlog Ralph, I've allways thought it strange that Harley left their head ports a bit underwhelming, I guess it all comes down to cost , anyhow Margaret has a long way to go to be ready for the ball 💆♀️ , she's in good hands , and it's great seeing progress 😤👍✌
I am no porting guy but do believe a little bit can help improve things. Yes she has a way to go but I will keep at her. Thanks for commenting.