Thanks for the video I got a 57 ironhead almost ready to take the cam cover off.i was told it has hp cams in it. Kicking it with magneto sucks got sportster knee twice in one day 20yrs ago same bike. Been working on it.see if the cams are not lined up next. Thanks for your advice and time Johnny

I have a 1978 XLCR frame with an engine that was used for drag racing, bought it a few years ago at an estate sale. The engine has Alan Sputhe cases, Andrews lumpy cams, 4 5/8" stroke (74 cu in), so don't know the year, 1978/1980 is my guess. I started at the front of the bike and am working my way back, the bike sat in a shed for 25+ years while the engine was in a different frame. I have no experience with Sportsters, I do have a 88" Panhead motor and trans in a 1981 FXE bike I bought in 1998. I pulled the cam cover three nights ago, wanted to know what was in there, put the cams back in two nights ago. Not sure if I did it right, all the marks lined up except the #2 and #3 cams. Like your cams they are off 1/2 tooth, the dot on #3 doesn't line up exactly with the line on #2. I see that you put the line on #2 above the dot on #3, is that the proper position? I cheated and held the tappets up with wooden clothes pins. I have the correct Harley shop manual which is helpfull but the illustration depicts exact alignment which I can not duplicate since they don't line up. I don't have the experience to guess correctly. Any insight will be appreciated, thanks. Warren

THanks for the video. Helped out with lining up the oil pump. Keep em coming

Forque, if you listen I stated this motor is trash. Used to demonstrate and practice on. Also at the end of the video you hear me say that im not demonstrating tdc or advance. And I state multiple times throughout the video that a tech manual is needed. Video is just showing how to get to everything, and how to put the cams in so the timing marks kin up.

Thanks marcus d. Just had someone give me a 59 to 85 clymer manual. Im confident it'll cover my 57. M419 is the manual number. Again, thanks for your reply

Thank you very much you're very helpful and you're one hell of a mechanic

good video learned a lot but next time get a tripod there not that exspenive..it will make a big deverents all be watching for your next one..

Thanks man ..keep em coming I've got a tect manual and it's from Harley. But if I can read it and watch somone do it I can too. I've watched a lot of these things learned more from your videos than 100 others.

I appreciated this video, this I remembered how to do.

Great video! I'll be doing this soon. Definitely helped me out. Thanks!

excellent Vid, Thanks, this will help. Im redoing my e73 motor. But I dont have any timing marks that I can see on any of my cams yet. front and back appear to be clear, but there are paint marks on a few of the cams, 1,3,4, but 2 is clear as well (case side). the cover side has the paint marks. Problem is making sure 2 is set in the proper place with no marks lines...

This guy is great,thanks for the help to! Thank you

Marcus D. Nice video man. Thanks!

Guys need to know not to whack that gear in, however gently. There is a tool to get that will press that on. You don't want to whack on the crankshaft, it's not designed for sideways forces, just up and down. It's okay to do with a junk motor, but not with a good one.

Thank you Quick question When changing the oil pump gear drive (pinion gear) Top dead center front cylinder and remove rocker Top dead center rear cylinder and remove rocker Do you have to remove the push rods and sliders if taking the cams out?

FWIW. Take a closer look at your manual. Pinion mark has nothing to do with oil pump timing. The pinion mark is only used for cam timing. For pump timing the advanced timing mark on the flywheel is used ( 40° or 45° depending on year). That pump is now 1- tooth off. A pinion gear loose like that should be replaced. On breather motors (57-76) it is a hard-pressed fit. The manual is real specific on how far it is pressed onto the shaft.

Thanks dude 👍🏼

Nice job. , Marcus. I was recently there but learned the hard way. Now assuming I have the oil pump timed properly and done everything else right, what is the reason I am pumping oil out of the breather tube virtually all the time the engine runs. It is a 1969 Ironhead I just bought. Wasn't running when I bought it so don't know any history. This is not the wet sumping I have read so much about. Before it stops blowing oil, each time I start the motor, I will get 1/2 quart of oil out of the breather tube. After returning the blown oil to the tank, within 5 minutes, it will blow it out again.

BYW, I pulled the oil pressure switch. Oil would not flow past the ball check. Seems to me the seat is good and wet jumping is a different condition then my problem.

What happens when you don't have a mark on the oil pump???

If I need to do oil pump gaskets. Do I have to worry about retiming the oil pump or will that gear amd shaft stay up in the motor, as i take bottom plate and all other peaces of the sandwitch off to replace the 3 gaskets?

what year are you working with i have a 77 and i do not see a oil hole on my motor at all hAS it been changed and wrong one installed previously im afraid to continue i dont want to tear down again

This video is helpful, but it needs to be timed on the 40 degree advance timing mark on the flywheel and not top dead center.

Hi i have 2 questions about the ironhead oil pump allignment. I have a 1973 ironhead that is new to me. It pukes oil out the breather tube. I changed the oil. Still pukes.. cleaned ball valve. Still pukes tried 20w-50 and then 60w oil. Still pukes. Question 1. Would wrong pump timing cause this?? #2 does wrong pump timing hurt the bike? Thanks

thanks .

So...I'm clinically insane. Books look like hyroglyphics to me. Thank you for the video. I did it in minutes on a 1980.

Can anyone help with the crank gears? It’s impossible to get mine off, and I don’t think they’re lined up, how do I get those off? Any tricks?

How are the main oil line ran I have a 82 ironhead sportster And I am trying to figure out how to run the oil lines in the Vent lines

Dude, finally found a useful video for my cams! thanks!!!! can you make a video of where to put the shims in that camshaft. and possible where each lobe should sit???

When it comes to using shims on the cams, is there a particular many per cam?

great video, in the process of tearing down an 81 basket case motor. I think the previous owner had assembled wrong, looks like all the cams line up on ignition timing (the circle) not front cylinder TDC (the line) guess I need to pull the pinion gear and realign at TDC. Any advice?

having trouble taking a gear off any ideas I have tried a puller and no luck

got a question for you. Can you tell me how to get the tdc on my 1972 ironhead sportster.

great video, get back to me wen you get a chance have a couple questions

my sportster has no oil pumping to the rocker boxes. could you make a video of taking the oil pump out?

Sandy Walker I tried to reply to you on channel you left reply on but my comments are blocked on that channel so i replied in the discussions tab on my channel or can post here if you prefer don't know another way to be able to reply

I have a 75 iron head and gear shifter goes all the way down low

what about the push rods

i just bought a 57 xla. know where i can find tech. manual?

before doing this what gear do u put it in? or do u keep it in neutral?

Does it have to me set to TDC when you set the gears?

I can't get it to shift into neutral

WRONG !! WRONG!! READ THE SERVICE MANUAL!!!

@hbft scrape the pain off. I bet there are marks under them.

Also hbft if you can snap me a picture and email it to me ill try and help ya out.

thanks man, youre video helped me out on timing my 1980 iron head 1000 cc, no bike shops will screw me no more, i added this video to my channel with the video i made of a running bike and the appreciation of getting screwed, with a hell of an education kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qtqPi7ahvdeReZs.html