The weather was kind of crappy on Saturday so I started working through the 1988 Sportster engine I picked up. Not even close to an expert here, but IMHO it seems to be in fairly decent shape for an engine which hasn’t been run in a couple decades, just externally really dirty. Cleaned up the cases and covers a bit. Heads are pulled and disassembled, primary is pulled and disassembled, cam cover is pulled and disassembled, and started working through things. So far nothing really looks to be in extremely bad shape. My parts washer had a good workout.


Putting together a list. Here is the initial list of things I need to get the motor squared away:

• James Complete Engine Gasket Kit
• Pushrods
• Pushrod tubes and covers
• Oil Filter mount
• Lower Rocker box hardware
• Upper Rocker box hardware
• Cam cover hardware
• Primary cover hardware
• Intake Manifold
• CV Carburetor

Seems like a lot, but not really anything super major. Some of this stuff I’ll pick up new, like the gaskets and hardware, some of it I’ll look for on eBay and at swap meets. Some of it is getting replaced just cause it’s already apart. I’ll probably end up picking up a stand for the motor… I don’t necessarily have to have one but it will make things easier.

I’ll be on the look out for some of this stuff at the Peanut City Swapmeet next month. Hoping to maybe come across the intake manifold and maybe a carb. I started ordering some of the other stuff. The James Complete Engine Gasket kit is on the way. I found an OEM pushrod set with the tubes and covers and an oil filter mount on eBay. When I was searching around for some stuff I happened across Tom’s NOS Parts. Lot’s of good stuff there..

I also went through some of the stuff I had left over from the 1990 Sportster. Have a few odds and ends which can be used on this one.

Planning to use the rocker boxes, cam cover, and primary cover, all of them are perfectly functional they are just dirty and showing their age. Going to clean and polish them up the best I can. I spent some time cleaning and polishing on the rear rocker boxes and they don’t look too bad. Not going to order any of the hardware until I get them cleaned up, otherwise I’ll get ahead of myself and put them back together as is.

Starter seems to be in good working order, but like everything else it is really dirty. I’ll get it cleaned up and test it before putting it back together. Going to need the charging system (stator and regulator), an ignition, and probably new clutch friction plates, but not for a good while. My plan is to get the top end rebuilt, cylinders and heads, worked over and put back together first; then the cams, lifters, and pushrods; and finally the primary drive, stator, clutch, and transmission. Then I’ll have to start looking for what to put it in…

Sunday the weather was better so Sandy and I took a ride on the Street Glide to Black Cat Harley Davidson in Rocky Mount, NC. Took a nice ride on the back roads down there. Nice dealership with friendly folks. Then up 95 to Collier Harley Davidson in Roanoke Rapids, NC. Then back roads home. A great break and a good day for a ride. Have a great week!