Pretty much have the whole 1988 Sportster engine tore down and the first few layers of crude cleaned off everything. The James Complete Engine Gasket kit showed up so I start working on the cylinders and heads.

Disassembled the heads. Cleaned them up real good and lapped the valves. Installed the new valve seals which came with the James Gasket Kit.

All cleaned up and reassembled. Below is a picture of the front head, same same for the rear head.

The cylinders still had cross hatches on them so I am not going to do anything to them. Also not going to mess with the pistons or replace the rings. Hopefully this is not a mistake. Just new base gaskets and head gaskets. Cylinders and heads are back on the motor and head bolts are torqued.

Such a big difference just with the decades of dirt knocked off of it.

The pushrods and tubes I found on eBay also showed up. They are in pretty good shape, a little surface rust but they should clean up nice.

Going to start working on the gear box, lifters, pushrods, and rocker boxes next.

I have a lead on a titled 1988 frame, we will see if it shakes out. Fingers crossed…