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Will 85 heads work on a 76 Ironhead? Has anyone tried the re production cyclinder heads for their Ironhead? The web site says the jugs will work on 73- 85, mine is a 76. I recently bought a basket case and the engine is all there sans the top end. I was thinking the aftermarket jugs/ pistons and eBay or CL heads. I found some clean ones off of an 85, but am hesitant to drop the $160 for something I’m not 100% sure is compatible. Thanks
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Last edited by Mudguts; 12-19-2018, 5:12 PM. -
Any cylinders and heads '74 -'85 will fit your '76, no problem. '73s were their own special case; stay away from those. The aftermarket cylinders are useable, but good used HD is always a better bet. The cylinders you need can be easily identified because the threaded head bolt holes in the cylinders are counterbored about 1/2" down. If you see head bolt threads all the way to the top of the hole, that cylinder is not for you.
Use the thin copper head gasket specified for the '76, no matter what year your components came from.
Aftermarket cast, 9:1 pistons are fine. There are some new old stock TRW forged pistons on the market. Be advised, they are high expansion alloy, and need .0065 or more skirt clearance to live.
Jim -
Dragstews turned bpeak(Thread '71 Sportster, redo it Right) onto these Kieth Black forged 9:1 pistons; hyperuetectic that run only 0.0015" clearance:Aftermarket cast, 9:1 pistons are fine. There are some new old stock TRW forged pistons on the market. Be advised, they are high expansion alloy, and need .0065 or more skirt clearance to live.
KB Performance Piston Kit,
$208.76
Available Sizes:
+ .010 in. - Part No. H13223
+ .020 in. - Part No. H13215
+ .030 in. - Part No. H13218
+ .040 in. - Part No. H13229
Install Instructions
bpeak; did you actually get these and run 'em?If buildin' old school choppers was easy, anyone could do it... ain't nobody said it's gonna be easy...Comment
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Those hyperutectic pistons are CAST, NOT FORGED. They have a bad reputation (often referred to as KaBoom pistons ). The problem with them, and I've seen this myself a couple of times, is that if they break, they break at the wristpin boss, and then you have a loose connecting rod flailing around inside your motor doing ungodly damage. ( I do have an FXE running these pistons because they were in it when I got it. It's always on my mind, though. ) I refuse to install them in anything. FWIW, the Keith Black forged pistons have been very good so far, but they are a little heavier than a similar JE or Wiseco.Dragstews turned bpeak(Thread '71 Sportster, redo it Right) onto these Kieth Black forged 9:1 pistons; hyperuetectic that run only 0.0015" clearance:
KB Performance Piston Kit,
$208.76
Available Sizes:
+ .010 in. - Part No. H13223
+ .020 in. - Part No. H13215
+ .030 in. - Part No. H13218
+ .040 in. - Part No. H13229
Install Instructions
bpeak; did you actually get these and run 'em?
JimComment
Comment