I was riding my 82 FXE to school back in 83, sitting at a railroad crossing, waiting for the train. There was a loud BLAMMO from my front pipe, but it kept idling okay. I saw some smoke, looked down and my right pant leg was on fire. I slapped it out, and rode on to school, although the bike was running weak and I looked stupid with charred jeans. Made it home, pulled the front head and there was a chunk of valve sitting on top of the piston. I was an art nerd, in no way mechanically inclined, but Harley technology was accessible to anyone with a set of wrenches, so I pulled the heads, cylinders, and pistons, and took'em to my HD dealer. Put it all back together on my grandpa's porch. My dad got the pistons into the cylinders with his fingers, and I had my wife hold the jug/piston in place while I fitted the wrist pins. At one point we got stuck, and I laid a screwdriver across the solenoid and it shoved the piston into the jug. We put 80,000 miles on that bike in four years. How a machine works, and how it can be worked by its owner is a measure of performance that has been lost over the decades. Modern bikes make no sense, and are immune to troubleshooting thanks to integrated computer systems. My daily rides are 2 Shovelheads, 2 ironheads, a 67 Triumph T100, and a 75 Honda CB550. You couldn't give me a modern bike.

SHOVELHEADS are what I like! Was brought up on them!!!! Plan on getting another one!!!!!

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Awesome!

No Leakes -Good Deal-Great Job!!!!

Woo hoo!

Good job good video merry Christmas Mr. And Mrs. Saddle tramp and new year

Hell that Front Head Exaust can bi fixed and be good For another 54 years . Good Gong donot forget to use Red lock tight . And Red lock tight . Knuckle , Pan ,Shovel . All pretty much the same .

👍 Good build ST. Nothing like doing your own wrenching. Greetings from 🇬🇧 !!

Congratulations Corey, I enjoyed every second of that and I'm just so Happy for you bruh.👏🇺🇸

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Hey thanks, Paul!

Well done Corey.

Glad to see it back together Corey.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

That makes 2 of us! Lol

Congrats on your first shovel build.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Awesome build man, so cool to hear that first light off...

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thanks, man. I agree

no harm in higher top rev's briefly when running in. use wooden blocks under piston when fitting barrel. i'd of whipped the cyl's off to paint but hey ho/ no oil leaks after shake down ride, now that is something i've never managed. Good to see our man getting fully engaged. Peace to all this Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you and woman

Okay, man you better mention that blue shovel lurking in the background, I gots ta know. Great vid, Cory and thank you.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Lol... Just helping a friend in need.

Merry Christmas 🎁

😎👍😎 You did it..great .. Merry Christmas ..

I love watching videos like this, great content brother!

@SaddleTrampTV

3 ай бұрын

Thanks, man.

and merry Christmas to you guys too! God bless you this season!

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thank you, Bill. To you as well.

Excellent

Loved that video. FYI, keep her around 3 grand at about 400 to 500 miles re-torque the head bolts and then ride it like you stole it

It's such a good feeling when you go through all of that and then hear it come back alive. Also I saw the plum sticker on the wall. So cool

Everytime I watch I think “heshould finish those door stickers in the shape of the country”. So now I’m just gonna say so. Your almost there. Do it lol

@SaddleTrampTV

5 ай бұрын

That would be neat.

Serious work sir!

Job well done! Belated Merry Xmas and HNY!! Thx for sharing your passion with the rest of us enthusers!

@SaddleTrampTV

5 ай бұрын

Thanks, you too!

job well done mate... & stay safe over the mental seasion.. cheers & Knee's in Da Breeeeezzzzzzeeeeeee........

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thanks, Trev. You as well.

That’s an awesome rebuild Tramp. God Bless you & the Misses have wonderful Christmas

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thank you, Shane! Merry Christmas!

Good job my friend always glad to see your videos looks great ride safe my friend

You are amazing, you should be very proud of yourself. Merry Christmas to you and Kim.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thank you, Joe. Merry Christmas to you and your family as well.

Congrats

I am very Happy for you it sounds fantastic have a Happy New Year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS......

Love to hear the joy in your voice. There is nothing quite like the feeling of riding something you built yourself.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

You got that right. Will the first ride go alright, or will it be like riding on a hand grenade? Lol

There’s a million ways to build an engine but the best way I found that works for me is I put the pistons in the jugs on my bench then connect the whole thing to the rod and push them down that way.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

That's typically how I've done it in the past.

From Az..Tamp that Shovel head sounds great...keep up the good work Merry Christmas to yours an you ..Richard

Merry Christmas man from all the way there and back Invercargill New Zealand where its 1 30 in the afternoon christmas eve summer time thanks for being you

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Merry Christmas as well!

@darknitethunder

6 ай бұрын

MERRY CHRISTMAS there Iron Head Tere. If you have time, I've got a question for you. How many miles of good riding roads are there in New Zealand? Oyeah and what is the weather like during the month of July like there? Happy New years to you too.🎉

@IronheadTere

6 ай бұрын

Cool man lots of good riding Down south South Island July is like end of winter here and we ride on the left and our speedo s in kph @@darknitethunder

@darknitethunder

6 ай бұрын

@@IronheadTere Just what I was thinking. I've traveled the Philippines some, they have no winter so they say, only two seasons there, Hot and Wet. LOL Maybe I'll be traveling over your way come July.

Merry Christmas to you also.

Liked this video glad to see you decide to rebuild the engine your self I believe it may have give you a sense of owner ship and pride in in your bike. This video makes me want my scooter back on the road it’s going to take a lot of work been setting for several years health issues.I have new lung’s now and on the mend.This post has been inspiration.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

That's good hear, Gary. Go for it.

Way to go Corey 💪

Pacific Mike has some great tutorials on shovels... merry Christmas 😊

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

He sure does! Same to ya, man!

@whiteashpiperwhiteashpiper5447

6 ай бұрын

@@SaddleTrampTV great job on getting your shovel together saddleTramp. Made me feel good . Let it ride

Atta boy! A blessed New Year to you and yours!🙏🏻😎👍🏻

Got it back together.any day on twos is a good day.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Agreed!

Sweet job Corey sounds good

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thank you, Bill

We missed you dude

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

I missed you guys as well.

Nice and dry there buddy .. great work again

Good to see you on the "tube", better even seeing you and the shovel on the road.😊 wow!

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thanks! 😃

Looks like it was done right! Merry Christmas you animal!

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Lol... Thanks!

I just love 💕 my 1999 883 Sportster 400,000 miles on the original engine. Have had my Sportster for 25 years. Merry Christmas from Florida.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Right on, Frank!

Built my '76 Shovelhed and an '85 Evo, from frame up (except the Evo long block, no torque plates at home...). It's great knowing you touched every single part of the bike, know what was used, and how it was put together. Keep the shiny side up!

Awesome you got a split case under your belt. Soon you'll be truing your flywheel sets.

Great job, have a Blessed Christmas and New Year 🙏

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

You too, man! Thanks!

Great video man.

Great job, I “somewhat” know what is like jumping off into the deep end when it comes to not knowing anything about what I’m attempting to do. Bought an early twin cam and jumped right in to the cam chest tensioners. In the end, it fired up just fine and I learned a lot. But did farm out the injection to carb swap on it, my hands are way to big to do a lot of the intricate areas that and what wires to delete and not delete. Keep doing what you do, enjoy the warmer weather. Christmas Eve day we had 60 degrees, Christmas it was 32 and snow flurries.

Nicely done Cory. I hope the old bike treats you as well as you do it. Stay safe brother.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

I hope so too!

That old footage is pretty cool to see of you working in the old shop.. now you're in a nice new building with many more bikes.. Merry Christmas to you and the Mrs's..

@bendaves77

6 ай бұрын

What's the blue shovelhead sitting in the shop with no tanks on it?? Did Santa bring you a new bike

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

@@bendaves77 Lol... Not quite. Just helping out a friend.

Awesome! Nice job, man.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thank you, Christopher.

merry x mass , nice job 500 mile on rebuild . drive like a cop is behind you .

Hey Amigo, really glad to see you back. That David Mann banner of Ghost Rider on your wall, is how my painter is painting my bike. A tribute of sorts

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Awesome, man! That's cool!

Aw yeah! Merry Christmas man!

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Heck yeah! You too!

Good job!!!

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Wish you and the Wifey a Blessed and very Merry Christmas 🙏

@themissuscostelli497

6 ай бұрын

Thank you and same to you!!

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thank you, Dane! What she said.

Great job!! Thanks for the video! Merry Christmas🎅🎄👍

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Hey thanks! Merry Christmas to you as well!

Another good one. Merry Christmas to you and yours 👍👍

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Merry Christmas, Shane

Even on the road you can do a top end. In '99 was in Sturgis and my top end blew a head gasket on my shovel limped it back to the campsite tore the heads off took them to the machine shop in the morning told the guys I was on the road and they turned the the heads around in four hours, valve seat grind, new seals, new valves and springs. Had the bike running that night. One of the guys I was running with was a pilot for United Airlines and he was amazed that I could take an engine apart in the grass and put it back together running that night. I told him you command a commercial jet don't you have to do things to keep your plane flying. What he told me was amazing to me he said he works on everything with his computer and that he has no real mechanical ability. Great video. You are doing just fine. I will say when I saw you putting the front cylinder on I saw immediately that the oil return was on the valve train side of the motor. You will never forget that now. Harley found out that when you stroke a motor you can take some weight out of the flywheels. Makes the bike rev faster. You just have to get the balance right. Later my friend.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Yep. Every mess up comes with the benefit of later success... If you've got any sense.

Great job. Merry Christmas to you and the Mrs.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Same to you!

Your trial by fire approach is why we watch you my friend. If it was easy that would be kind of boring but id go on a limb saying that Kevin Baxter watches your DIY projects. Keep wrenching.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Hey thanks, man. That'd be something if he did.

@howardpendle8528

3 ай бұрын

Question what did you do in repairing front head ????

@SaddleTrampTV

27 күн бұрын

@@howardpendle8528 Replaced it.

Love it. Great job. This is one of my favorite bikes in your fleet. Please please please continue to produce great content, you’re the man.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thanks, Cody... Really

Bad ass dude!

Beautiful beautiful beautiful😊😊😊

Merry Christmas!! Shovelheads and Panheads are very similar, and I just had a '49 Pan rebuilt. The builder gave me an instruction sheet with break-in procedures, and it's the same as what you said in the video. Great Job!! What a great feeling it must have been to Kickstart an engine you just built yourself 😄😄😄🙏🙏🙏

That look on your face when it first fired.......... "Priceless". I hope you have many happy miles together. Very well done.

Can usually get a feel for wear by the ridge at the top of the cylinders where the ring travel stops, That looks pretty awesome for a '79.

Yep 500 and 1000 miles is what I would do, MERRY Christmas to your family.

Well done you 😊

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thank you 😁

Grate job! And Merry Christmas 🎁

Merry Christmas, the shovel sounds great

Great video! Merry Christmas to you and the Mrs.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

You too, Larry!

That's why i like shovels ,simple and straight forward. Good Job brother

And I know the struggle is real. I gave up on shovelheads Evo only anymore.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

I hear ya!

Hey Corey. It’s When I’m 64, aka Wishbone, aka dannpd1955. It’s a long story. Hope you are well, I had four joint replacement surgeries in 2023 both knees and my right shoulder twice so I’ve been laying low. I’m happy to see you and missus are doing well. Merry cChristmas to y’all. To God be the glory.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Ouch, man! Glad you're on the mend. Merry Chistmas to you, and God bless.

Sweet Seccess 👍🖖

Merry Christmas

Cool bike , you did good .

Great Sunday morning to everyone and wishing everyone a blessed Christmas. Remember everyone the real reason for Christmas. Jesus Christ is the way ✝️🙏

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Amen

Nice 👍 Merry Christmas 🎄🎁

Glad to see it back on the road but yes i know the feeling of when something works right after a rebuild that you did. It's a very exciting feeling that you did it. Congrats!!! Hope yall have a Merry Christmas yourselves!!!!!

@themissuscostelli497

6 ай бұрын

Merry Christmas Carson!!

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Hey Carson! Thanks for the relate! Merry Christmas to you too!

good work my man!

You're doing good 😂😅. I love working on motors. I just bought another Shovel. This time it's a 1600 twin spark -78. It's interesting how stupid some people are when working engines. This one is going into pieces this winter and I will weld the rear head and also put Helicoil inserts for exhausts and sparks. One thing I thought about with your engine was the oil holes in bottom end of the cylinders. This time you rebuilt an engine, so it's probably OK. Sometimes that hole is too high in the cylinder, so it's getting oil above the rings on the piston. It's one of the things worth checking.

Man, your guardian angel was watching over you on that Texas trip with that warped spring and valve! That would have been a LONG push home! I bet it feels really good knowing exactly what's going on inside your motor, since you know the engine builder so well :) Merry Christmas, Mr. and Missus Saddle Tramp!

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thank you, Tommy. Yeah I have to agree with you there. Providence was watching out for my ignorant self.

Always a great feeling when they start up after wrenching on them. Have a merry Christmas

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

So true. Merry Christmas, Steve.

Nice job man you can do much more than you think ,when you try.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

It seems that way sometimes. Thanks, man.

Awesome job! Love it. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours. God Bless

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Thank you! You too!

I love the ghost rider poster in back ground I wanted that as a tattoo as a kid but never got it it’s one of my favorite David Mann paintings

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Hey thanks, man! One of you guys sent that to me.

@bandit7519

6 ай бұрын

@@SaddleTrampTV Oh that’s cool one of your fans sent it to you good fan and good taste in art work I . I have that as the screen saver on my cell. David Mann knew just about ever biker / Harley riders when we are out riding we ain’t just riding our Harley’s deep down some where in us we are out riding the range with Frank and Jesse James know what I mean !!!!!!!!

What's up, homie? I hope you and your lady have a good Christmas

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Hey, man! Good to see you. You have Merry Christmas also.

I knew you could do it 🧷

Hola amigo!! 7:11 I laughed way to hard at that! Cool video, love the assembly montage tunes!! Merry Christmas y'all. peace

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

I know, right? Thanks man!

Awesome job! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

You too! Thanks!

From tired iron to running like a Swiss watch, it don't get any better than that. Merry Christmas to one and all.

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

Well said

Good video and great build , looking good , hope family is well , have a great Christmas bro 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

@SaddleTrampTV

6 ай бұрын

All good. Thanks, man! Merry Christmas.

Sweet I have mine apart now the hard part lol ! Head in shop getting done .