Blood, sweat, tears & beers . . .

I have the same amount of coils and plugs. I've had dual plugs since I got the bike 6 years ago. As a matter of fact when I take the heads off I will have good access to the spot on the seat post frame tube where I want to mount the second coils, like we were talking about beofre. It's hard to reach now 'cause the head and the exhaust pipe are real close to the tube. I talked to John on Saturday about the STD heads. I am prolly gonna go see him this weekend after removing the heads from my motor. The bike will be done for a while so that will be a good time to have him do the thunderjet valve. He seems like a very knowlegable guy. He does machine work for my mechanic, Chicago Bob. It's a small work when it comes to good Harley mechanics.

Fab(ricator) Kevin makes some interesting stuff. I got, perhaps, one of the last ones that you saw on the pic I posted. When I recieved mine, he wrote and said he's thinking about designing a new bracket and his own oil adapter. His new distributer doubled the price of the adapter (the cast piece), so he has to come up with a new idea.

When installing the oil filter, I noticed that the threaded connection (I'm holding it in my hand) that holds the filter on was loose. Should I use teflon tape, red locktite or ? to keep it from backing out when it comes time to change filters.

I would blue loctite it into the bracket. That way it could be removed in the future if you crossthread the filter onto it. If you red locktite it you will prolly damage the aluminum bracket trying to get the tube out.

I agree with TommyC. Teflon is a pain in the butt as well, every time you change the filter then you need to put more Teflon on.....Blue loctite should suffice....

Then blue locktite it is. Thanks for the feedback. There's so many of the LITTLE things I don't know about - I'm very grateful you guys put up with my ignorance!

I am in the same boat dude....When I was doing my bike there were a lot of small things that I didn't think about until the problem arose...Now the only learning really that I get is on here by reading and not from experience because my bike runs so well.......don't have to wrench on it much at all.....

Your welcome, anytime.
I know a lot about the shovelhead bikes so feel free to ask. I'm not a trained mechanic just a normal guy that has done lots of work on my old bikes.

As far as tightening the thing into the adaptor, after getting it finger tight, I wrapped a piece of leather around the threaded part of it and tightened as best I could with a pair of channel locks. I didn't see any other way to tighten it without damaging the threads. Then I put the new chrome oil filter on - it's the kind with a stamped bolt head on the bottom and cinched it up with an 11/16" wrench.

When installing a threaded rod or stud,you can double nut it...spin a nut on ,then the second nut will butt against it,then you can use a spanner on the top nut and it will thread in like a bolt... that's how I install and remove exhaust studs...less chance of marring the threads that way.

Yes Lucifer, that is a great lil trick, I have done that many times. Sometimes it's the only way to tighten somethin like a threaded stud. I did that once on my clutch studs. They were loose from the back side and there was no way to tighten them without pulling off the hub. I did the double nut trick and it worked like a charm. Highly reccomend it. I think it's too late for JoshBob tho as he used locktite. It his tries it now he will be breaking the bond and defeating the purpose of the locktite. Just leave it for now JoshBob and hopefully when you change the filte the threaded tube stays outs.
By the way your old shovel project is looking great! thanks for the pix! what frame did you start with? Paughco?

Great tip, Lucifer, thanks. I will use it next time if need be. Course I'll have to go out and buy the right sized nuts. And no, Chuck, I didn't put any oil on the gasket! See what a D.A. I am? Ha-ha-ha. I'll take it off and do it right this time! How tight should the oil filter go on? Same as a cage? I started with a brand new Paughco wishbone frame, Tommy.

With oil on the gasket I always put it on as tight as my hands will allow....do not use a filter wrench to tighten it.......

Okay, Johnny. BTW, thanks Chuck for posting the shovelhead tips. Some of them, however, will not come up.

Dude, JoshBob you didn't put oil on the gasket before screwing it on??
WTF?
you gotta be f-ing kidding us, right?? Please tell me you didn't do that??

Wow, JoshBob, didn't you ever change the oil in your car before?

HD Bible of bike stuff? Is that the name of a book?

Yeah, I've been changing the oil in my trucks and cars probably since before you were born and never put oil on the gasket. Guess what? the oil filter came off every time, no problem. Anyway, like I said, I took the thing off, rubbed a little oil on it and screwed it back in. And no, I haven't read everything in the service manual (Harley bible of bike stuff?). It told me to put 400 ft. lbs. of torque on the compensating nut, so I don't believe everything I read, either.
BTW, guys, the blue locktite held.