The fuel-injected '02 Harley Softail Standard has proved to be our favorite of the current lineup of Harley custom bikes. The fuel-injected 88ci Twin Cam B motor is both smooth and powerful. We've had one since last December, which we rode several thousands of miles in stock form before we put the whip to it in the last issue. At that time, we installed Harley's Screamin' Eagle Stage I kit (including an air filter and performance mufflers) and had the fuel-injection computer reprogrammed. The modified motor responded like a thoroughbred; it didn't cough, spit or sputter, it just ran faster.
With that first hop-up behind us, we thought it was time to go to the next level and install a set of high-performance camshafts that have more duration and valve lift. The stock bike put out 62 hp and with the Stage I kit, the bike had 67 hp at the rear wheels. It had a flat torque curve with more than 70 lb-ft from 2,500 rpm to more than 5,000 rpm. For the second stage in juicing up the motor, we are installing a set of Harley's Screamin' Eagle high-performance camshafts.
We chose its #203 cams; they have a 234-degree duration and 0.510-inch lift on the intake valve and a 239-degree duration and 0.483-inch lift on the exhaust valve. Along with the cams, we installed a set of Screamin' Eagle adjustable pushrods. Because a computer controls the bike's fuel system, we had Lancaster Harley-Davidson recalibrate the computer's E-PROM (erasable-programmable-read-only-memory) chip to handle the new camshafts.
After installing the camshafts and doing the recalibration, we took the bike out for a shakedown run before we put the bike on the dyno. The bike has a lot more sound coming out of the mufflers now. Its power has gone way up in the upper mid-range, but it still runs great. The dyno showed a 6hp improvement in peak power, again at 5,500 rpm. But the power improvement was much more noticeable in the upper mid-rpm range; there was an 8hp gain and the torque increased 12 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm.
Installing the camshafts took us the better part of a day. The job required several special tools: cam-chain tensioner pins, a cam pressing bridge, a bearing arbor, and a pressing block. This is a job that should be performed by a dealership or an experienced shop; if you want to do it yourself, get a copy of the service manual and the pressing tools. The next stage for the FXSTI will be installing the H-D 95-inch kit and a set of Screamin' Eagle heads, so stay tuned.
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 These are the parts that we...  These are the parts that we used to hop-up our injected Softail: Harley's Screamin' Eagle #203 camshaft kit; Quick-Install adjustable pushrods; the H-D cam installation kit, which includes all of the gaskets and bearings needed to install the cams; and the computer-programming cartridge. |
 Here is our starting point:...  Here is our starting point: the air filter assembly, front exhaust pipe, and spark plugs have been removed. Because we are using Harley's Quick Install Pushrod kit, there is no need to remove the gas tank or rocker box assemblies. |
 The stock pushrods are cut...  The stock pushrods are cut out with a pair of bolt cutters. When cutting the pushrods, make sure their cylinder is on the compression stroke: both valves closed and the piston about half way up the bore. |
 The 10 Allen screws that secure...  The 10 Allen screws that secure the cam cover to the crankcase have been removed, and the cam cover was pulled off. There are no ignition parts in the cam cover of '01-and-later bikes, so there is no need to remove the points cover from the cam cover. We put a piece of plastic over the clutch cable and frame tube, under the cam cover to protect them from the oil dripping out of the cam cavity. |
 The lifter-cover retaining...  The lifter-cover retaining bolts and lifter covers are removed. The anti-rotation pin (arrow) is removed and then the lifters can be pulled up and out of the crankcase. Mark the lifters and their respective bores so that they are reinstalled in the same position. |
 The cam chain tensioner must...  The cam chain tensioner must be pulled away from the drive chain. We used the cam-install tool set from JIM's Machining for this cam change. The tensioner tool (A) is used to pull the tensioner away from the chain while the locking pin (B) is fit through it and into the boss on the cam plate. |
 The pinion and cam sprocket...  The pinion and cam sprocket bolts are removed and the chain and sprockets are lifted off as a unit. The 10 Allen screws that hold the cam plate to the crankcase and oil pump can now be unscrewed and the cam plate can be removed. |
 The cam plate comes off with...  The cam plate comes off with the cams installed into it; it must be gently pried off with a screwdriver. There is a drive chain that runs between the two cams. It has a tensioner (A) that must be locked out of the way, just like the main drive chain was. |
 Before the cams can be pressed...  Before the cams can be pressed out of the cam plate, the bearing retainer (arrow) must be removed. It fits under the chain and is secured by four Torx screws. |
 The cam plate is set in a...  The cam plate is set in a press and the cam-bridge press tool is placed over the ends of the two cams, and they are pressed out together. |
 The cams come out with their...  The cams come out with their bearings and chain. The chain will be reused on the new cams but not the bearings. The front cam has a ball bearing and the rear cam has a roller bearing. |
 The cam plate is turned over...  The cam plate is turned over and set into the pressing block so that the bearings can be installed. The outer edge of the bearings should be given a light coat of assembly lube before pressing them in. |
 The cams' timing marks must...  The cams' timing marks must be aligned prior to setting them in their drive chain. The marks are in the form of punch marks on the nose of each cam. Align the marks so that they point to each other. The cams and their chain are pressed in as a unit using the pressing bridge and pressing block. |
 There are three O-rings that...  There are three O-rings that fit into recesses of the cam-plate mating surface on the crankcase. Two of the O-rings (A & B) are for oil passages, and the third (C) is for the oil pump. |
 Before the cam plate can be...  Before the cam plate can be installed, the tensioner pin (A) for the inside cam chain must be moved to the outside of the cam plate. If this pin is not relieving the tensioner on the inside chain, the cam plate won't go in because the cams will be pulled toward each other. The snap ring (B) is installed on the end of the front cam. Note: The timing marks (C) are lined up on the two cams. There is a special procedure outlined in the service manual for tightening up the cam-plate bolts and the oil-pump bolts. |
 The lifters are given a coat...  The lifters are given a coat of assembly lube and inserted into their respective bores. The anti-rotation pins are set in place and the lifter covers are installed. |
 The Screamin' Eagle Quick-Install...  The Screamin' Eagle Quick-Install Pushrod kit has separate pushrods for the intake (A) and exhaust (B). You can tell the difference by the machining at the top of each pushrod. The kit also has new shorter lower pushrod tubes and longer pushrod tube locks, (C) than the stock tubes and locks (D). This is for added clearance when you are adjusting the pushrods. |
 The pushrods are adjusted...  The pushrods are adjusted to 3-1/3 turns after all of the slack is taken out of them. It is easiest to adjust the pushrods before the cam cover is installed -- this way, you can use the pinion bolt to rotate the crankshaft. |
 The cam cover, spark plugs,...  The cam cover, spark plugs, exhaust pipe, and air filter are back on, and the bike is ready for the stoplight stampede. With the cam changed, we again had to have the fuel-injection computer reprogrammed. |