the Digger

Tattoo Cycles
329 N 1st St.
Drain OR 97435
Phone: 541 221-3283
E-mail:rusty@tattoocycles.com

1994 Softail, frame up rebuild, "the Digger"

original Started with a well used 1994 Softail Custom. Stripped everything and sent it all to the used parts bins, keeping the bare frame. Next, the frame was sent out for Powder Coating at Mackinzie Plating. I picked up a 2004, used, 88" Twin Cam motor with 38K miles. Took the motor apart, cleaned and reinstalled a new crank assy, sprocket and pinion 95ci Motor bearings & races, with a new sifton hi volume oil pump. Next I installed an all S&S gear drive cam kit, including inner and outer gears with .570 lift S&S gear drive cams. Tappets are Jims Powerglide with S&S EZ Change adjustable pushrods.The top end has new 3 7/8" cylinders with Wiseco 10/1 pistons. Heads were cleaned, flowed and installed Kibblewhite 1.90" intake valves and 1.55 exhausts with Hi lift beehive valve springs and collars with Ultima roller rocker arms. The rocker covers, tappet blocks and side cover were polished in house. We added an S&S G carberator and 2" Wyatt Gatling downdraft exhaust.

Rear Belt Belt Drive
Mock up during fabrication and construction, final product below.

The Chassis now consists of the softail frame on Ultima Black/Chrome Kingspoke wheels - 3.5 x 21 front with 70/20-21 and 8.5 x 18 rear with HD 240 tire. Ultima stock length wide springer with dual Ultima 4 piston brake calipers and Wyatt Gatling 1 1/4"dia. mini ape "Z" bar. Transmission is a right side drive Ultima 6 speed overdrive with Ultima 3.33" billet open primary belt drive and custom rear swingarm for 250 rear tire. 65 tooth 1" billet rear pulley and dual Ultima 4 piston brake calipers. Rear fender is custom 12" wide shockless fender and custom fabricated front fender. Oiltank is chrome round tank with Thunderfire 2.4kW starter. SS braided oil and gas lines and cables. Brake and shifting is chrome plated oem style controls. A 2.3 gallon Wyatt Gatling gas tank tops the assembly with more Wyatt Gatling for the headlight, taillight and mirrors. Paint color is candy cherry plum. The build is nearly finished with the completion of the wiring this week.
Click on image to see details

OK, A few things before even firing it up. The wiring was a challenge, in order to keep it simple, I used a new Harley main harness for a 2000 HD Dyna Glide. Stripped it down to basics and weaved that into the frame. To contain the Twin Tech TC-88 Electronic ignition module, circuit breaker, bank angle sensor, main circuit breaker and starter solenoid I built a stainless box that mount tightly againts the back of the oil tank on the front of the wheel well. Pretty much invisible and doubles as inner fender skirt. Wasnt convinced on the left side axle adjustment, so I installed a second adjustment bolt to prevent the axle from possible sliding back - those dual 4 piston calipers are going to put some torque to the rear of the axle. I've got a buyer already and he wants flush mount gas cap and black air filter. OK, done. Now time to fire it up.

That turned into a bit of exercise. First start, it fired right up but as I waited for it to warm up it started popping out of the front cylinder and then poof - blew out the front head gasket. Pulled the head and found a split in the top thread of one of the cylinder bolts. Wierd, replaced the stud and then found a problem in the rocker covers. I have S&S roller rocker arms and I could see the intake side was rubbing against the cover possibly restricting it. Dont know why it would be the fit in only one cylinder but I releaved the top cover so it wouldnt make contact.

Put her back together and she fired right up again, no surprises this time. After a 10 mile test drive, I determined the jets were way off, it was running too lean, no help with the air/fuel screw. You should only change one thing at a time with these carbs (Big S&S "G" shorty model), but it had .0295 mid/low and .072 on the main. I factored in the (95ci, 10/1 compression, .570 lift S&S cams, and went with .031 mid/low and .080 main. Put 15 miles on that combination and I was ready to let her go. Couple days later Breck showed up with a Uhaul and off to her new home in Eastern Oregon.

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