[Borinquen Veteran]

Hello folks. Has anyone here undertaken a big bore install on their own? I'm wanting to do a father and son project within the next year but am wondering if this project is best left to the pros. I'm very hand with tools. For reference of our mechanical skills my dad and I installed cams in my bike. Ive also installed my Power Commander 5, autotune, speakers with a power amp and Yankphan's radio, done my suspension maintenance, brake maintenance, mounted my own tires etc. The only thing anyone else has ever done to my bike was a professional dyno tune by KevinX. I'm handy but not sure if installing a big bore would be pushing my luck. I have the pro manual for my Vic which would be my main reference for taking apart and putting together my engine.

My plan would be to do the install myself, break it in while auto tuning it on my way to The Vic Shop to get it Dyno tuned.

2015 XCTour 18,000 miles. All HOH bits.

 

[Cruzie27]

You'll be fine. Make sure you don't lose a wrist pin retainer in the case when you're pulling the old pistons off.....

Fishing for it sucks, trust me.

View attachment 502849

I took the engine out of my Gunner, disassembled it, added all kinds of Lloydz parts, reassembled it & installed it in a shed with only basic hand tools and the shop manual.

 

[Borinquen Veteran]

That's great news Cruzie27. I really want to do this project with the old man. I found a video from The Vic Shop where they didn't have to remove the engine. They lifted the back bone and dropped the back end which is what im thinking of doing. Any other advice you have please share.

 

[md2420]

That's great news Cruzie27. I really want to do this project with the old man. I found a video from The Vic Shop where they didn't have to remove the engine. They lifted the back bone and dropped the back end which is what im thinking of doing. Any other advice you have please share.

Hey BV, I'm sure if you called Rylan he would be more than happy to talk to you about it and give you some tips. I'm sure you and your dad could knock it out of the park. Can't leave well enough alone. Lol!!!

 

[primethious]

I saw a video somewhere on TVS where they double checked the new piston height with a torque plate attached (before installing the head). Never seen that done before (guess I always got lucky on car engines) so it stood out to me.

 

[Borinquen Veteran]

Yeah. That's the video i saw. I wondered what he was doing. That's the very part that made me doubt if i could do the install.

 

[Half_Crazy]

Yeah. That's the video i saw. I wondered what he was doing. That's the very part that made me doubt if i could do the install.

Small details like that are what separates and engine builder from... well... not an engine builder.

 

[Vicbuilder]

I've got a customer like that I'm dealing with.
C: "yeah I had a buddy build it, now it runs terrible, pings, can't get it tuned"
Me: Ok, so what piston is in it? (I dunno) what cam (I dunno) what compression? (I dunno) any headwork done (not sure)

We took it apart and the valves were hitting the pistons. Unknown pistons, installed backwards. Cam gears were slotted and cams were 15 degrees retarded. Forgot some of the the cylinder dowels and base gasket sealant and the sealing surfaces were damaged.

Building a Vic isn't rocket surgery, but a guy really needs to be honest with himself. Do I really have the skills to build this correctly, or am I going off a "guy that's done it before" who says "sure, it's easy!" Yes, it's easy for a competent and thorough engine builder. And I've met some garage mechanics who are *that*. But sometimes I get jaded by all the engines we fix from guys who really need to step back and put down the wrench!

 

[Borinquen Veteran]

I agree 100% with you guys. I'm looking at the manual and have watched a few videos and how to install big block kits on other motorcycles. With patience im sure it will be done correctly. There's 2 things that this does for me. It gives me a project to do with my dad and it also gives me the satisfaction that i built this bike . My dad and i have good mechanical skills.

 

[Chicken Strip]

SO.... Rylan @Vicbuilder is going to hate me for this.... because I hammered him with a gazillion emails, texts and calls between the time he took my first check to the time the bike finally rolled off the dyno here in Cali... but I had him pick the parts and ship them to me and me and my oldest daughter built the motor. Here's the thread. Read it a few times. She learned a lot. Mostly new swear words. If you have built an engine or two, aren't in a hurry and are willing to spend a little extra time/money when you snap a piston ring, drop a wrist-pin clip down the case, put an injector o-ring in without lube or find out your clutch is woefully under-clamped for all the new power...
Buy the parts from Rylan so he can set you up good and you're not robbing the man blind when you call with the 47th question: " How does the hoomahogger go into the thingamabob without breaking the whatchamacallit?!?!"
Post #12 I rigged a way to check the piston clearance with deep sockets and washers (no base gasket installed)
https://www.thevog.net/threads/2005-v92tc-gets-bigger-jugs.136537/

 

[Chicken Strip]

Small details like that are what separates and engine builder from... well... not an engine builder.

Separate the engine builders from the V-twin grenade-builders?

 

[Half_Crazy]

Separate the engine builders from the V-twin grenade-builders?

You won't win the race if you don't FINISH the race...

Done right, a big bore Victory will run hard for many many happy miles (hell, I'm proof of that). I've seen the 'garage built' versions not make sh!t for power and not live long. On the latest version of mine I had a second pair of experienced hands and a shop full of tools... worked out great.

If a guy has the well lit space, the tools, and the experience, go for it... If you're watching the installation video and asking, "What's he doin' that fer?" maybe you shouldn't build your own.

 

[rdhog]

Some mechanical aptitude (some !!!), patience, right tools, a good manual, some more patience, good lighting, more patience, and the willingness to say I am sure let's find out first, and you'll have a great time together and a lovely running bike with tons of great memories !!!!!!

 

[Half_Crazy]

and the willingness to say I am sure let's find out

I think you meant to say, "I'm not sure"...

 

[rdhog]

Your right, that's what I meant to say !!!!!!

 

[Borinquen Veteran]

I trust myself enough to do this. The rewards that I've enjoyed the most and have made me the proudest are the ones that came from knowing nothing, then learning, doing and finally acheiving.

 

[Chicken Strip]

Awesome! Give Rylan a call and send him a big check. Just based on my experience have a grand or two in reserve for surprises along the way or the inevitable "while I'm at it" upgrades that make sense to do while she's on the operating table... Consider trailering it to Rylan for the break-in too.

 

[Half_Crazy]

If I didn't have access to Rusty's shop (and tools, and dyno, and experience/help) I would have just shipped the engine to Rylan Vos. He's done more 116s than anyone. My issue was the transmission, not the engine, but like @Chicken Strip said, "While I'm at it". If it has to come apart, and it has 94K miles on it... ya just gotta.

 

[Bueller]

The big problem for these do it yourself want a bee mechanics is that they dont understand that everything isnt in a " Service Manual " Discounting factory backed training and informational sources is like insisting the earth is flat. If any of you guys want to take apart engines, you better be damn sure your studied a correct procedure and asked for all the tricks.

Some of these facts killed Buell dead. Dealer Harley techs that didnt want to work on them or learn how for no extra money didnt help.

 

[Borinquen Veteran]

For the most part Mechanics are paid by the hour specific to the job they are doing where if a particular job take 6hrs that's the max profit that mechanic will make. If the job was done in 4hrs that's 2 hrs in the mechanic's pocket plus now he can start on a new repair. You work 8 hours but made 12 hrs worth of repair hrs. Harley mechanics will not be interested any more in repairing a Buel than a victory because uncertainty sucks up their time. They have bills to pay. I have all the time in the world. It's hard. Yup. It's an advanced procedure. Yup. Alot of people would be afraid to do it. Yup. Well....i can't wait to order parts and get started!