With the new stroker flywheel...
With the new stroker flywheel installed, the cases were sealed and bolted together. Danny then pushed the stator plug through the case and slid the stator into position over the sprocket shaft.
After a year of waiting, two months ago we finally tore into the motor of our long-term Road Glide to install Harley's Screamin' Eagle 103ci Stage 1 Kit. That's right-now our RG will boast the same 1,690 cubic centimeters of displacement as the CVO touring models and still be totally EPA-approved and CARB (California Air Resources Board)-certified.
As we all know, bigger is better, and no one likes to admit that their bike is still trapped in the land of stock displacement. Well, Harley's 103 kit is comprised of all the tested and proven components that will shoot your bike out of the overpopulated double-digit world and into the new frontier of triple-digit displacement. The kit consists of a new 4.375-inch stroker flywheel assembly, 3.875-inch Big Bore cast pistons and cylinders, SE 253 cams, SE cylinder heads, air-cleaner assembly and cover insert, and replacement catalyst mufflers (when required). The catalyst mufflers are mandatory to make this setup a 50-state street-legal kit when used on certain '04-'06 Touring models. The stock mufflers are required on '03 Touring models.
Since this is a stroker kit, that means the entire motor had to be torn down so the cases could be split and the flywheel assemblies swapped out. To handle such an involved task, we headed over to Laidlaw's Harley-Davidson, located in Baldwin Park, CA. Laidlaw's has been around for more than 45 years and recently moved into a new state-of-the-art facility with all the latest and greatest technology, such as a specially desinged dyno room and a 250i Dynojet Dynometer. Laidlaw's also has Danny DiLorenzo, a long-time employee who's known for his skills and knowledge of building reliable, high-performance motors. Back in August we got as far as completely tearing down the motor and swapping out the stock flywheel for the new stroker assembly, and then bolting the bottom end back together. Follow along as we finish the build and then hit the dyno.
| Harley-Davidson Parts List |
| | Part No. | Price |
| Chrome Inner Primary Cover | 60739-01 | $269.95 |
| Pushrod Cover Kit | 18096-00A | $174.95 |
| Chrome Oil-Hose Cover | 37946-99 | $53.95 |
| Premium Oil Cooler | 26082-05 | $289.95 |
| Chrome Oil-Vent Line | 33111-02 | $39.95 |
| Chrome Oil-Filler Spout | 62470-02 | $64.95 |
| Oil-Temp Dipstick W/LCD | 62937-00C | $99.95 |
| Chrome Hardware Kit Primary Cover | 94-052-03A | $48.95 |
| Chrome Hardware Kit Cam Cover | 94058-03 | $32.95 |
| Chrome Hardware Kit Rocker Box | 94059-03 | $34.95 |
| Screamin Eagle 103ci Stage 1 Kit (Silver) | 29855-04 | $2,995.95 |
| ECM Recalibration | | $149.95 |
| Chrome Billet End Cap Double Groove | 65066-01a | $64.95 |
| Grand Total | | $4,321.35 |
 Next, Danny turned to swapping...  Next, Danny turned to swapping out the stock cams for the new SE 253 camshafts. In order to remove the cams from the cam plate, Danny used a spring tension tool to relieve the pressure of the inner cam chain, then used a press to push the cam assembly out of the plate. |  Here's a comparison of the...  Here's a comparison of the stock cam (left) and the new SE 253 cam (right). The stock cams have .480-inch lift on the intake/exhaust and 229/222 degrees duration on the intake/exhaust, whereas the new SE cams have .538-inch lift on the intake/exhaust and 240/256 degrees duration on the intake/exhaust. |  Danny inspected the chain...  Danny inspected the chain tensioner pads and noticed they showed some wear, so he replaced them with new ones. Here you can see a used pad (left) compared to a new pad (right). |
 Since we were swapping out...  Since we were swapping out the cams, Danny installed new cam-plate bearings and then pressed the new cams into the cam plate. He also double-checked the timing marks on the back of the cams to make sure they were aligned properly. |  Before the cam plate was installed,...  Before the cam plate was installed, Danny inspected the oil pump. He suggested that, since the oil pump was already removed, we should install a new oil-pump O-ring. Once the new O-ring was in place, the oil pump was lubed and then positioned in the case. |  Next it was time to install...  Next it was time to install the cam plate. Before installing the plate, Danny applied some assembly lube to the cams. It's important to leave the chain-tensioner tool in place. Removing the pin will cause the cams to become misaligned, and they won't slide into the new inner cam bearings. When bolting up the cam plate, Danny used two locating dowels to center the oil pump in the cam plate. |
 When securing the cam plate...  When securing the cam plate and oil pump to the case, Danny torqued the six cam-plate bolts first and then torqued the four oil-pump bolts. The primary cam chain-drive assembly was then checked for proper alignment and bolted to the plate. |  The lifters were then covered...  The lifters were then covered with assembly lube and installed, along with the anti-rotation pins. Then the lifter covers were bolted down. |  Excessive oil temperature...  Excessive oil temperature isn't good for any motor, and oil temps can really start to climb in large-displacement motors. Therefore, to maintain decent oil temp on our RG, we decided to install Harley's Premium Oil Cooler. The oil-cooler adapter (seen here) bolts onto the oil-filter housing. |