S&S 107-Inch Touring Motor - Hot First Look

19. This was followed by installing the rings in the cylinders and measuring the ring gap.

20. A ring expander was used to install the rings on the flat-top pistons. This is a worthwhile task to prevent scratching the pistons and damaging the rings.

21. The pistons were placed over the rods and the wristpins inserted and secured with clips on both sides. Notice how the cylinder studs were covered to prevent damage to them or the pistons.

22. The cylinder was slid down over the piston and rings before rotating the motor to position the other rod for piston and cylinder assembly. The front cylinder was held in place with a spacer and head bolt.

23. The heads on the 107T feature a 93cc combustion chamber with a 2.0-inch intake and 1.605-inch exhaust valve.

24. The top of the head features S&S's new Sidewinder single-coil valvesprings. These help quiet down the valvetrain by reducing the spring noise in the rocker boxes. This is a major benefit for touring riders.

25. Before installing the heads, a drop of oil was placed on the head bolts, washers, and cylinder studs to eliminate false readings on the torque wrench caused by binding.

26. S&S electronic compression releases install in the heads to lessen the load on the starter. They are wired into the starting circuit and open when the starter button is depressed, then close when it is released.

27. A two-piece S&S compression-release socket was used to install the releases into the heads.

28. Assembly lube was applied into the rocker box to ensure lubrication between moving parts.

29. Then the rocker assemblies were bolted in place and oiled.

30. Once the rocker assemblies and covers were installed, Ted adjusted the pushrods for proper length with the help of three wrenches.Proper pushrod adjustment is absolutely critical to optimum engine performance. Too long, and valve damage can occur; too short, and engine performance suffers.