Just came across this little article and had to share it

Hidden Virtues of the Shovelhead Motor



The HD Shovelhead motor went out of production in 1984.
The motor has always had a bad rep, probably because it was the motor that
AMF bought when it bought the company in 1974. The "AMF years"
ar...e viewed as a time when quality control went out the window.

But is the bad reputation of the shovelhead deserved?
Aren't there some positive reasons one might run a shovelhead motor? First
the obvious differences between the Shovelhead and the Evo:




Tolerances: Overall the Evo is machined to one thousandth inch where the
Shovelhead is machined to five thousandths.




Cylinders: The Evo design uses an iron core encased in aluminum casting
where the Shovelhead is cast iron throughout.




Headbolts: The Evo uses long bolts that extend from the case to the top
of the head, where the Shovelhead uses two sets of shorter bolts - one
set to secure the cylinder to the case, and the other to secure the head
to the cylinder.




There are many other differences, but those presented
here are perhaps the most significant. Shovelheads can be constructed to
be more powerful and more reliable than any Evo. Many racers prefer the
shovelhead because it is easier to modify and capable of tremendous extremes
of operation. You can get an incredible variety of specialized parts, including
high performance cases, pistons, valves, heads and cams for shovelheads.
The engine ain't dead by any means, and is considered by many to be the
best motor Harley Davidson ever made.

In racing applications shovelhead cylinders distort less than
Evo cylinders because the shovelhead jugs are made of cast iron. When under
extreme stress, Evo cylinders (made of aluminum) tend to change their shape
due to unequal stress distribution around the head bolts. This results in
"blow by" between piston rings and the cylinder wall, and a reduction in
power that gets transferred to the pistons. This is a major reason for the
desirability of shovelhead motors in racing.

Although the Evo has higher tolerances, the Shovelhead
can be worked on in a home garage without the need for high tolerancing
machine tools. In this respect, the Shovelhead is the last HD motor to
be designed for the farm-hand. You can wrench the whole thing yourself!
(With a little experience.)

The Evolution engine has earned a reputation for being
more "reliable." In reality, the Evo is indeed a little more reliable,
but a poorly maintained Evo will be much less reliable than a well maintained
shovelhead. The difference is that when the Evo gets out of whack you probably
won't be able to fix it yourself.

You don't need to remove the Shovelhead motor from the
frame to remove the heads or jugs. This means you can inspect and replace
valves, guides and heads as necessary. You can even hone your own cylinders!
The Evo may be more "reliable" but it is also closer to the philosophy
of "no user-serviceable parts inside." The twin-cam 88 is even
less user-servicable. You need lots of special tools to work on any HD motor
after the introduction of the Evo.

So, you may need to change oil more often, and re-torque
bolts, and deal with wear in your valve guides, but you can do these things
yourself instead of paying an expensive company mechanic. If you are of
the philosophy that a big part of riding a bike is being constantly, intimately
aware of how it is functioning, you may find a good set of tools and a
well set up Shovelhead motor is just the ticket. Bottom line is what you
do when you are stuck by the side of the road and can't take anything apart
with limited tools. Evo riders wait for the tow truck. Shovel riders can
unbolt stuff and make repairs. (www.fargonasphere.com/spiders/TechTips/#Virtues, 2010)

Thanx Shagz,

another 1970 FLH RIDER.

Wish i had of thought of these before buying the evo...is exactly what i wanted, something simple......still i can always retro fit a shovel into it......

my late 83 fxrs with shovel is my first harley,got laughed at by mates for buying a shovel,but at least i can do all work at home,and not need a specialist,love the old girl,starts first go and runs great,

The shovel I had was a bitch.

might do that dave,need more spare time for ridin though,you goin to edenhope in nov?

For the unenlightened...can I buy a new shovel motor?

I own a fathead but I really want a simple bike that a non-mechanic with lots of electric gizmos can work on at home and share a few beers with mates as we tear down a motor and....have fun. I am not into the hard wired headlights, they have already nearly caused me harm and I would love something that reflects my view of the Harley.

So if I was to look at a project build, is there after market possibilities for a shovel motor and tranny to match? I dont want a wild custom...my bike would actually be quite plain. Its for me to enjoy, not others to look at.