Hey, im looking for opinions on what the next step towards better performance for my 99 FXDL would be. It's a standard 88 inch with screamin eagle slip ons and a heavy breather intake. Im assuming cams is the next step, so, what would be the most suitable choice? I want best power in the 2-4000 rpm range, as thats where i ride it (dont want to blow it up pulling 6000rpm to get power). I just want the best out of the stock 88 without stroking it. Any experiences/ advice?  Cheers

daddyo i think for the cost it's not worth it if your just runing in that rev range, a cam change on it's own, is not going to help a great deal. but a whole combination that works well could help. An increase in size would give more Torque, but depends on how much you want to outlay.

 

The correct cam is going to help a great deal.
There are a good many to choose from.
All manufacturers give clear indications of what their particular grinds fit and do, so that is a good place to start.
You are a bit limited in choice without additional headwork, but nonetheless there is benefit to be had.

Doing work in stages does cost more in the end, but if the end is cams, then, clearly, there is no issue.

Like i said, its already got the Screamin Eagle heavy breather and mufflers, which is WHY im looking at cams next. Saying there would only be a 2hp increase at 2-4000rpm is a bit silly, given different cams create best power at different rev ranges. Im not interested in having to wring it out to 6 or 7 grand to get it onto cam. Thats not street riding. I just want better roll on accelleration, and more go in general. If i wanted the fastest harley on the block id throw an S&S 124" in it, or buy a V rod!  Mild is more practical than wild.

Daddyo, i've spent enough time with a TC 88, ridden it to far north QLD two up loaded up ridden it to SA via Silverton Broken hill. to name a few places i've Raced it at the track. i've had quite a few different cams in it. it still has stock TC88 flywheels welded up . it's had about 150 runs on a Dyno Jet 250i dyno. what i've seen is a cam change does not increase power that much but it moves where the power comes in.

Just changing the the air cleaner & pipe does not help that much with a cam change, you need to match the compression to the cam to keep cranking pressure up or they are slacker at 2,000rev. my mate got a stack of cams to test to see the difference between them and work out some good combinations for customers. so i got to see the results. some cams you would think would make a lot of difference over a different well known cam only had 1 hp gain. i'm know making any money just telling you the truth.

but if you want some good gains 2,000 to 4,000 from your tC88 it's possible just not from a cam change on its own.

 

Mikuniu 42HSR carb to start, then get an upgraded cam ( gear driven if you intend on keeping it long term) and then ignition module and coil upgrade. The latter may not be necessary if tuned properly, but it will make the motor a lot smoother IMO.

Aunty, why do you say 42 Mik' to start ?
The stock CV with a few cheap tweeks will do the job well for a basic build.
Also a coil and IGN module will likely do zero for this guy who wants torque at 2-4k rpm.
A suitable Cam with the correct compression will do exactly what he wants.
Throw in a little head work, and he has a keeper !
As allways, IMHO .

Yep.. very true speedzter. What you said was also told to me by our local Harley mechanic. I'm going by what the guy who did my upgrade and dynotune said. The Mikuni seems to make my bike a lot more responsive. Cost about $550 for the carb. And true, a coil and ignition won't do much for torque, but should give him a little more HP. I'm just posting based on what was done to my bike. Nothing over the top, but a very strong performing motor with better fuel economy is the result.

Aunty, I do love my Mikuni too, not for power gains, but more for the throttle control it gives you.

Thanks for the replies guys. Im enjoying learning about different upgrades and the results. I know it might sound a bit soft wanting the grunt in my motor to be around 2-4000rpm, especially in a Dyna, but realisically, thats where i ride, and lets face it, pushrod engines dont like to rev like OHC engines (not if you want it to live a long time). Horsepower usually equals revs, but torque is what accellerates a bike, especially a heavy one like a Harley.

If you want to stay low go with Andrews 26's or SE 203's and a tuner

daddyo,
The easiest way to increase the power in your 88" TC is to make it a 95"TC. It is a simple piston change. You take your cylinders off of your bike and have them bored and fitted to a set of 95" pistons. This will gain you 6-7 torque and the same for the hp. While the heads are off have them milled .060" (not sure what the metric equivelent is) and use a .030" head gasket. If you have some extra money put in a set of andrews 37 cams, and if you plan to keep the bike now is a good time to update your camplate and chains to the new HD hydraulic set. It won't make any more power but it will give you peace of mind about those pesky chain tensioners. Ignitions and coils do not make torque, they simply light the fire and are really only needed with more compression and bigger cams. A 2 into 1 exhaust systems are the best bang for making good power with good sound. I like the supertrapp the best. You can actually change the sounds of the mufflers to please your ears or to make the bike run better. Vance and Hines pipes are probably the best looking and sounding pipes on the market but they are the worst for making power, except for the pro pipe. any questions just ask. dsv