| Author | Message | ||
     Zuum |
Heres the deals gentlemen. I have a 2008 XB engine, I need to convert to carb. The part that is holding me back is the right side cover. 2008's use a crank sensor at the front of the case to fire the ignition. Through a bit of research I have found that the 04-07 XB uses the same right side cover gasket... is it possible to simply swap over the right side cover and use an aftermarket ignition? | ||
| Al_lighton |
First, I think your info is wrong, I seriously doubt that the right side gasket is the same. I haven't looked at the part numbers, but I don't see any way it could be the same part number, let alone the same shape. But beyond that, there are lots of other reasons why what you are describing won't work. There is a lot more different than just the ignition pickup. The entire oil pump setup is different, the cams are different, the journals are different, etc. There is no way to bolt an older right side cover on an 08+ engine. I suppose it'd be possible to convert to carb while still keeping the ignition pickup on the crank. I sure wouldn't want to do it though. | ||
| Zuum |
Heres a photo for comparison. Despite the slightly different angle of the 2 covers, you should be able to easily see that they would use the same gasket. I highlighted the bolts that actually hold the cover on the motor to make it easy on you.  | ||
| Al_lighton |
I've confirmed that you are actually correct, that gasket IS the same. I guess that doesn't surprise me after all, for I'm sure was a design requirement on the new cover to minimize the changes to the right side crankcase half casting. There's a good chance that the cams are in the same locations as well for the same reason. But beyond that, there are a BUNCH of reasons why you can't easily do what you're looking to do. The 08 cams are hollow, running in parent material pressure fed journals, where the 03-07 cams are running in the same type splash lube brass bushing journals that sportsters have used for years. The 08+ oil pump is part of the right side cover(s), driven directly off the end of the 3/4 cams, where the old oil pump mounted vertically to the bottom of the right side crankcase. If you tried to put an old style right side cover on it, you would need to, at minimum, replace the cams, machine the journals for the bushings, and machine the bottom of the crankcase for the oil pump mounts. It would be a HUGE step backwards. The 08 oil pump is one of the big quantum jump improvements over the old design, which was the achilles heel of the sportster based engine for years. Al | ||
| Zuum |
Thanks Al. Much better answer! Too bad really... I have found another way around putting this motor into a tube frame chassis though...  | ||
| Jconnors |
So... I suppose the same would hold true for the opposite proposition...(?) I get the 08-10 converting to 03-07 cover being a prob. *But what about updating an older XB w/ final XB cover? +Oil pump/ignition aside, would the cams present an fitment issue? |
