| Author | Message | ||
     Chingu |
Howdy! I have a 2001 Blast which had a heart attack around 20k. Compression ring died, beat up the piston and wore a bit of a dip into the cylinder wall. Both need to be replaced. The head appears salvageable... Talking with one of the techs at the local HD shop, he says for his son's Blast he put in an XB9 cylinder and piston... but did no head work. That seems to fly in the face of the conventional wisdom of the archives here (complete XB9 jug/piston/head swap, plus mounting bracket adjustments). Money being what it is, a stock jug/piston is about 250 plus gaskets. A full XB9 swap is going to be around 600 (new), whereas a Rev Performance 515cc full kit is about 640. I'd like to get my bike back on the pavement first and foremost, but the XB9 cylinder/piston path to start and an XB9 head/mount down the road seems like a happy medium. That is, if putting in the the XB9 jug and piston is not going to cause any problems. Thoughts? Sorry if this has been beat to death in the past, but the secondhand story of this seems odd. Thanks for you time! | ||
| Ezblast |
Without the head - won't work - actually have less compression - mis-mashed mixing won't work, since the Blast is already mix-matched to get the low compression it has. If your really cheap but still wan't a deal - Hammer Performance has an Iron 515cc kit they sell - you get what you pay for. The XB set up is the coolest set up, but only with the head, and that's because down the line you can go FI XB style, and that would mean you could use the dash - etc. EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Concur. No XB head=no good! The XB head, piston, cylinder and cams will get you more power, 7500 rpm rev limit, better cooling and just as good mpg as a stock Blast and way more mpg than a Blast making the same power using the Blast head and piston! (and that's without fuel injection!). If you've got the means, go XB! Note: 7500 redline will need a different ignition. Stock XB head is what some sell as "stage 2 lite"! | ||
| Chingu |
Thanks for the quick feedback! I am a relative novice with this stuff, but I am not afraid to get my hands dirty. The HD guy advocated for the compression ratio being better than stock, but in retrospect you really have to look at the whole picture: displacement, compression, valves, cams, ignition... gremlins. The full XB9 swap is tempting... going to take a little more research. Which cams and ignition would you suggest to go with the XB9 setup? Same pushrods & lifters? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Use XB cams or Screamin Eagle 2004 XL cams part#25197-04. They are both the same and are stock XB cams, but the XB cams will need a new timing cup notch made (simple to do) the XL cams will bolt right in. XB9 (MUST BE XB9 piston not XB12. Everything else is the same, but the XB 12 piston is different and wont work) cylinder and jug should cost the same as the Blast cylinder-at least it used too. Twin Tech ignition or Ultima ignition can be used as well as just about any Buell Sportster "nose cone" ignitions with an adjustable or 7500 rpm rev limit. If you get creative, just about any Harley ignition can be used from about 1970 on until they changed to crank fired (mid 2000's). The same pushrods and lifters can be used given the generous amount of 'adjustment' the stock lifters have. In a sense all you'll be doing is bolting on a stock XB top end which will give you the same reliability as stock plus the added ease of using stock parts. In the long run you'll spend less and get more. Just going to an XB piston and head alone will gain you as much or more power than a 515 kit. I used to be one of the few that did the XB top end switch, but now its fairly common so more help and experience is out there to draw from! Its the way the Blast should have come from the factory! PS I'm not sure what the "tech" you talked to did. It certainly wasnt a bolt on affair and maybe he was mistaken on the parts he used. When you see them side by side, it will be easy to see the difference and why it wouldnt/shouldnt work! Its not impossible, but not the best or simplest way! | ||
| Chingu |
Thanks for the feedback! Given how much I like this little bike, I am going to give it the love it needs. To the dark side I go for a complete XB9 top end. Erik, thanks for the part number on the SE cams. I *think* I have my shopping list now (going new), but can anyone help with the XB9 head? Head: 16872-02, but hard to locate. Surdyke has a reference to 16872-07a which is more available. Are there any other part numbers? I think I read that an XB12 has the same head, but I haven't been able to scrounge a part number on my own yet.. Cylinder & Piston: 22710-02a Top End gasket kit: 17059-02B SE Cams: 25197-04, per Erik Going to hold out on the ignition for now... from what I can tell, I can add that in without opening up the crankcase. I have a new oil drive gear on the way already, so will have my hands full of wrenching when all the parts finally get here. Thanks again for your input! This place is a great resource... dealing with the HD inventory is hard enough for a newbie. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
XB12 uses the same head. I can't remember what the difference is between the early and late heads. You could try asking at the XB forum what the difference is between the "02 heads" and the "08 heads". I think the difference is minor, but I just can't remember. You could ask one of our sponsors for a new or used, redone stock head and they should know the difference. But do not get talked into a head that isn't using stock valves and springs. That will defeat the purpose of using readily available stock parts! But they might try and it's a bad deal. Ignition is an external bolt on part to add at any time. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Chingu: PM sent! |
