Sifton lienweber cams

62980 Views 192 Replies 29 Participants Last post by hugoct, Dec 16, 2014

Jtw79

Discussion Starter · Dec 21, 2011

So I need some educating in cam history. I found a set of Ironhead cams on feebay. They are stamped with SL, the dude says they are Sifton/Lienweber. Any truth to those two producing parts together? Thanks in advance and I apologize if this somewhere on this forum already.

1 - 20 of 193 Posts

xsteinauge

· #2 · Dec 21, 2011

No truth.Lienweber is one company(a good one) and Sifton was another.Please note that the stuff being sold under the Sifton name now is ***** scrap metal from V-twin.That buzzing noise you hear is Tom Sifton spinning in his grave.

choptop37

· #3 · Dec 21, 2011

+1. siftons have the timing stamped on em too, which ,in retrospect, was a badass idea. if want maximum fury when you twist it, lienwebers are the shit.betterhave the restof the motor setup right though.

Nick-O

· #4 · Dec 21, 2011

Agreed, Lienwebber cams are stumpy and proper headwork is advised. Great bang though....in a positive way.

Jtw79

Discussion Starter · #5 · Dec 21, 2011

Thanks again for the info guys. I wish people were more knowledgable about what they are selling. Guess I'll keep searching for the good stuff for my Ironhead.

Monte03

· #6 · Dec 22, 2011

Re: Sifton lienweber cams //Sifton SL

the Sifton SL cam sorry to say is at the bottom of the Performance Chain, they are also known as Sportsman, if you can locate HH or +HH with thier .475 lift, now we are talking turkey... XLR Valves bring out the best when used with these cams..

grynder

· #7 · Dec 22, 2011

Andrews still offers nice cams for Ironheads. I just put a brand new set of V 9's in mine. I had to have my case machined to fit them so if you are gonna go with big cams just know they aren't bolt in. Mine also has XLR valves in it which required some machining to make fit too. Good luck

BCOWANWHEELS

· #8 · Dec 22, 2011

Dont buy the "new" sifton stuff, the old original cams and components are top notch. I have a original sifton 468 in my pan.....

Jtw79

Discussion Starter · #9 · Dec 22, 2011

^ Yeah I hear you on the new stuff. Just waiting to find some good ol' speed parts!

HRC

· #10 · Dec 22, 2011

How do you know you have a Sifton 468 in your Knuckle?? you get this!! You have to clearance the underside with a bit of grinding, maybe welding in order to not crack here...I'll be fixing this early next year

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Rubone

· #11 · Dec 22, 2011

How do you know you have a Sifton 468 in your Knuckle??

The high lift Sifton cam for Knuckles is a 450 and requires the matching notched timing gear. The rockers wont hit the covers if the valve stem length is correct. Not a lot of room to play with though!
Robbie

G

· #12 · Dec 22, 2011 (Edited by Moderator)

I will throw in TWO CENTS here..

The OG Poster was asking about after-market cams for an Ironhead..

Most all manufacturers makes them with the gears made on as a one piece cam...
This is where the Two Cents come in at.

These gears are cut/honed to a red color code...Red is pretty much the Standard size used...It is in the middle of the seven codes made.

Harley (In the later years of Sporty's) was trying there best to get the valve train to run with-out big time noise (Rattle or Whine)...They would mis-match those codes in order to get .000 to .0005 backlash on all 5 fitments.

There are some company's that make only the lobes for the OG gears..
This is a bit of work to make happen being the OG lobes would need to be ground off and the new lobes degreed in and welded on.

To name a few of them is Leineweber, Red Shift..

Andrews will take back a new cam that is theirs as long as it has NOT been run for honing the gear smaller or replacement with a larger gear as the need requires...

Just food for thought here on Performance Sportster Cams...

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Ghostrider69

· #13 · Dec 22, 2011

Dragstews said:
I will throw in TWO CENTS here..

You're advice isn't worth 2 cents.

G

· #14 · Dec 22, 2011

Ghostrider69 said:
You're advice isn't worth 2 cents.

You don't have to listen to many years of "Been there, Done That"

For others, Just may come in handy..

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bruno desmartass

· #15 · Dec 22, 2011 (Edited)

Ghostrider69 said:
You're advice isn't worth 2 cents.

Care to elaborate, or just trolling?

Jimmy the saint

· #16 · Dec 22, 2011

HRC said:
How do you know you have a Sifton 468 in your Knuckle?? you get this!! You have to clearance the underside with a bit of grinding, maybe welding in order to not crack here...I'll be fixing this early next year

Yeah, I seen that movie…. you were lucky, I put a cheap $25 Chet Herbert regrind in the knuckle I had in college….broke the mounting ears for the boxes on the head. We all learn the hard way.

Ghostrider69

· #17 · Dec 22, 2011

bruno desmartass said:
Care to elaborate, Sir Troll?

No troll, first post I know. I just don't want to see any more people get taken by a dishonest person.

bruno desmartass

· #18 · Dec 22, 2011

Ghostrider69 said:
No troll, first post I know. I just don't want to see any more people get taken by a dishonest person.

Again, care to elaborate, or just going to be trollish?

Jtw79

Discussion Starter · #19 · Dec 23, 2011

Why do people post off topic BULLSHIT? I am here to learn from the guys that have made most of the mistakes before so that I don't. Keep the snatch whining to yourself.

Monte03

· #20 · Dec 23, 2011 (Edited)

Jtw79,
More Cam Stuff, and you are correct in that you can learn a ton of useful info from experieced guys, Jesse 'DragStews' is One of them as he Builds Motors, Me- I'm an Ironhead enthusiast and dig hot rod Sportsters..
Jim Leineweber is still in the hi perf business, his cams are known to be kick ass all effort drag cams designed to get as much HP out of a motor, the other side to this that they are a bit hard on the valve train, lifters, etc..
Tom Sifton past away in the 90s, he was Old School and made Hi Quality cams for all types of bikes, back in the Day his KR flathead Racers beat out the Harley Factory bikes so people took notice, in the 60s the Sifton Minus Minus .436 cam was the cam to have, 'long duration' stroker cam - (intake stays open longer) guys still run them but today there are many other choices.. Andrews, Redshift, etc.. in the early 70s Tom Sifton partnered up with a Machinist-Racer Dick Hilferty that carried the thrown and continued to produce quality Sportster Ironhead Cams ( I had HH .475s in my 900 and loved them), Dick Hilferty went on to Design and grind Redshift Cams, from the 1981 Sifton Catolog the Ironhead cams are listed from bottom to top in steps of performance as:
Performance
(Street)
SL Sportsman
+H-- Hustler
B Stinger
HH Scorpion .475 Lift (*Sweet in a 900cc with XLR Valves, 1970 piston)
LL Challenger

Hi Performance (Street and Drag- *Not Drop In Cams)
Minus Minus .436 'Titan Cams'
+HH Boss .475 Lift
'C' Barracuda .480 Lift
510M Big Mama (510 thru 555 more for all effort drag racing)
510A Smoker
555 Eliminator
555 Super Eliminator

Unfortunately the Sifton Name and Patterns were sold and the current cams sold as NEW that carry the Sifton name are suspect as far as Quality so beware..
Keep Learnin and Askin......

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