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[12cvosoftail]

Hi all,

I just wanted to let you know the lifters failed at 24k miles. I was on my way to WA from TX and they failed about 475 miles into the trip. I turned around and rode home. 950 miles in one day was challenging. I am disappointed that they failed with such little mileage on the bike.

I no longer use the bike for touring, but rather weekend rides only. This way I'm not too far from home if another failure occurs. I'll have  to pick up an import bike for touring 

Happy and safe riding!

[Boatman]

Unfortunately, this is all to familiar with a 110..

[deldago]

You rode it 475 miles home with failed lifters and the engine didn't seize up?

[FlaHeatWave]

Another one of many, my '09 puked a lifter around 21.5k

[Jswerve]

Been there.

[aclass]

Very interesting that you could ride that long on a failed lifter without the thing missing or completely quitting.   Sorry to hear of the troubles.

[mark]

No lifter failure for me yet, but can someone explain exactly what fails on the lifter (i.e., what goes wrong)?

[aclass]

No lifter failure for me yet, but can someone explain exactly what fails on the lifter (i.e., what goes wrong)?

Typically,  the bearings in the roller tip fail causing the roller to stop rolling. Each time the cam lob tries to lifts it against the pressure of the valve spring, the infamous "chirp" occurs and subsequent slow explosion of metal shavings.

[JKM]

I can believe that anyone on this board has not changed out their lifters.  I changed mine on my 2008 SERK at about 7K miles in order to avoid potential troubles.  why do we keep hearing about members who seem to think they can take the risk and wait for the lifter to fail before replacing.  I just don't get it.

[DICKW]

I can believe that anyone on this board has not changed out their lifters.  I changed mine on my 2008 SERK at about 7K miles in order to avoid potential troubles.  why do we keep hearing about members who seem to think they can take the risk and wait for the lifter to fail before replacing.  I just don't get it.

Many members have, some haven't.

[lowflight]

I am assuming that your bike is 2012?

Has anyone heard of failures with the 13 bearings or lifters? I haven't heard of any yet and am hopeful that the change has fixed this on going problem.

[ice6900]

50k miles with a 2007 110B,   if it aint broken dont fix it!

[HD Street Performance]

I intend to fix mine (13 CVO RK) and with all the clatter in my opinion it is broken even though the parts may not have actually failed yet. heads will be coming off, valve springs changed, lighter weight valves and very different lifters from the OEM.

[lowflight]

I intend to fix mine (13 CVO RK) and with all the clatter in my opinion it is broken even though the parts may not have actually failed yet. heads will be coming off, valve springs changed, lighter weight valves and very different lifters from the OEM.

I agree with you and see that at some point in my future as well. BUT I am hopeful that bearing changes in 13 have done the trick to stop the failures.

[T-Roy]

I agree with you and see that at some point in my future as well. BUT I am hopeful that bearing changes in 13 have done the trick to stop the failures.

I am hoping the same thing. So far so good on the "13 SERK. I have right at 21,000 miles now. However i have a trip to Sturgis planned next year so I may consider doing something before that long trip. After all I have been contemplating new cams anyway

[mark]

I can believe that anyone on this board has not changed out their lifters.  I changed mine on my 2008 SERK at about 7K miles in order to avoid potential troubles.  why do we keep hearing about members who seem to think they can take the risk and wait for the lifter to fail before replacing.  I just don't get it.

If you start replacing all the things that have gone wrong with the CVO 110, you'd never get the bike out of the shop (lifters, valves, valve seats, compensator, wheel weights, stator, iPod connectors, iPod, radio units, Dunlop tires, seat stitching, chrome, radiator, crankshaft, floating rotors, clutch, flaking engine power coating, etc.  I'm sure I forgot some.

[Royalroadie]

Does anybody know what is causing this lifter issue.  Is it too much pressure from the springs. Or could it be caused by too much heat in the heads or a combination of the two. I thought I would ask.

[HD Street Performance]

I think its fair to say not one component is the "cause". It is the whole assembly that is wreaking havoc on the lifters. The lifters just act as the fuse that blows.

[willyB]

2011 at 22,000 miles.

Picture of almost failed lifter.

[willyB]

What that same lifter was doing to the cam.

[grc]

Does anybody know what is causing this lifter issue.  Is it too much pressure from the springs. Or could it be caused by too much heat in the heads or a combination of the two. I thought I would ask.

I'm willing to bet it is mostly a result of cost cutting by the wizards in Milwaukee, combined with a severe lack of engineering talent.

Cheap parts, poorly matched in a system, rarely result in great outcomes.

Jerry

[Dan_Lockwood]

Let's assume I want to replace my lifters on my '09 SERG with 13k miles.

So I know that if don't want to pull the tank and rocker boxes, I can just snip the push rods and replace them with adjustable ones from many different manufacturers.

As long as I'm in the general area I swap out for maybe a 54 cam at the same time.

Do I "need" to do anything else other than swap cams, or do I "need" to do inner bearings etc as well?

I've posted on other threads about the sewing machine rattles from around 2200 up through around 3500 and most have said that new lifters and a new cam will probably lessen the noise considerably.

So can I "just" swap out the cam and lifters with new push rods?

Thanks.

[willyB]

Yes on the cam bearings. You're in there and they're cheap anyway.

Hmmmmm, pull the heads and get them ported? It's just money

[HD Street Performance]

If it were mine I would replace the inner cam bearings with the Timken full compliment replacements

[sadunbar]

Let's assume I want to replace my lifters on my '09 SERG with 13k miles.

So I know that if don't want to pull the tank and rocker boxes, I can just snip the push rods and replace them with adjustable ones from many different manufacturers.  Yes...

As long as I'm in the general area I swap out for maybe a 54 cam at the same time.  You could, but it's a lot more work than just replacing lifters.  You would have to remove the exhaust and take the cam chest apart, as well as need specialty tools to replace cams.  Just replacing lifters can be easily done without entering the cam chest. 

Do I "need" to do anything else other than swap cams, or do I "need" to do inner bearings etc as well?  If you are replacing the cams, it would be foolish to not also upgrade the inner cam bearings to full compliment inner bearings.  They are relatively cheap, the process is simple and you're already there...

I've posted on other threads about the sewing machine rattles from around 2200 up through around 3500 and most have said that new lifters and a new cam will probably lessen the noise considerably.  I wouldn't count on that happening... I don't think the rattle you are describing is solely related to lifters and cam choice.

So can I "just" swap out the cam and lifters with new push rods?  Sure...  A long afternoon with basic hand tools and a few specialty tools...

Thanks.

[CannonBall]

Might as well swap out the springs too...

Sounds look a good time to beef up the bottom end too..

Maybe 113"?

[harleyguynv]

Let's assume I want to replace my lifters on my '09 SERG with 13k miles.

So I know that if don't want to pull the tank and rocker boxes, I can just snip the push rods and replace them with adjustable ones from many different manufacturers.

As long as I'm in the general area I swap out for maybe a 54 cam at the same time


I've posted on other threads about the sewing machine rattles from around 2200 up through around 3500 and most have said that new lifters and a new cam will probably lessen the noise considerably.

So can I "just" swap out the cam and lifters with new push rods?

Thanks.

I would not just bolt in a 54. I tried it and had a significant tq/hp loss. I believe you need to change the head gaskets to bring the compression up to make it work right. I would just put a set of S&S lifters w/ adjustable push rods and call it a day.

[ltank]

I have have over 45,000 miles on my original S&S lifters. Still work fine. No not so funny noises! S&S 585 cam.

[Dan_Lockwood]

Thanks everyone for the comments and advice.

It's just something I was thinking about doing this winter.

Have a great week while I'm stuck out here in beautiful Victorville CA doing a new line startup for a customer of ours...   

[Jswerve]

Thanks everyone for the comments and advice.

It's just something I was thinking about doing this winter.

Have a great week while I'm stuck out here in beautiful Victorville CA doing a new line startup for a customer of ours...   

Victorville? Haha! When I was in the Army we would fly into that dump and then bus to Fort Irwin.

[Dan_Lockwood]

Victorville? Haha! When I was in the Army we would fly into that dump and then bus to Fort Irwin.

The plant I'm working at is right near a big air base used now it looks like for jet refurbishing, its a huge air field. This is on the northwest end of Victorville.

It is great weather though, mid 80's and sunny.

[Twolanerider]

The plant I'm working at is right near a big air base used now it looks like for jet refurbishing, its a huge air field. This is on the northwest end of Victorville.

It is great weather though, mid 80's and sunny.

Sounds like the old George Air Force Base.  Closed as an Air Force facility by one of the several "Realignment Commissions" back in the early 90s.  Last I hear it had gone to Air National Guard flights and drone use.  What kind of refurb work you seeing?

[mark]

Let's assume I want to replace my lifters on my '09 SERG with 13k miles.

So I know that if don't want to pull the tank and rocker boxes, I can just snip the push rods and replace them with adjustable ones from many different manufacturers.

As long as I'm in the general area I swap out for maybe a 54 cam at the same time.

Do I "need" to do anything else other than swap cams, or do I "need" to do inner bearings etc as well?

I've posted on other threads about the sewing machine rattles from around 2200 up through around 3500 and most have said that new lifters and a new cam will probably lessen the noise considerably.

So can I "just" swap out the cam and lifters with new push rods?

Thanks.

J&P Cycle has a good Youtube video that's about an hour long on how to swap out your cam, install  adjustable pushrods, etc.  It's a very good tutorial.

[Dan_Lockwood]

Thanks, I'm dead in the water out here in beautiful Victorville CA without anything to do.  I am going to Santa Monica to Morgan West tomorrow, but other than that, watching YouTube videos may be the highlight of my weekend.