Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[joker1450]

FLHT '02 50.000 Km

this is my rear cam tensioner and the bearing that are "cooking"















 

[JCZ]

With the big chunks of material missing out of the cam chain tensioner, you might want to look at your oil pump, too.  Probably not going to be good.

And let me guess...........the front cam chain tensioner looked normal? [smiley=nixweiss.gif]

[John S]

I would stop screwing around with that technology and go with a gear drive setup.  Granted it is a lot of money (new cams because of reverse direction) but the reliability and accuracy of the timing is far better.  I am not sure if you have ever stopped by the S&S booth somewhere but they traditionally have a hand turned demonstration between a gear driven setup and a stock tensioner.  It is quite dramatic and it sold me.  But, as I said, money has to be spent.

The funny thing too is that I have a "B" (ballanced) motor and the same deal is with the chain for the counter balancers on the opposite side.  Now if someone could come up with a more reliable system to replace that horsepower is to be made there as well.

Friction uses power and these two tensioners have a lot of friction between them!!

 

[The Mysterious Q!]

With all this talk on tensioners I will be biting the bullet and going gear.

[nidan]

I've seen a number of these , as well as heard too many stories of failures.

I'm going with gear drive on my 95 build .  It's unfortunate that the MoCo switched away from gear drives that were used on the Evo's

[Ed Ramberger - One_Screamin_Eagle]

FLHT '02 50.000 Km

this is my rear cam tensioner and the bearing that are "cooking"



 

I don't see anything "cooking"  I see a worn tensioner that appears by the marks on the side to have been pried up with a screwdriver or pliers and some bearings that were removed from the cam plate and cases.  The wear that you picture looks just like every other worn tensioner.  In fact, your picture matches the picture of the one in the service manual saying to replace it.  As for the posts on chunks and oil pumps, I don't see any chunks missing.  If the tensioner had broken, then I would look for chunks.  

[JCZ]

I don't see anything "cooking"  I see a worn tensioner that appears by the marks on the side to have been pried up with a screwdriver or pliers and some bearings that were removed from the cam plate and cases.  The wear that you picture looks just like every other worn tensioner.  In fact, your picture matches the picture of the one in the service manual saying to replace it.  As for the posts on chunks and oil pumps, I don't see any chunks missing.  If the tensioner had broken, then I would look for chunks.  

I've saw several "worn" cam chain tensioners and they do not all look like those pictured above.  Some are just worn smooth but no divets (looks like little chunks missing).  

hd-dude (a regualr contributer to this site) recently showed me some that he removed.  While the front one looks fairly normal, it was the rear tensioner that looked simular to the photos above and the oil pump was scored as a result of the little "chunks" floating around in there.....I saw it first hand......and that was a low milage bike (seems like it was 5 or 6k miles).

[HUBBARD]

Yeah, 'er 'uh, joker1450,
  Are you using HD 20W/50, or synthetic?  Please advise.  Later--HUBBARD

[joker1450]

For the first two year I have used the HD mineral oil, nou ONLY Mobil 1 Racing 15-50.

[DavidB]

Yeah, 'er 'uh, joker1450,
  Are you using HD 20W/50, or synthetic?  Please advise.  Later--HUBBARD

Hubbard ,
  I just did a 95 CI on my 05 Ultra and swapped to a GearDrive System. The motor has 11,000 miles on it and has always run 20w50 Harley Syn.
The shoe with the chunks out of it is the outside shoe.
Im just waiting on some tools from Georges Garage on Ebay to finish the job and see if this thing will run now.

[HUBBARD]

Hubbard ,
  I just did a 95 CI on my 05 Ultra and swapped to a GearDrive System. The motor has 11,000 miles on it and has always run 20w50 Harley Syn.
The shoe with the chunks out of it is the outside shoe.
Im just waiting on some tools from Georges Garage on Ebay to finish the job and see if this thing will run now.

Yeah, 'er 'uh, DavidB,
  Took Ol' Maudie down to Tilley's, Thursday, to have the cam shoes inspected, and valve springs replaced.  [smiley=xyxthumbs.gif] I'm curious as to what kind of shape mine are in.  [smiley=nixweiss.gif] I've shown that Motor no mercy, and it has been trouble free.  Just doing some PM.  If they are damaged, I may replace with gear driven cams.  I used HD 20W/50 for break in period, and have had Synthetic in it since.  Somewhere around 8500-9000 miles since I had it built to a 120".  Later--HUBBARD  

[hd-dude]

Yeah, 'er 'uh, DavidB,
  Took Ol' Maudie down to Tilley's, Thursday, to have the cam shoes inspected, and valve springs replaced.  [smiley=xyxthumbs.gif] I'm curious as to what kind of shape mine are in.  [smiley=nixweiss.gif] I've shown that Motor no mercy, and it has been trouble free.  Just doing some PM.  If they are damaged, I may replace with gear driven cams.  I used HD 20W/50 for break in period, and have had Synthetic in it since.  Somewhere around 8500-9000 miles since I had it built to a 120".  Later--HUBBARD  

Hey Hub, I'm shocked to know that you did not have gears put in her when she was built up. What cams did you use and why? just curious [smiley=nixweiss.gif]

[DavidB]

Yeah, 'er 'uh, DavidB,
  Took Ol' Maudie down to Tilley's, Thursday, to have the cam shoes inspected, and valve springs replaced.  [smiley=xyxthumbs.gif] I'm curious as to what kind of shape mine are in.  [smiley=nixweiss.gif] I've shown that Motor no mercy, and it has been trouble free.  Just doing some PM.  If they are damaged, I may replace with gear driven cams.  I used HD 20W/50 for break in period, and have had Synthetic in it since.  Somewhere around 8500-9000 miles since I had it built to a 120".  Later--HUBBARD  

I rode from Seattle back to the Nc with Don this year on the Petty Charity Ride. He is one heck of a LD Rider.
Ask him about the fog the rain and the free range cows on the Big Horn Mountains.
Dave

[BLM777]

I don't see anything "cooking"  I see a worn tensioner that appears by the marks on the side to have been pried up with a screwdriver or pliers and some bearings that were removed from the cam plate and cases.  The wear that you picture looks just like every other worn tensioner.  In fact, your picture matches the picture of the one in the service manual saying to replace it.  As for the posts on chunks and oil pumps, I don't see any chunks missing.  If the tensioner had broken, then I would look for chunks.  

A chunk or not a chunk?  The little round BB shaped "divots" in the shoe are the ones that quietly cause the oil pump and related problems.  Out of the many, many that I have seen, I've never seen a "broken" shoe that actually threw large chunks of material, but have seen plenty with as little as 5k that have galled the bearings (as shown in the prior pics) and have ended up causing the oil pump to go unexpectedly "south" causing extensive damage.  If your shoes are wearing, the quickest way to check without tearing down is to cut your oil filter and spread the folds for inspection.  If you see any of the brown "chunks" and or "divots" your shoes are about to become a very expensive repair.

[HUBBARD]

Hey Hub, I'm shocked to know that you did not have gears put in her when she was built up. What cams did you use and why? just curious [smiley=nixweiss.gif]

Yeah, 'er 'uh, hd-dude,
  SE-260's, as per Don Tilley.  At the time he built my Engine, he was not all that impressed with Gear Drive cams.  He knows I like top end speed, and these cams performed well.  Ain't seen nobodys tail lights, yet!  [smiley=huepfenlol2.gif] Later--HUBBARD