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[Ridgerunr]

Came out of a 2014 CVO......supposedly. How does one tell a SE from a "C" lifter? The lifters I'm looking at have a smudge of orange or maybe it's pink, paint on the edge.

[grc]

I've never seen any information on an external indicator, so all I can offer is the attached photo (click to enlarge).  If you have a stock "B" or "C" lifter lying around, you should be able to eyeball the roller bearings and see the difference.  Otherwise, I guess you have to trust the MoCo to have put in the correct parts.  That's kind of a scary thought.

Jerry

[Unbalanced]

RidgeRunr

This is a SE Lifter, it came out of a 120r motor.   

I do not have a 14 or 15 SE bike, but in the previous years of the 9 I have owned none came with SE lifters in them

2 x 04
2 x 05
07, 09,  2x 2011 and 2013

I would suspect the newer bikes to come with C lifters as the B's were EOL some time ago.

[prodrag1320]

S&S lifters have long been proven to be the best available.ide just get a set of them

[Ridgerunr]

I know the S&S are very good. With less than 300 miles, I removed the lifters that came in my 2014 CVO Roadking and replaced with S&S Premium. Not knowing that the OE lifters in my 2014 CVO are supposedly better. Hoping Don will chime in as he is testing these. I also have a 2015 Road Glide, stock, but we know those have the dreaded "C" lifters, which are starting to rattle on cold start up with 7000 miles on them. I'm betting the rollers show wear/frosting already. Being this motor is completely stock internally, thinking the SE lifters that came out of the 14' CVO would be suitable for the 15' RG.

[grc]

RidgeRunr

This is a SE Lifter, it came out of a 120r motor.   

I do not have a 14 or 15 SE bike, but in the previous years of the 9 I have owned none came with SE lifters in them

2 x 04
2 x 05
07, 09,  2x 2011 and 2013

I would suspect the newer bikes to come with C lifters as the B's were EOL some time ago.

Harry, the 2013 and later CVO110's come with the "enhanced" lifters in the SE Catalog.  They are not the same thing as the regular SE lifters that have been around for a long time, like those in your photo.  It was Harley's response to all the lifter roller failures in the previous 110 engines, especially 2011/2012 model years.  The difference is what I posted, larger and higher capacity bearings for the rollers.

Jerry

[Unbalanced]

Thanks Jerry, makes sense missed the "enhanced" difference.   

[grc]

Actually "enhanced" should have been "high capacity". 

Anyway, the attachment shows the lifters that became standard in 110's for 2013.  The standard models still have the "C" lifters.

Jerry

[mark]

Hey Jerry, I've seen you post before about the problem lifters used by the MoCo in the 2011 & 2012 CVOs.  Is there a difference in the lifters used in the 2010 CVOs and the 2011/2012s?

[grc]

The  "B" lifters (18538-99B) were used in the 2007 through 2010 model years, then Harley went to the "C" revision level sometime in 2010.  The problems seemed to get worse with the "C" lifters, but that isn't to say that there were no failures earlier, there were.  The "C" lifters also had many more issues with the hydraulics, not just the rollers.  Complaints about leaking down and being slow to pump back up really increased with the "C" version.

The root cause, IMHO, of the roller failures has more to do with the rest of the valve train.  Harley put a cam in the 110's that has very abrupt ramps, heavy valves, and then compounded the issue with very high pressure valve springs.  The combination put more stress on the lifters than previous designs, and obviously the lifters weren't up to the challenge.  I can't remember hearing of this roller issue on the "B" lifters in earlier engines with less radical valve trains, and even the "C" lifters haven't had a major failure history in the non-CVO engines.  Harley still uses the "C" lifters in everything but the CVO110.

Btw, I think the "C" stands for Cheap Crap, but of course I could be mistaken.

Jerry

[uscanuck]

My 2010 Ultra Ltd had C lifters.  One failed at about 5,000 miles which I replaced with a "B" lifter.
I had no idea about the C lifter issue until I replaced all of them at 20,000 miles and all but the replacement B lifter were frosted.

[Ridgerunr]

I agree about the C lifters leaking down, even in the 103" motors with beehive springs in the heads. That's what's going on in my 2015 103", every morning they rattle on start up. A tech has told me he's seen frosting on the rollers and cams with only a few thousand miles. Many riders only put a couple thousand on each year. I just put 3900 miles on in 9 days, most of it at 80-85 mph.....maybe why they rattle LOL. I know I should just get S&S, but hope springs eternal, going to give the SE a try, hope it doesn't bite me in the arse.

[twinotter]

  The frosting of the lifter rollers usually extends to the camshaft faces as well, so replacing both is required to make the system last. IMO, its all part of HD's practice of ignoring the reality while extending their profits (replace anything good with cheap overseas junk). twinotter

[HD Street Performance]

M y 10/2012 built 2013 CVO had -C lifters not the SE part

[Ridgerunr]

M y 10/2012 built 2013 CVO had -C lifters not the SE part

Don have you done any testing on the late model SE lifter?