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[Hobo]

Slow day at work, playing with the camera.

Hobo

[Boatman]

I was going to say to keep your weather Hobo, but it hit and is hitting central Ohio as I type.  More expected for tomorrow.

Regarding the tensioners, I changed to gear drive at 12,000 miles and the shoes had little wear, but when I cut the oil filter apart every 5,000 miles, I kept finding the orange pieces of the shoes in the pleats. 

There is no rhyme or reason why some tensioners last 40K and others less than 20K..  As Don stated, the inside shoe should look a lot worse.

Thanks for the pic's..  Bob

[Ripp]

I had 44,000 miles when I started hearing the noise. I knew what it probably was so I went to my dealership for a second opinion and they told me the same thing. Leave it and don't risk driving home. I did and $1,350 later I had gear driven cams. I hope the thief likes them as much as I did. They found pieces of the tensioner in the oil and not much of the plastic (or nylatron) left on the metal part.   Ripp

[HEADPAN62]

did u get a bike yet Ripp??

[grc]

A couple of things to add to the inspection list before deciding on the type of repair to perform:

1.  Check the condition of the oil pump, many have been scored by debris from disintegrating tensioners, and others have had significant wear at relatively low mileage.  At 30,000 miles the odds of being able to just replace only the tensioner shoes are slim.  At the least I would expect to see a need for a new oil pump, and a thorough cleaning of the cam plate passages, pressure relief valve and bore, etc.

2.  Definitely check crankshaft runout at the pinion shaft before deciding on gear drives.  Excessive runout and gear drives do not mix.

I think you will find that changing to the '07 style hydraulic tensioner system will cost about the same thing as going with gear drives.  If the crank runout is borderline for gears but not enough to do a complete teardown, stick with the chain drive system, either old style or new style.

JMHO - Jerry

[Hobo]

A couple of things to add to the inspection list before deciding on the type of repair to perform:

1.  Check the condition of the oil pump, many have been scored by debris from disintegrating tensioners, and others have had significant wear at relatively low mileage.  At 30,000 miles the odds of being able to just replace only the tensioner shoes are slim.  At the least I would expect to see a need for a new oil pump, and a thorough cleaning of the cam plate passages, pressure relief valve and bore, etc.

2.  Definitely check crankshaft runout at the pinion shaft before deciding on gear drives.  Excessive runout and gear drives do not mix.

I think you will find that changing to the '07 style hydraulic tensioner system will cost about the same thing as going with gear drives.  If the crank runout is borderline for gears but not enough to do a complete teardown, stick with the chain drive system, either old style or new style.

JMHO - Jerry

Jerry, I am planning on putting in a new oil pump and flushing all lines and passages, I actually hadn't thought about crank run out, but we'll check it now!. I believe I am going to use the stock setup with the new style tensoiners. A couple of unexpected expenses are forcing me to be conservitive here. (There's not really a recession right now, just keep saying that). Scooters engine guy lives in Wichita KS and we are going to haul the bike over there on I think March 8th and drink some beer and visit with friends and get the scooter fixed, it'll be a fun road trip. the only way it could be better is if it was 70 degrees and I was ridin!. Thanks for the tips I'll let you know how it works out.

Hobo

[Ripp]

HEADPAD, I was told on Feb. 2 that the bike is built and will be shipped on the 22nd. I asked why a three week wait if it's finished now and was told that's the way they do it. I don't know if they wait until they have several to ship to the same area or what, but we have had snow on the ground almost constant since early December so it's not that bad.
    Can't wait to break it in. We have a trip planned in April to the hill country in Texas for a week. (around San Antonio)

[REGGAB]

Hey Cary,  Man that blows bigtime.  Take a look at this picture.  This is my old oil pump after 18,351 miles.  Pretty much validates what Jerry said.  Tensioners were somewhat chewed, but........nowhere near as bad as your's or other TCs I've seen.  Call me. 

Henry

[Hobo]

Hey Cary,  Man that blows bigtime.  Take a look at this picture.  This is my old oil pump after 18,351 miles.  Pretty much validates what Jerry said.  Tensioners were somewhat chewed, but........nowhere near as bad as your's or other TCs I've seen.  Call me. 

Henry

It will be interesting to see how mine looks compared to the picture of yours, I'll post pictures when we get into it. Scooter and Drew have a Parts list for me and I will be ordering from Chicago H-D at 20% off. Looking forward to our early june trip to the "Great State of Alabama".


Henry, Didn't you say that this was what toasted the motor on your old Ultra?

Hobo

[REGGAB]

It will be interesting to see how mine looks compared to the picture of yours, I'll post pictures when we get into it. Scooter and Drew have a Parts list for me and I will be ordering from Chicago H-D at 20% off. Looking forward to our early june trip to the "Great State of Alabama".


Henry, Didn't you say that this was what toasted the motor on your old Ultra?

Hobo

Didn't "toast" it in the sense of the word's use as a descriptor of terminality, but it certainly made the old Girl inoperative.  I lost oil pressure.  No indication at all.....just a light.  Teardown revealed a wad of "stuff" in the oil pump, which the tech said was "RTV" of all things.  Shoes were chewed....again, not as bad as yours, but a whole side was missing from one of the shoes, which I think was the "stuff" of which the tech spoke.  Not sure.  Didn't see it.  That was with over 20K miles.  17K miles later I had the 95" kit installed.  The tensioners installed from the initial failure were worn.........pretty deep.  That engine loved eating shoes, but it was a VERY strong engine........so much so that it would hand Thumper her ass.......BEFORE she had all her recent engine work done.  Dare I say it.......the old Girl would have given Scooter's bike a good drubbin'.     REALLY wish I'd kept her.  Learned my lesson about tradin' bikes.   

[SPIDERMAN]

Hey Cary,  Man that blows bigtime.  Take a look at this picture.  This is my old oil pump after 18,351 miles.  Pretty much validates what Jerry said.  Tensioners were somewhat chewed, but........nowhere near as bad as your's or other TCs I've seen.  Call me. 

Henry

MJZ's ride "Elvis" got damn near a complete new engine when the tensioners went in it at around 32k. Don't know how your stealers handle it, but at the time SD H-D's policy (or the MoCo's I guess) was if they were worn out but not broken you paid. If they had totally chit the bed and destroyed the oil pump, cams etc, it was covered under the ESP. Needless to say, E went till he broke. When they rebuilt the motor they used the 06 Dyna style hydraulic tensioners which is what all 07's and up have in them.

B B

[CVOJOE]

After talking to some really good wrenches, there is a theory is that there was a different hardness in the timing chain materials between vendors, at least back in 1999-2001. So they say, this causes some tensioners to wear out faster than others and that once torn apart, and you stay with the old style tensioners get the latest revision of the chain installed.

My Road Glide (95") ate the tensioners at around 18K. My SERK got gear driven cams around 15K and one tensioner (rear) was terrible and the other just so-so. There was scouring in the oil pump as well, so did the whole shooting match as far as Feuling pump and Delkron plate along with the gear driven cams. Love the oil pressure and not worrying about those silly tensioners. 

Interested to see how your repairs go and which way you decide to go.

MOPAR'S WITH ICE WHISKERS!!! BRRRRRRR   

Joe

[Talon]

Hey Cary, to convert to the new stlye hydraulic tensioner system, would cost about as much as a gear drive cam setup. You can use your stock pump, with the Bypass Shim, and convert to gear drive with new cams and gears. To convert to the new system, I believe you need the new OP, the camplate and all tensioners, gears and chains. Look at it both ways. You might be surprised.

Hoist!

The newer oil pump is suppose to be a better unit too, more volume and better savaging, from what I've read.

[Hobo]

Finally, leaving at noon today to go to Wichita to get the bike fixed. If all goes well, I'll be back in business tomorrow afternoon. The bike is loaded and ready to go.

HObo

[Hobo]

I've got all necessary parts and fluids.

Hobo