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[The Mysterious Q!]

Is there any preventative maintenence on the tensioner,seeing that it seems such a problem.Is it something that could be changed now to alleviate the possibility of failure.I have a 02 purple people eater SERK with around 6000 miles.Also was thinking of going with a chrome inner primary ,so I figured might as well upgrade it if I was already in there. Also I am going with 12" apes and want to know if i have to lengthen the harness to accomodate.Any response will much be appreciated. thanks Q

[Willie D]

Read more about it here.

http://flhrsei.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1128032274

[naitram]

i went with 10" apes and all wiring was long enough 12" may be pushing it. you will also be lookign at new clutch throttel and front brake lines for that setup

click here for some pics of the work
http://flhrsei.org/gallery/project_spring_05

[The Mysterious Q!]

So I should go to a gear drive ? Does that suck away power? Or just maintain the shoes regularly. Is this something a backyard wrench can do? Also Naitram seeing that youre east coast ,lets try to plan some sort of meet and greet ride of all us CVO riders on the good coast. Let me know i will help plan it. Thanks for all the info. Q

[naitram]

where on the east coast are you?

[The Mysterious Q!]

I'm on the Connecticut shore. Clinton to be exact between New Haven and New london,hows about you?

[naitram]

in marlborough MA just outside worcester. we're about 90 minutes apart

[BLM777]

Let me really confuse the issue.  Yup, HD acknowledges that there is a problem with the tensioners.  Problem is, NO ONE can put a number on the amount of miles that corresponds to the failure.  Speaking from personal experience, I recently looked at an '05 SE Fatboy with 10k that had completely disinigrated "shoes" with all the inherent damage.  Yesterday, I looked at an '04 SEEG with 37k that was opened up for a cam change to a 251.  It had no real visible wear, pitting or fragmentation.  Go figure.  My suggestion is to go to gear drive cams, accept the 3-5 free HP increase, skip all the mental gymnastics and go ridin'.

[Twolanerider]

 My suggestion is to go to gear drive cams, accept the 3-5 free HP increase, skip all the mental gymnastics and go ridin'.

Logic, whodathunkit around here ?

[SPIDERMAN]

I stopped by Cycle Visions here in Dago a couple days ago.They had a display with the chain driven cams and a gear driven set side by side. Counter guy is someone I trust so I'll go with this. Turning the gear drive side was less than 1/2 the effort of the chain.  No doubt in my mind that you gotta gain at least 3 - 5 hp out of this and I have to wonder what all the drag does to the rest of the motor in terms of wear factor. So, as with all aftermarket ideas which look to be superior to the MoCo's original design. I ask myself - - - what's the hitch ? You know like the whole internal belt drive thing in the Shovelhead and EVO Sturgis models.So all you naysayers out there let me hear why gear driven cams Are Not a good idea.

[spydglide]

Time & Money & Noise.    spyder

[don]

It would probley kill the warranty, if something went hay wire, a little noiser. But in the long run it just may stay together longer to see that 100000 mile mark.

[hd-dude]

Spiderman;
I think the only negative would be warranty. A properly installed gear setup should not be much louder than stock.

[The Mysterious Q!]

How much money you think we are talking here ,to change to gear driven cams. Also has anyone on here done this,so as not to hypotnise this issue.Thanks for all the input.

[grc]

I stopped by Cycle Visions here in Dago a couple days ago.They had a display with the chain driven cams and a gear driven set side by side. Counter guy is someone I trust so I'll go with this. Turning the gear drive side was less than 1/2 the effort of the chain.  No doubt in my mind that you gotta gain at least 3 - 5 hp out of this and I have to wonder what all the drag does to the rest of the motor in terms of wear factor. So, as with all aftermarket ideas which look to be superior to the MoCo's original design. I ask myself - - - what's the hitch ? You know like the whole internal belt drive thing in the Shovelhead and EVO Sturgis models.So all you naysayers out there let me hear why gear driven cams Are Not a good idea.

Another reason the gear drive cams give you some free power is that the cam timing stays spot-on.  The chain setup allows several degrees of variation due to the valve springs overriding the tensioner springs, and the sloppy fit of the gear to the cam.  There have been a few articles detailing this in the various mags, with as much as a 4 degree variation reported.  The only down side to installing the gear drive that I can see is the cost.  The lowest cost I've seen for cams with the gear drive was at Wallys Cycle World, $539.  That does not include new pushrods and tubes, gaskets, and labor.  Of course, that is cheap compared to rebuilding an engine that fails due to the tensioners.  

Jerry