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[sadunbar]

I may jinx myself but I have to agree with you. I always run a fueling pump and fueling lifters and I have had nothing but good luck!

Be Safe

THE DAWG

The low mileage lifter failure you experienced in your 2012 was a 18538-99C "Mexican made" lifter that Doc referenced a few posts back...

[Buckeye_Tuning]

Around here everyone is using Chevy lifters from Comp Cams.  Something like $75 a set.  

Keep them, thats just not smart at all.  A lifter from a chevy IS DIFFERENT than a MOCO lifter, ever since twin cams started.  The cup oiling hole is different.  Go with Gatermans.

Have NOT heard any bad things about the NEW SE lifters, but the ones that came in my 2012 120R sucked big time.  Heat treating on the roller flaked off.

[sadunbar]

Keep them, thats just not smart at all.  A lifter from a chevy IS DIFFERENT than a MOCO lifter, ever since twin cams started.  The cup oiling hole is different.  Go with Gatermans.

Have NOT heard any bad things about the NEW SE lifters, but the ones that came in my 2012 120R sucked big time.  Heat treating on the roller flaked off.

Of course, this was the "old" SE lifter...  I've heard of many instances of this occurring...   

[tennisman]

My 08 lost its lifters at 40,000 miles.  Now at 84,000 miles; still okay.  Lifters were replaced at dealer with ESP.

[North Star]

Thanks for all the input.

I ordered the Gaterman 1023 today, but might switch to the 1021 depending on if my builder is using adjustable pushrods or not.

Great communication with Bill Gaterman by email- he responds real quick. Says the 1021 is the Harley B lifter that he bought up all the surplus from Delphi in 2005. The 1023 is his design.

Don't know why very few vendors sell them, but Bill steered me towards Hotshot Motorworks in Ohio. www.hotshotmotorworks.com/

I ordered from them- very reasonable at approx $150 shipped.

[FlaHeatWave]

It's the same thing that leads to all those warnings to Harley riders about not lugging their roller bearing engines; roller and ball bearings with flat spots don't roll very well, and they don't last very long when they slide rather than roll.
JMHO - Jerry

My dad, the Senior Master Chief Machinist Mate and Journeyman Tool & Die Maker always taught me that lugging a motor is the worst thing you can do, and the second worst is revving up a motor with no load.

The GM at my dealer overseeing my build says the lifters in the '09 SERG are fine and we don't need to replace them even with my open checkbook approach.

When I asked about the SE lifters, my Tech reminded me that they were made by Jim's and told me that they had issues with them.

And my dealer is going to warranty the bike at least for the next 5 years.
They know that once I warm up my bikes up that "It's On"

There is a school of thought that the synthetic oils are sometimes too slippery and allow the the rollers to slide instead of roll, thereby causing flat spots and failure.
I am going back to Dino oil, at least for a while.
I would really appreciate if the Builders and Techs would weigh in on this one.
 

[sadunbar]

It's the same thing that leads to all those warnings to Harley riders about not lugging their roller bearing engines; roller and ball bearings with flat spots don't roll very well, and they don't last very long when they slide rather than roll.
JMHO - Jerry

My dad, the Senior Master Chief Machinist Mate and Journeyman Tool & Die Maker always taught me that lugging a motor is the worst thing you can do, and the second worst is revving up a motor with no load.

The GM at my dealer overseeing my build says the lifters in the '09 SERG are fine and we don't need to replace them even with my open checkbook approach.

And my dealer is going to warranty the bike at least for the next 5 years.
They know that once I warm up my bikes up that "It's On"

There is a school of thought that the synthetic oils are sometimes too slippery and allow the the rollers to slide instead of roll, thereby causing flat spots and failure.
I am going back to Dino oil, at least for a while.I would really appreciate if the Builders and Techs would weigh in on this one.
 

Not to start an oil debate, but that's an old wives tail.  Synthetic oil is superior to dino oil in every way...   

[Twolanerider]

Not to start an oil debate, but that's an old wives tail.  Synthetic oil is superior to dino oil in every way...   

I started pumping gas and working the grease rack at a Texaco station in 1972.  Had to carry a milk crate out to the gas island to reach across and clean the windshields.  Can still remember Century 300 (I think that's right) hitting the shelves next to all the different Havoline cans I had to wipe off and keep shiny every day.  Then remember a couple years later the jobber being all wound up over the first Mobil 1 but being all bitchy about the new Mobil product not coming in a Texaco station.  Then the wive's tales were in full swing.  But before I was old enough to (legally) drive a couple more years after that we knew, even then, they'd become bullchit.  Some stuff just never dies.

[HDGearHead]

I started pumping gas and working the grease rack at a Texaco station in 1972.  Had to carry a milk crate out to the gas island to reach across and clean the windshields.  Can still remember Century 300 (I think that's right) hitting the shelves next to all the different Havoline cans I had to wipe off and keep shiny every day.  Then remember a couple years later the jobber being all wound up over the first Mobil 1 but being all bitchy about the new Mobil product not coming in a Texaco station.  Then the wive's tales were in full swing.  But before I was old enough to (legally) drive a couple more years after that we knew, even then, they'd become bullchit.  Some stuff just never dies.

Back in the good ol days when gas was 36 cents a gallon.... 

[North Star]

Actually, I was afraid to mention it but my guy is saying when he's through with my bike, I should just use Dino oil to ensure proper ring seal. Says HD put the synthetic in as a band aid for a hot running engine.

[Twolanerider]

Back in the good ol days when gas was 36 cents a gallon.... 

Even better.  Cheapest I ever pumped it was at the height of price wars before the 1973 embargo.  It was always in the 20s and one particular Friday afternoon I walked out to the island and changed the pumps for Regular to 19.9.  It was only that way for a few hours until closing but it was there for less than 20 cents a gallon.  Can still vividly remember when prices started going up during and after the embargo and people driving off when it hit 40 and especially when it hit 50 cents a gallon saying there were just "never" going to pay that much for gas. 

If only..... 

[Twolanerider]

Actually, I was afraid to mention it but my guy is saying when he's through with my bike, I should just use Dino oil to ensure proper ring seal. Says HD put the synthetic in as a band aid for a hot running engine.

Even Harley's synthetics pre-dated the current generations of engines with all their heat.  It's true that a significant benefit of synthetic oil is that it tolerates much more heat before breaking down.  Especially for our air cooled engines that's a huge benefit.  Synthetics will seal rings though.  Your guy's advice is... well.... questionable.....

[North Star]

Yeah, I hear ya. I figure I'll run some Brad Penn dino for a few thousand miles for break in and see how hot it runs, then go back to synthetic.

[Twolanerider]

Yeah, I hear ya. I figure I'll run some Brad Penn dino for a few thousand miles for break in and see how hot it runs, then go back to synthetic.

Remember the greater concern isn't how hot it gets normally.  Normally day in and day out we don't push to the thermal limits of a good dino oil.  It's the odd day when traffic backs up and we're stuck somewhere and have to idle or when some other nonsense is happening and we're surprised or caught with no quick escape.  The days we can't plan for.  That's when the synthetic oil saves your butt.  It's not used because it it's necessary on the normal ride to dinner; it's used because it might be necessary when you weren't really planning for it.

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

One of the issues we see with syn oil, is that some is pi$$-thin out of the gate, and while it may do a very good job of protection, it has something to be desired when it comes to lifter hydrology once at full operating temps.(ie valvetrain noise anyone??)
HD service manual will make mention of what viscosity they want, in what ambient temp, and while some scoff at the Moco, they do know a thing or 3.
This is turning into and oil thread rapidly, so........let the beatings begin.............
Scott