Print

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

[aclass]

Fortunately it wasn't the SERG and fortunately I was able to pull off within a mile of hearing the noise, but my 2000 Springer suffered a lifter failure this weekend and now I know exactly what everyone is trying to describe when they say "chirping".
The bike has a S&S 106 kit with huge cams so it sounds a bit like a John Deere A on a normal day but I knew rather quickly that something didn't sound exactly right. Then the chirping started and I pulled off and hitched the short ride back home to get the trailer.

After the tear down this morning I found a lifter that had stopped rolling and flat spotted. I'd like to get some experienced advice about replacing the cams since I'm debating to re-install the Red Shift 657's. It looks to me as if the lifter suffered 99% of the damage and is what deposited the microscopic shavings laying in the cam chest but what do you guys think based on the pictures as to how the cam appears to have held up?  I cant feel or see any physical deformation to the lobe but you can see the markings and discoloration.

This bike is ridden less than 5K miles a year but I would like to fix it correctly,  should I re-use the cams or do you think it's prudent to replace them?

[aclass]

Another pic

[mike jesse]

Drop the oil and check for shavings.
If so, it's already been through the engine.
IMO a complete R&R is in order for inspection.

Cam/lifters, oil pump, and bearings at least.

[TorqueInc]

Drop the oil and check for shavings.
If so, it's already been through the engine.
IMO a complete R&R is in order for inspection.

Cam/lifters, oil pump, and bearings at least.

  Agreed

[aclass]

First thing I did was drain the oil and allowed it to drain over a magnet,  very few shavings from the oil pan but the cam chest does have some laying in the bottom.

So you guys are suggesting to pull the heads, cylinders and even bust the cases??

[johnsachs]

Change the cams.
John

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

That one lobe is toast.

[Ridgerunr]

SE/Jims lifters?

[aclass]

I hear ya fellows,  and I appreciate your input.  Reckon I'm cam shopping too.

SE/Jims lifters?

They were HD lifters.  Roller tip stopped rolling.

Funny thing is, and this one is for the oil pundits, but the bike has 45k miles on it and I've ran the regular HD Dino oil since I bought it brand new.  I changed the oil Saturday and decided to put the expensive syn3 in it and 6 miles later it was game over.  I'm not blaming the syn3 at all, but man oh man what a coincidence.

[TorqueInc]

  I would bust it all the way down.....Mobil one MC oil or not and no synthetic

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

I hear ya fellows,  and I appreciate your input.  Reckon I'm cam shopping too.

They were HD lifters.  Roller tip stopped rolling.

Funny thing is, and this one is for the oil pundits, but the bike has 45k miles on it and I've ran the regular HD Dino oil since I bought it brand new.  I changed the oil Saturday and decided to put the expensive syn3 in it and 6 miles later it was game over.  I'm not blaming the syn3 at all, but man oh man what a coincidence.

You caught it in the nick of time before needing to go any deeper.
Take the oil pan off and clean it, new filter/oil, and change it at 100 miles or so, then again at 500 or so.
You should be in good shape.
Scott

[aclass]

You caught it in the nick of time before needing to go any deeper.
Take the oil pan off and clean it, new filter/oil, and change it at 100 miles or so, then again at 500 or so.
You should be in good shape.
Scott

Thanks for the reply Scott,  makes me feel better and is exactly what I was thinking.  Althought I dont have an oil pan on this bike, there are several pipe plugs that will allow me to flush the lowest levels. I was wondering what I should use to flush with?  Diesel fuel? Kerosene?
I filtered the oil from the oil tank through a shop towel last night and was very encouraged to find no fragments.

[UAV Pilot]

Does anyone remember the day when NO engine had roller lifters?  I work on 300 to 3000 hp aircraft engines that do not nor ever will have roller lifters.

[HILLSIDECYCLE.COM]

Does anyone also remember when HD's did not have oil filters?
If I recall, as late as 1979, XL's did not come from the factory with a filter.
Just trivia, as an engine w/o a filter is not destined to have a long life.
Scott

[Ed Ramberger - One_Screamin_Eagle]

From the picture, it doesn't look like  lot of metal left the area of the failure as much as it galled/scored.  Because the failure is on the drain side of the oiling system, the return side of the pump will give you indications if anything significant passed through it.