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Cams

twin cam tc88

Thu, 10/01/2009 - 08:00 — omegarun

i too own a harley, and honestly the first thing i learned was to maintain your own motorcycle. Harleys business plan is to fool everyone once. the guy at the shop behind the counter actually told me "hey there is 30k on that cycle when are you going to turn it in in trade" I humbly asked him i could see the tatoos, the head band, and the out fit, what kind of biker are you that 30k is high mileage? I started riding before i could be licenced. i don't trade bikes in, my bikes get handed down.

HARLEY

Wed, 07/01/2009 - 08:00 — CrazyDave

I've been Riding scoots for a spell of time. I purchased a 2006 Road King for the comfort and reliability. I have owned many of scoots before and all being Harley Davidson.

I am going to put in my $.02 on something that has been aggravating the hell out of me. My 06 has 20,000 miles on her. So far I have replaced so many parts (Not CHROME) but mechanical. My first item that I had to change was the comp sprocket. Reason why, someone at the factory didn't torque it down and she backed out and wore the hell out of the it. Causing the chain to eat a bit of the case and tear the ass out of my stator.

The second item started to whine around 2000 miles. It was the cam chain shoes. Didn't see that coming. I replaced them with factory shoes and got another 4000 miles out of them. Still replacing them as soon as they cry out of the nose cone.

Then there is the problem with the rear swing arm. Had to get a stabilizer to correct the problem of rear steer.

There was also this little problem with the valves. At about 10,000 miles I started to get a little tap sound out of the boxes. I opened her up top notice that the valve guides were worn and the seals. So I R/R those bastards.

After that little procedure I have a little leak blowing on the rear belt. Well I'll be damned, It seems that the Tranny seal wore out cause of the main shaft on the tranny not being true. So I tore down the Tranny replaced main shaft and counter shaft. R/R seal and replace clutch.

I ran it for a bout 5000 miles like that and now I'm back doing cam chain tensioners.

cam tensioner

Sat, 06/27/2009 - 08:00 — jimD

i have a 02 roadking with 62.000 kilometers on it, i change my oil at least every 4.ooo ks amsoil 20-50 and new filter, the last two oil changes i noticed very small orange fibers in my oil filter when i cut it open, harley dealer said it is from cam tensioners and should be changed before they grenade,
also said do cam bearings, cam chains, lifters, and go to new style breathers as they are metal instead of plastic, and whatever other parts are needed to do the job

i agree with the lifters, after the bike sits for a hour or so after a long ride a lifter or 2 bang pretty loud for 30 to 60 sec, also does the same when it is stone cold,and at different speeds the lifters are noisy

anyway the harley dealer where the bike is wants $1400 plus tax to do the job, has not started yet 
 
thanks jim-d

Cam Chain Tensioners

Mon, 03/23/2009 - 08:00 — tonyD

I must ride a freak of a Harley. I have 61K on my 01 Elektera Glide and I finally have to address the cam chain problem for the first time. On a different note. Can the Cam Chain Tension problem cause the bike to totally cut off (as in like it runs out of gas) at very high RPM like 90 mph? I have spoken to several HD techs and 1 said yes but the others said no. The explanation he gave me made sense but I'd like another opinion.

FYI, just changed fuel filter and Spark plugs but that did not help at all.

Thanks,
Tony Davis

Harley

Tue, 07/15/2008 - 08:00 — bob

I have a 2006 Ultra with 29000 miles. While on a trip from Daytona Beach to The west coast the inner cam bearings failed and split the oil pump in pieces. It cost me two thousand dollars to get the bike back to Florida and Harley Davidson won't do anything about it. I am three months out of warranty and they say it is my problem.

Rest assured this is the last Harley I will ever own. They are "JUNK"

Thanks
Bob Williams
Deland Florida

Thanks

Harley Cam Chain Shoe Tensioner 20k Service

Mon, 02/04/2008 - 08:00 — west
cam-chain.jpg

Hello to all,

My background is that I have been riding HD's since the 60's and have a mechanical and technical background from the time my grandfather put a wrench in my hand working on AMC's. I have been a technician in the USAF working on B-52's, KC-135's, C-9's, C-141's, and a host of others. I was also an instructor at the USAF Academy's Parachute Team for many years. Attention to detail was important then as it is now.

After retiring from the USAF I worked at an H-D dealership in Colorado as a Service Writer / Manager of the Technicians. Later moving back to Wisconsin I again worked as a Service Writer and later wanted to get back into wrenching, which I did. I have been through numerous H-D schools and have been an "H-D" technician for a number of years.

Ok enough of that.

What I am going to inform you about if you don't know already is you need to have your Cam Chain Tensioner's looked at in around the 20k time frame. The shoes may become worn to a point that they will actually fall apart and pieces end up in the engine and could possibly ruin it. An important procedure to help alleviate the problem is to change that engine oil often and keep it clean!

If you do have to change out the Shoes, you can upgrade to a new Cam, to make your engine work more efficiently. Also you can just cut the pushrods verses removing the top end and install adjustable rods. That will save some time and money.

Attached are a couple of photos that I took of what can happen.

Knowledge can be good.

West

Gabe's Service Log

Mon, 04/23/2007 - 08:00 — gabor

2000 Road King Classic VIN # 1HD1FRW33YY617896

Accepted Delivery on Thursday November 18, 1999

First Service performed by OCHD on December 7, 1999

2,500 mile service performed on January 13, 2000 oil& filter

Rear Tire Installed on March 22, 2000 with only 4,200 miles on the bike,

5,000 mile service performed on April 3, 2000 oil & filter, primary and transmission fluid change.

7,157 mile service performed on June 1,2000 oil change + filter, plus adjust primary chain.

Clutch Cable replaced at 9,200 miles.

Battery replaced under warranty at 9,300 miles August 22, 2000

10,000, mile service performed on August 26, 2000

Rear tire replaced at 10,000 miles,

Oil leaks repaired under warranty, stater plug was leaking, stater was replaced. Motor mount was replaced, as was the clutch cable (for the 4th time) on Saturday November 18, 2000

Oil Leak, cam cover seal replaced November 30, 2000, clutch cable properly secured to prevent it from rubbing against the motor.

Eight additional drop off visits to dealer to try and determine leak at clutch cable by transmission. After the Cam cover was replaced, it was eventually determined that the plastic cam sensing unit had a hair line crack in it that allowed the oil to leak out and splash onto the transmission.

95" Big Bore Kit installed December 14, 2000 at 11,485 Defective cam bearing were replaced at that time as well. Wolf built that motor! UPPER END NUMBER 2*******************

500 mile oil change and filter December 16, 2000 12,000 miles

Rear tire replaced at 13,300 miles January 24, 2001

Re: [Harleys?] Fw: '05 Heritage Softail

Wed, 07/05/2006 - 08:00 — gabor

Clayton, the majority of "Happy Harley Owners" live back East where their rides hibernate for seven or eight months of the year. Ask any Harley Davidson service manager the weak link in their twin cam motors, they will tell you that the cam chain tensioners is the weak link in their motor design. HD knows that full well and has done nothing to redesign the cam chain drive. The good news is that S&S gas by offering their gear drive. Unfortunately to purchase and have one installed it will cost the owner over one thousand dollars. Clayton, I really enjoy riding my Harley. I have 75,000 miles on my 2000 Road King. It only took five top ends, one bottom end, two starters, three staters. two transmissions, two ECM's and a whole lot of aggravation to get there! Western Warranty has paid over $7,000.00 in extended warranty. My 1999 BMW 1200 LT has 42,000 miles and the only thing that was replaced was theABS sensor!

Gabe

Well, were do I begin!

Wed, 10/05/2005 - 08:00 — gabor

I initially purchased a new 1998 Road King Classic with the infamous "Evolution" engine. Harley in the mid 1990s decided to offer fuel injected versions, I suspect due to EPA requirements. After less than five hundred miles of service the bike would not start and I had to bum start it to take it to the dealer. They thought that I had a malfunctioning battery and they replaced it with a new one. Once I returned home I noticed that there were brown stains all over my shiny white walled tire on the rear. I took it back and was told that it was battery acid and that they would replace the tire, rear rotor and any other parts that were acid stained. They thought that they had fixed the problem but wanted to wait to make certain prior to replacing the tire and other acid stained items. They finally had to call the factory for help and found that one of the wires was reversed right from the factory. That was the beginning of a nightmare for me. I ended up having five (5) upper ends, three stators, two motor mounts, one rear master brake cylinder failure, and at 39,990 miles Harley-Davidson decided to replace the bike with a 2000 year model Road King to avoid a law suite that I had intended to file against them.

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