I'm new here so I apologize if this has been discussed, but after learning about the cam tensioner shoes being plastic, and finding that a gear drive installation is the only way to not have to worry about broken plastic in my motor, I'd like to know if the vibrations (noise) created by a gear drive at higher RPMs can cause trouble with the TC 88 crank as it's supposed to be a 5 piece crank?

 

My personal opinion on this subject is if your serious about updating the cam chest i go with the 2007 and newer style roller chain cam plate setup.

 

Not that simple to just install the gear drive....first and foremost you have to make sure if your crank is true enough for the setup, .003 and below (I would never install gears with anything higher than that).

It's a great mod if you go the gear drive route, everything just spins so freely w/o the chain and tensioners in the front and rear.

 

Welcome to the Forum from Colorado!
You don't say what year your bike is, so it is difficult give advice.
Gear drive cams require less than .003 run-out at the crankshaft to run correctly and quietly. 2000-2003 TC engines have very stout and straight cranks, as the model years get newer, the quality of the crank assembly decreases resulting in increased work and costs to run gear drives.

 

First you must determine whether your crank run out will even allow you to run gears. Gears should be "fitted" or they can be very loud. I agree with the above poster if you really are set on an upgrade. If it was my bike I would start checking them at about 20k miles and expect to replace them every 30k to 50k miles depending on the wear.

 

Thanks guys! Didn't know about the roller set up, looking it up now! It's an 05 TC 88, btw

 

What year is your ride??
2006 and newer already has them.

 

Thanks! It's an 05, and it seems you just verified my fear... Maybe the roller setup is the way to go then

 

Like mine! ...and yes, cam tensioner failure is a thing. Just happened to me! This is my engine rebuild thread...

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/dyna-...r-residue.html

I would recommend going with the '07-up cam chest upgrade, just do a quick search on this forum using part number 25284-11 to get an idea of what to do. Best of luck!

 

Thanks a lot!