TC Tensioner Failure Prevention
#1
TC Tensioner Failure Prevention
New to HD and new to this forum I'm seeking advice. This is likely a dead horse issue and my apologies if its totally beat to death but I learned of the TC 88 cam chain tensioner problems AFTER the purchase of my low mileage and seemingly flawless 2006 Road King. At 7k miles it sounds and runs perfectly and I intend to keep it that way.
I want to order the best replacement tensioner shoes, can you guys tell me what brands to trust?
Replace inner needle bearings. B148 I'm told is the number and is Torrington the best? Should I invest in the bearing tool or is a slide hammer type for removal and freezing the bearing ok to install?
I would replace the shoes every 10 to 20k miles which for me might be every 3rd year. Should I go back with adjustable push rods or can I remove oem without pulling heads?
I ride easy and use fully synthetic at conservative intervals.
Thanks for advice
I want to order the best replacement tensioner shoes, can you guys tell me what brands to trust?
Replace inner needle bearings. B148 I'm told is the number and is Torrington the best? Should I invest in the bearing tool or is a slide hammer type for removal and freezing the bearing ok to install?
I would replace the shoes every 10 to 20k miles which for me might be every 3rd year. Should I go back with adjustable push rods or can I remove oem without pulling heads?
I ride easy and use fully synthetic at conservative intervals.
Thanks for advice
#2
I already have provided my suggestions on tensioner shoes in your last post in another thread. I have removed the inner cam bearings with a blind hole puller that can be rented/borrowed from Auto Zone and/or Advanced Auto and installed the new by tapping them in with an old cam shaft. Freeze the bearing over night, apply assembly lube to the bearing and boss, make sure the bearing is started straight with numbers facing out and tap them in. Or spend $125, or thereabouts for the R/R tool.
Adjustable push rods vs removing heads is a personal call and a simple trade off between cost and time; either way will work. I would pay attention to the rotation of the chains and reinstall them so they are rotating in the same direction. I would also pay attention to the lifters and pushrods and put the lifters back in the same bore they came out of and the pushrods back on the rocker arm they came off of.
Adjustable push rods vs removing heads is a personal call and a simple trade off between cost and time; either way will work. I would pay attention to the rotation of the chains and reinstall them so they are rotating in the same direction. I would also pay attention to the lifters and pushrods and put the lifters back in the same bore they came out of and the pushrods back on the rocker arm they came off of.
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Skofflaw (03-14-2017)
#3
#4
#5
I already have provided my suggestions on tensioner shoes in your last post in another thread. I have removed the inner cam bearings with a blind hole puller that can be rented/borrowed from Auto Zone and/or Advanced Auto and installed the new by tapping them in with an old cam shaft. Freeze the bearing over night, apply assembly lube to the bearing and boss, make sure the bearing is started straight with numbers facing out and tap them in. Or spend $125, or thereabouts for the R/R tool.
Adjustable push rods vs removing heads is a personal call and a simple trade off between cost and time; either way will work. I would pay attention to the rotation of the chains and reinstall them so they are rotating in the same direction. I would also pay attention to the lifters and pushrods and put the lifters back in the same bore they came out of and the pushrods back on the rocker arm they came off of.
Adjustable push rods vs removing heads is a personal call and a simple trade off between cost and time; either way will work. I would pay attention to the rotation of the chains and reinstall them so they are rotating in the same direction. I would also pay attention to the lifters and pushrods and put the lifters back in the same bore they came out of and the pushrods back on the rocker arm they came off of.
#6
I would prefer solid pushrods if I can remove rocker towers. I assume piston up on the compression stroke to relieve tension. But I won't be removing heads. I'm a noob to HD engines as you can tell.
I'll check crank runout while in there. Maybe gear drive cams in the future.
I'll check crank runout while in there. Maybe gear drive cams in the future.
#7
The Cyco shoes work well.
Scott
Scott
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HILLSIDE MOTORCYCLE & MACHINE, INC.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPEED & SERVICE CENTER
5225 SOUTH MAIN ST., MUNNSVILLE, N.Y. 13409
Sales/Support 315-495-6650
www.hillsidecycle.com
Walk-in Retail Showroom
Complete H-D Machine Shop
Case & cylinder boring
Complete Cylinder Head Shop
High-Performance Engine Kits
Crank Rebuilding
Direct Link & PowerVision Tuning
Goodson HD Tooling Manufacturer
Maxton Mile World Record
4500 sq ft. facility
OVER 35 YEARS OF H-D ENGINE BUILDING.
See us on Facebook.
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#9
I suspect that tensioner longevity is really based on heat and how much time the bike sits idling.. Idling puts the most load on the tensioner as the lifters can roll the cam forward loading the spring.. When the tensioner side of the chain slackens, tensioner slaps the chain. Those little bubbles you see in the tensioners are from the tensioner impacting the chain. If there were in the tensioner from the start, you'd see them with a cross section.
I know a guy that got close 60K out of a set of tensioners. He didn't use his bike in town much. I removed a set with 22k on them and they looked like they could have gone 60 easy.. Bike didn't sit in traffic much even thought it was driven to work through town.
Letting the motor get real hot does not help. Plastics all have a temp limit.
I know a guy that got close 60K out of a set of tensioners. He didn't use his bike in town much. I removed a set with 22k on them and they looked like they could have gone 60 easy.. Bike didn't sit in traffic much even thought it was driven to work through town.
Letting the motor get real hot does not help. Plastics all have a temp limit.
#10