OK lets set this straight -- the correct way to insure the bushing ream is on center with the camshaft and the pinion < this is what we are really talking about

you need the empty right engine case in your hands - boy that sucks dont it

the proper use of the tools / is using the right case as your center for the bolt on cam cover so the cover ends up straight to the right side case half - think about that

harleys machines that make the parts are different from one another and are completely different machines run at different times of the year with different wear factors and precision centers -- sooo if you look at the cover off any OEM motor you will see the wear is uneven ((( does it really matter NO )))) -- in a restoration shop that starts with a bike in the skilyon of pieces we then have the ability to set all the locations with the correct tooling for everything - it is cool to be able to do it that way trust me, but its not practical for a rider you take out for the day - its also the reason harley has 7 or 8 different pinion gears and 6 or 7 different cam gears for the same motor combo / no one else was that sloppy with the machining // indian has one pinion gear and the pair of cam gears for the chief from 1933 to 1953 never a click and never whine go figure

 

Not as much as the price some shops wanted to do it.

I discovered a number have a "minimum rate" when it comes to working on the bottom end and it's up to $1,000, which is why I did that myself.

I mean, fair enough, It's a lot of hours, hassle and liability if you have to complete strip down and rebuild a dirty old tourer. And you're going to find other nasty stuff going on in there when you do.

Even good shops find it hard to be able to care/afford as much as an owner/assembler might. Besides which ... it was time to clean it properly!

Thank god they normally last, what, 100,000? I'd like to put it back together right, as a 100,000 mile engine.

 

Tell the shop to make it right.

Let them know you checked here and everyone says "it ain't right" if they give you a hard time.

Let them know you have not mentioned the name of the shop yet, but you could...

 

I agree. That shop has no idea what they are doing. Who did it?

 

 

I would love to have that guys shop!!!!!!!!!!!
Granted I wouldn't know what to do with most of it but it would be fun learning!!!

 

I have watched a bunch of his videos, its really cool...

 

Are y'all saying that if a cam cover needs to be replaced that the right engine case must be used to size and I guess align the bushing???

Say as in an accident damage or something?

WP

 

Yes, that's the proper way to do it.

Second best is to use another right hand side crank case, which some shops might keep to do just that and saving a small fortune, but it won't do quite as accurate a job.

Thanks for all the support guys, sometimes they try and blindside with a load of BS. Information is power.

In fairness, I'll hold off bad mouthing the shop until I give him a chance to sort it out. Everyone has a bad day.

I'm going to give him the option of totally refunding all my expenses ... or else tell him I'll stick it on the engine, and then sue him for a brand new engine!

The oil feed line that runs through the cam cover feeds the cam bushing and then the crank and big ends. It would not take long to kill an engine by not having one. How anyone missed that, I have no idea.

 

This....