Ok guys and gals, I have a 99 Wide Glide with an 88 ci and stage I upgrade. It has 18000 miles on it and I'm concerned about the cam chain tensioners. Rather than have them checked, which is not a part of the HD check list, I've decided to go with the gear drives and new cams.

Can anyone recommend which gear drive and which cams to go with, and can I expect any increase in performance with new cams? I do not want to give up durability in place of performance, but it would seem reasonable that with the right cams, I could get some increase.

Also, what is a reasonable price to expect to pay for the gears, cams, adjustable push rods and labor for this upgrade? I recently spoke with a rep. from one of the aftermarket parts suppliers and he said I could do the whole job, labor and all for $800.

I'm wide open for suggestions as I haven't a clue which way to go on this.

thanks,

Ray

 

I may be wrong, but I believe S&S still makes the gear drives for their cams and everyone else's. So that's your choice and it's a good one. As for cams, I'll bet Andrews has at least 50% of the market for Harleys, and for good reason, in my opinion, but any reputable company, Comp, Crane, etc. would be a good choice.
All aftermarket cams will increase performance at some level, but only the mildest grinds offerred will preserve the low end power and fuel mileage of an otherwise stock engine. The shorter duration cams will be better than the factory cams across virtually the entire rpm range, while the longer duration cams increase power mostly above 3000 rpm. Many cams that are highly recommended on message boards are really meant for drag racing, which is fine if that's the way you ride, constantly on the throttle. Durability will be affected with this type of cam. Not all companies make cams that work well below 3000 rpm. (By the way, 3000 rpm is around 70mph in top gear) S&S cams are all 3000rpm-plus cams, last I looked anyway.
$800 including labor sounds like a pretty good price to me.

 

You can replace the tensioners several times for 800 bucks. Mine made it to 51K miles so how big a problem is it? I think they should be checked at 25-30K and if they need to be replaced you are looking at 50-60 bucks in parts. my .02 cents.

 

Yes you can exspect an increase in HP and TQ. $800.00 dollars don't seem to be to bad of a deal. I had S&S gear drive cams installed with the S&S 510G cams, and adjustable push rods, along with a Dyno tune for $1000.00 and went from 59HP & 70TQ to 74HP & 84TQ. It was worth every dollar.

 

I paid $500 for the cams and gears, gaskets etc. S&S 510G in the box, so $800. done sounds good.

 

$800 is a good deal. I paid $1000 to have SS-510 gear driven cams installed last year (parts, labor and tax).
I think the gear drive is a good modification. I had 27k on my bike when I swapped cams. The front tensioner looked okay, but the rear tensioner was pretty well worn. I think you are on borrowed time after 30k with the chain driven cam tensioners.

 

So everyone that has them is happy w/the 510g cams? What about the 26g, any feedback on these, & what's the real world difference in the two grinds?

thanks,

VicW.

 

After sweating this issue with the cam tensioners, I agree with your statement. I visited with wrenches here on the forums as well as in various Independent shops, and unless you put on 20K a year, it makes more sense to me to check and replace when needed. If riden decent you should easily get 30K plus on the tensioners from all I talked with. Makes economical sense for me to wait. My .02 as well.

 

But I'm hearing horror stories about serious engine damage if the tensioners fail while riding. Also hearing of folks getting stuck on the side of the road in the middle of bumf$%#. I put about 10 - 12K miles / year.

Also, how difficult is it to check the tensioners?

Ray

 

Checking the outter one is farily easy. Checking the inner, takes a llittle more time and is more tricky, in that you have to get the oil pump aligned properly.

For what it's worth... I am installing gear drive Andrews 37's in mine now ~ just waiting for them to arrive. I had gear drive cams in my last bike too. THe previous two HD's had chain drived in them as long as I had them. Going forward, for me, gear drive cams are "standard issue"..... Again, that's just me. If you are handy and can install them yourself, you could install 510's for right at $500 total. Cams form anyone other than S&S are a bit more expensive, beacuse you still have to buy the gear sets from S&S + cams. S&S sells kits cheaper than you can peice them together from other vendors.

Slightly better performance and tremendously better reliability make it more than worth the $$$'s....