My 2006 Street Glide has 50,000 miles on it now and I thought I'd do a cam chain tensioner pad inspection. The cover will not come off! It's like it is glued on. I used a rawhide dead blow and won't even budge.

Any suggestions?

 

Tap on it soft hammer/mallet. If the doesn't work, place sharp edge of a knife blade where the two pieces mate, like on the bottom where you can't see if it were to leave a mark, and give it a light tap with soft hammer. Should pop off.

 

If you have to pry, do it on the outside edge of a screw or bolt hole. The metal will distort there, but the inside edge where there's solid metal will still be level to make a seal. If you pry where there's a plain edge just by the gasket, you'll likely never get it to seal well again.

Tapping with the mallet and maybe a little heat, will usually get it done, with patience and persistence. Unless somebody used a good gasket cement on both sides of the gasket. Boo on them.

 

I agree with the above post about using heat like from a heat gun.

 

I'll try the heat gun and knife edge tonight. I bet you're right. Someone probably didn't want to buy a new gasket so they glued it over the old gasket. Grrrrrrr!

 

My cover had threads in more than one of the bolt holes. Have to look pretty close to see them. I threaded a bolt in one on a corner and used my slide hammer to pull it off. It only took a few light taps and it pulled right off. Prior Dead blow and rubber mallet hits didn't budge it. I love tools.

 

Got the cover off with a steak knife with serrated blade and hammer tap. Came right off with no damage. Didn't use the heat gun.

I have attached a picture of the outside cam chain tensioner pad. Had to use a mirror on the back one to inspect it. Real close to the same wear. I measured the wear at .035" to .040". Not really that bad for 50,000 miles. Specifications call for no more than .090"

Would you change them?

 

FWIW I was about to change the tensioners in my 02. (glad I did not - recently totaled it). After reading some reviews I went with 3rd part units from Solenberg & Smith.

Sent them PayPal. Weeks went by with no reply to multiple emails. PP got involved with no reply. Finally PP escalated and I got refund today. My advice is buyer beware.

 

Paypal is the way to go. I use it a often as I can. I disputed something once and got paid back,

 

The outside tensioner isn't what you need to be looking at. It's the inside one that will do you in. I wouldn't run those shoes any further. I'd replace them with Cyco shoes. It's not the wear you want to watch, it's that they get brittle. When they break, nothing good happens.