Alright everyone, firstly please notice my post count is low, and I am desperate.

I was gifted these awesome S&S MR103 cams for my 2014 FXDB. The cam set came with S&S Lifters (aka Tappets?) as well as Fuelmoto Adjustable Pushrods.

I studied and studied and studied the Cam swap installation. Watched everyone video on youtube, read guides, did it all. I even wrote myself a check list when going through this job.
The first complete install, my bike would not start. It's trying to fire, but it wheezes out of the air intake, and then coughs, then the end.
Upon doing more research, most of the cam issues revolve around timing of the cams to the crank.
I swear and I promise I have been into the cam chest 3 times over the past 2 weeks, and the timing is correct.

I have the cams dot to dot, NOT A TOOTH OFF. I've stared at those dots for literally an hour, and even compared them to the stock cams. There is no way I screwed up the cam timing.
Now, I install the cams into the cam plate, install the cam plate into the chest. Install the cam plate screws, torque them all down. Good to go. I see the front faces of the cams, THEY ARE STILL IN TIME DOT TO DOT.

Ok, so when the cams are in time within the cam plate, the REAR CAM has a 'special tooth' where the sprocket slides onto, which I believe ensures the timing is fool proof.
Therefore, the rear cam sprocket 'special tooth' aligns with the crank shaft sprocket flat. BY THE WAY, I have the official manual for my FXDB and I stared at the pictures for hours. Ensuring the timing marks matched the timing marks in the book.

Guys, this is where I believe my errors behold. Adjusting the pushrods. Just for your information, these Fuelmoto Adjustable Pushrods (24 threads-per-inch) come with TWO EXHAUST and TWO INTAKE which are designated on the rods, and are different lengths. I am aware of that, and I am placing them in their correct location (intake INSIDE, exhaust OUTSIDE).

Now, when I am adjusting these push rods, this is the process I am following.

Bring cylinder #1 (rear cyl) into TDC Compression, NOT TDC OVERLAP! This is where I think I am confusing myself. Is TDC Compression, will the piston be at the highest point, therefore the tappets will be at their lowest? I may be adjusting the pushrods at TDC Overlap, but at this point I am pretty delusional. But here is one indicator I think can help figure this out.

Every time I adjusted the pushrods at TDC (unsure compression or overlap), I am doing so with 3.5 turns as instructed by Fuelmoto. However, as soon as I complete the turns and lock the nut, the pushrods are able to spin freely with my fingers IMMEDIATELY but everywhere I read states you must allow the tappets to bleed down! Once again, I am adjusting the pushrods on the cylinder I have placed at TDC. Not the opposite cylinder. THE LIFTERS ARE INTERNALLY (HYDRAULICALLY) FILLED WITH OIL.

I think that is where I am going to end this, and I hope fellow enthusiasts have compassion to figure out this issue. I have already wasted 3 oil pump o-rings, cam support plate o-rings (the ones on the left side of plate), wasted 3 exhaust gaskets, wasted 2 cam chest gaskets. Dude I keep replacing everything hoping I completed the job correctly, but I have not. If I were to finish out this job again without any consultation, desperation will force me to tow my bike to harley dealership and give them all my money. I truly enjoy working on my bike, but I cannot figure this out.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

cant help, maybe someone will come along tho.

 

Please keep in mind im not an expert, and have only done a few cams....
Battery charged?? Terminals tight?? Plug back in all the electrical connectors you unplugged?
You want TDC on compression stroke.
What i do is with spark plugs removed put bike in 5th or 6th gear and jack up the rear wheel.
Twist a small piece of paper towel and put it in the spark plug hole of cylinder you want to find TDC (like you would do to yourself if you had a bloody nose)
Spin the rear tire till it blows out the paper towel.
​Stick a ball end allen wrench /straw or whatever and feel the piston reach the top as you spin the wheel. Spin it back and forth till you're sure.

should still fire even if pushrods are not adjusted correctly. They'd clatter all around if too loose, or collapse a lifter/bend a valve in the head if too tight.

 

The pushrods have to be adjusted on the base diameter of the cam (Pistons all the way up and the cam on its lowest position) Pull the rods, jack up the bike and get in top gear. Pull the plugs and rotate the engine by rotating the rear wheel until the tappets are at their lowest position on one cylinder and then adjust the pushrods. Go have a beer or 3. When the pushrods on the first cylinder can be spun by hand, (this may take 20 min or 2 hours.) rotate the engine so the other cylinder is all the way up and adjust them. Go have another beer or 3. When they can be spun by hand you are good to go.

Pushrod Adjustment | S&S Cycle (sscycle.com)

 

If you adjust them too long you won't have good (or any) compression and it may well "wheeze out of the air intake". Better and safer to err on the side of making them a little loose.

If they're too loose then the valves won't open all the way, and the timing will be late (regardless of how the gears are set up). Again, the result is less than design compression, but I wouldn't expect wheezing.

Ultimately, when the tappet is on the cam base circle (opposite the tip of the lobe) you want the valve to be closed and the hydraulic compensator in about the middle of its available adjustment. Hence, the process of adjusting it until it contacts both the rocker and the lifter, then adding a little more (about half of the compensator's adjustment.)

If you bleed the lifter down, it wont pump back up again unless you crank the engine enough to build oil pressure.

HTH

 

Also...seems like your lifters bled down. Pushrods shouldn't be loose after adjust them for about 10-30 minutes (maybe longer). Id take lifters out and pump them up again with an oil can or soak them in a cup of oil and flick it a bunch of times. If air bubbles come out they're not all the way pumped up.

 

Seeing things as I reread. Lifters should be on the base circle of the cam lobes so should feel equal. Are you finding "zero lash" before you adjust the pushrods the 3.5 turns or whatever FM specs? Meaning adjust them down with your fingers until you get resistance from the lifter?

 

If you're positive of the cams then make sure the rear lifters are in over lap so you can adjust the front and then the front lifters in over lap so you can adjust the tears.. here's a video to help..

 

beat me to it...lol. I was reading every post to see if anyone asked these questions. Also op ...did you do the coil pump centering procedure? One more thing...just my own opinion but I don't think you need to replace those gaskets and orings just because you're re-opening the motor. I've replaced my primary gasket once, it's been on and off a half dozen times. Cam cover gasket same story. No leaks ...yet. Save yourself a few dollars and just remove them carefully and you'll be fine. I'm laying my bet on not putting the pushrods to zero lash before adjusting them.

 

Do the MR103 cams have the easy start feature?

BTW. I'd expect the new SnS lifters had light machine oil in them. They will bleed down faster than you can take a wrench off the pushrod.