I know about the search and all that but pretty sure my question won't be answered in a search. I have an 06 Street Bob and have heard that the cam chain tensioners were changed to hydraulic tensioners on the Dyna's in '06. Is this true? I was planning on going to gear drive cams but if this is true maybe I can hold out a little longer before I do that. (money issues). There is 45,000 miles on my engine. Haven't checked the tensioners yet..So- Is it true about the hydraulic tensioners being in the 06 Dyna's?

 

Bob, you have the hydraulic tensioners. The 06 dynas only and newer bikes have them. Time to take a look I'd say.

Another 06 Bob owner

 

Appreciate that Dano. Yep, gonna get her opened up by this weekend and check them out. I still think I'm going with gear drive cams anyway. Thanks again.
Your bike's looking good, I like that sissybar.

 

Bob, I too have an 06, Lowrider, and I'm considering doing the same thing. I don't have near the miles you do, so I'm going to wait a while, next winter probably. What gear drives are you planning on using.

 

Not sure on which gear drives yet. Me and my local indy been talking and going thru catalogs and pricing. I want to get it done soon but gotta see what the tensioners look like and go from there.

 

I just changed mine out for the gear driven cam's. It makes a lot more torque with the new cam's. When you do this also change out the pushrods to SE push rods. Also install new lifters. It will make the top end a little more noisy than with the chain driven cam's

 

Let us know what the old tensioners look like when they come out. I'm curious to see how well the "new" system holds up compared to the old.

 

HD changed the primary chain tensioner in the 06 Dyna's to the new "ratcheting" style and then put it in all models in 07.

I believe the new improved cam chain tensioner were implemented in the 96" engines in 07 or maybe 08, can't remember. BTW, I got about 45K out of my cam tensioners in my 04 RoadKing. They were still OK, probably had about 10K left on them, but my lifters wore out and damaged my cams so HD replaced the cams tensioners while replacing the cams. I kept the cam chain tensioner rather than replace them with the gear drive as the bike is still under an extended warranty.

 

I'm at 21k miles on my 06 bob and have been kinda worried about this. I've been reading a lot on it, and have heard they vary a LOT on when they go out. Some peoples have gone bad at 20k miles, and others at 50k miles.. so I don't know. At 35k, I'll probaly take a look and see whats going on down there.

 

The tensioners on my '03 went out at 55K. The only thing I saved was the case and cylinders. Gear drive cams are the only way to go for me!