I'm glad I checked...
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Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Texas
I'm glad I checked...
After bringing my "new" '03 Low Rider home yesterday afternoon and riding it last night and this morning, I decided I had better check the cam tensioners...here is what I found.
Can anyone recommend a good Indy shop in the Spring/Woodlands area? I need to take care of this NOW!
OUTER-Almost Gone
INNER-Past gone. Not sure, but it looks like it might be metal to metal
Can anyone recommend a good Indy shop in the Spring/Woodlands area? I need to take care of this NOW!
OUTER-Almost Gone
INNER-Past gone. Not sure, but it looks like it might be metal to metal
Last edited by El Pescador; Aug 4, 2012 at 08:06 PM. Reason: photos not working
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 55
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From: Texas
52k miles. Question is...is it worth putting in gear driven on a motor with that many miles or should I just replace them with oem tensioners?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 100,455
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From: Centennial, CO
Well, it depends. You'll need to check crankshaft runout to see if it is in spec less than .005, many recommend .003 or less. Gears can be noisy too. The less expensive way is to go with the hydraulic tensioner upgrade. Just make sure you get the kit that changes BOTH inner and outer chains to the new style. If you can do this yourself, you're looking at $900 or so. About $1500 for a shop to do it. Good luck!
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 4,265
Likes: 99
From: Northern VA
The general consensus is 2002 was the last year for gear drive cams as the crank run-out tolerances loosened up. You can always have a shop see what yours is, but no guarantees it's within spec.
You could swap tensioners, but the tensioner itself is only part of the problem. People claim the chain is now polished and new tensioners will last even longer than the original set. But they've also worn out even faster. It's a crap shoot.
A happy medium to all of the above is this upgrade from HD. Expensive, yes. But you also get an upgraded oil pump. This kit plus a set of adjustable pushrods installed at a dealer is where my 1K - 1.1K quotes were coming from.
http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/g...bmLocale=en_US
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,465
Likes: 16
From: Nor Cal
You have to check the crank run out. '03 & newer don't have the better Timken bearing. You could also get the Screamin Eagle cam plate, oil pump upgrade with the hydraulic tensioners. Or could just replace your spring loaded ones. That's the cheapest option. But than again you could put in a set of cams, go with a big bore...
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