Twin cam tensioners
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 16,271
Likes: 15,108
From: Somewhere SW
Are you speaking from experience?
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 28
Likes: 1
From: Bakersfield
Yes, not my first rodeo by any means. Old guys know "stuff"...Beware of any twin cam motor, they have a built in hornets nest...
Last edited by KJ6TQG; Apr 7, 2016 at 10:04 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,814
Likes: 5,120
From: SW Ohio
I have a 2011 sitting in the garage with double that and very little wear on the tensioner shoes. I checked them when I changed out the C lifters. Roller chains, hydraulic tensioners and better shoe material made the Twin Cam the same as most any overhead cam engine (the TC is not an OHC engine). They all use tensioners on the cam chain(s).
You can switch early Twin Cam tensioner shoes to Cyco and roller chain cams front and back and very nearly eliminate the need to look in the cam chest except for 30k intervals.
Now if you want to say a SE hydraulic conversion kit doesn't correctly solve the problem I'll agree as it retains the link chain on the back side of the cam plate.
This forum is rife with "cam chain tensioner failure" boogiemen. I pity the poor fellow who comes here trying to prevent, repair or even learn about what's inside their motor. The go to answers are "gear drive" or "sell it and buy an Evo". Post 2007 cam chain tensioner failure is very rare south of 100k miles. At 100k I'd at least change the lifters which is the perfect time to inspect and/or replace the cam chain tensioner shoes.
If you have a 2007 or newer, do first line maintenance on it and ride the thing.
If you have a 99 to 06, change the shoes on the spring tensioners, and/or switch to roller chain cams front and back. The same goes for the SE conversion, change the cams to ones that use roller chains on both sides of the cam plate.
Hundreds of thousands Twin Cams are out on the road running every day without "catastrophic" failure past 30K miles. That trumps ANY internet resume. I swear, I wish all these "experts" would stay in the "which oil should I use?" or "should I get a get back whip?" threads
Last edited by Campy Roadie; Apr 8, 2016 at 06:45 AM.
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Road Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 784
Likes: 56
From: Eastern Iowa
Replaced the cam chain tensioners on my '07 Ultra with Zippers Dual Piston Tensioners when I did a cam change. 42,000 miles or so.
One had no wear but the other had a groove (slight) started.
One had no wear but the other had a groove (slight) started.
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Joe Kucinski
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,814
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From: SW Ohio
You mean the change to roller chains on both side of the cam plate; right Graham?