Hello Everyone!

I have an 03 TC88 Electra, and my tensioner shoes are gone at 34k. I can't decide how to go about upgrading them. I have it all apart and discovered that it does have SEH 203 cams in it already, which means at some point, someone completely ripped this thing apart and only changed cams (and went with Harley cams at that). Doesn't make much sense to me, but ok. I have also confirmed that it does not have a big bore kit on it. I checked my camshaft runout, and it was .005", so unfortunately I cannot go with gear drive.

I am thinking about getting the Fueling hydraulic tensioner kit with Andrews 37 conversion cams, but i have read conflicting reports of their performance in mostly stock 88ci motors. I do have a Mikuni HSR42 and true duals with minimal baffles. I also do not want to spend all that money on cams, if the difference will not be very noticeable from the SE 203s. I do tend to ride kind of aggressively, so I am more interested in top end power than low end torque. I could just get the screaming eagle hydraulic tensioner kit and slap it back together with the 203s, but then it would feel like I just fixed the bike, instead of a nice upgrade.

I would appreciate some advice on where to go next with this thing.

Thanks!

 

Your not going to get much out of it with stock valve springs.

 

If I were to get some valve springs, I am assuming I will also need adjustable push rods and new lifters? Wasn't really trying to do all of that, but if it will make that big of a difference, I might have to bite the bullet. I have no idea which hi lift cam I would go with.

 

If you are happy with the current performance, no need to change cams. However if you want a performance boost, a set of S&S 509 cams will serve the purpose; earlier intake close will boost CCP which will result in more torque. The '03 valve springs will not accommodate "high" lift cams; limited to .510" lift; might get by with .525".

While in the cam chest, replace the INA inner cam bearings with a set of B-148 full compliment bearings; Koyo, Timken or SE. The outer cam bearings should be replaced along with the cams whether retaining the SE203 cams or new cams. Replace the OEM tensioners with a set of CYCO tensioners and call it good. Lifters are early "B" lifters; good lifters but if high mileage, replace them with a set of Comp Cams VThunder 850.1 or S&S Standard lifters. Of course, replace all o-rings in the cam chest and pay particular attention to the large o-ring that seals the oil pump spigot to the scavenge port in the crank case; lot's of first timers don't get this right and have to go back in to the cam chest to address sumping.

If you don't have the service manual, good idea to get one.

 

Would a 95/98" kit be an option here? How well would that work with the 203s?

 

The bike isn't really slow, but I would definitely like some more power. You think the 509 is a better choice than the 510? I probably don't rev it past 4500 that often anyway, and if I had more torque, I probably wouldn't be winding it out as much.

I was planning on replacing the cam bearings. You don't think the hydraulic upgrade is worth it? I guess if I got 34k out of the stock tensioners, the better aftermarket ones would last me years. I kind of wanted to replace the cam plate and oil pump anyway. I was running metal on metal on my inner tensioner, but the chain seems to be alright. My oil pump has some decent scratches on the outside and I don't know what caused that. I don't see where it could have been rubbing on anything else.

I have heard about sumping issues because of that oil ring, so I will do my best not to mess that up.

If I were to get valve springs and push rods, how would I go about choosing cams? I guess i would have to check my compression, and its kind of too late for that now.

 

I tore one of my heads off to check to see if I had the 95 kit already, since I had the 203s. I read that Harley dealerships would offer specials on big bore kits and usually use the 203s when they did them, so I thought that might be my case, but I was wrong. Ive been thinking about the big bore kit, but that is almost an extra grand and opens up another can of worms.

 

The 509 would be a better choice than the 510; the earlier intake close will move the TQ curve left, i.e., more torque earlier and once you re-jet the carb, TQ will carry out to 4000rpms. The 88" motor will be a turd with the 510 cams. For what you are doing, I don't believe the hydraulic upgrade is worth the money and that money would be better spent on other things that will improve performance, like more restrictive baffles or, better yet, a complete new exhaust system; true duals are not the best setup for your situation. A middle of the road 2:1 pipe would help a lot.

There is nothing wrong with the OEM cam plate and oil pump; the HD oiling system is all about volume, not pressure. I would have to see the scratches to advise but if there has been metal to metal contact, some of the metal has passed through the oil pump and could have caused the scratches. Daytona makes an aftermarket oil pump for the TC88 that will increase volume and pressure and is about half the price of a replacement OEM pump.

You don't need valve springs and push rods. New push rods would only be required if you replaced the 203 cams with a cam set that had a smaller base circle and most of the "bolt in" cams that are suitable replacements will have the same base circle as the OEM cams. Since you have pulled the heads, you should spend the $$ saved by passing up the hydraulic upgrade on a refurbishing the heads with a good cleanup, new valve guide seals and a SERDI (multi angle) valve job and re-install using a .0030" head gasket which will also increase compression and TQ.

A BB kit is probably the biggest bang for buck upgrade to a TX88 motor. The build plan would not change; the scope would remain the same, the only difference being displacement. Cam chest work stays the same, cam selection stays the same, head work stays the same, carb re-jet stays the same, etc., etc. However, I would replace the lifters with the increase in displacement and compression; not expensive but could save you going back in later to make the change.

Since there has been some debris passing through the oil pump, it would be wise to change oil and filter after the first 50 miles on the re-build. I would also suggest collecting an oil sample at the time to send to Blackstone for analysis. As a matter of fact, you should collect a sample of your current oil and send it in before completing the build. If the analysis shows metal flowing in the oil, you should consider pulling the oil pan (a true PITA) and cleaning it. You can Google Blackstone; they will send you instructions and a collection kit to return to them. I don't now how long the metal to metal contact has been going on and metal flowing in the oil may not be an issue but it would be a shame to spend the $$ on these upgrades on a motor with metal flowing in the oil that could shorten the life of the re-build. It's a crap shoot and your call. Maybe you can post some pictures of the oil pump scratches and the tensioner holder that was making the metal contact?

I know it's a lot to think about but all of the above is JMHO.

 

The 509 would be a better choice than the 510; the earlier intake close will move the TQ curve left, i.e., more torque earlier and once you re-jet the carb, TQ will carry out to 4000rpms. The 88" motor will be a turd with the 510 cams. For what you are doing, I don't believe the hydraulic upgrade is worth the money and that money would be better spent on other things that will improve performance, like more restrictive baffles or, better yet, a complete new exhaust system; true duals are not the best setup for your situation. A middle of the road 2:1 pipe would help a lot.

There is nothing wrong with the OEM cam plate and oil pump; the HD oiling system is all about volume, not pressure. I would have to see the scratches to advise but if there has been metal to metal contact, some of the metal has passed through the oil pump and could have caused the scratches. Daytona makes an aftermarket oil pump for the TC88 that will increase volume and pressure and is about half the price of a replacement OEM pump.

You don't need valve springs and push rods. New push rods would only be required if you replaced the 203 cams with a cam set that had a smaller base circle and most of the "bolt in" cams that are suitable replacements will have the same base circle as the OEM cams. Since you have pulled the heads, you should spend the $$ saved by passing up the hydraulic upgrade on a refurbishing the heads with a good cleanup, new valve guide seals and a SERDI (multi angle) valve job and re-install using a .0030" head gasket which will also increase compression and TQ.

A BB kit is probably the biggest bang for buck upgrade to a TX88 motor. The build plan would not change; the scope would remain the same, the only difference being displacement. Cam chest work stays the same, cam selection stays the same, head work stays the same, carb re-jet stays the same, etc., etc. However, I would replace the lifters with the increase in displacement and compression; not expensive but could save you going back in later to make the change. Actually, you can get your cylinders bores to 98", new pistons and rings fitted for about $600 plus shipping out/back from a couple of shops whose owner post on this forum.

Since there has been some debris passing through the oil pump, it would be wise to change oil and filter after the first 50 miles on the re-build. I would also suggest collecting an oil sample at the time to send to Blackstone for analysis. As a matter of fact, you should collect a sample of your current oil and send it in before completing the build. If the analysis shows metal flowing in the oil, you should consider pulling the oil pan (a true PITA) and cleaning it. You can Google Blackstone; they will send you instructions and a collection kit to return to them. I don't now how long the metal to metal contact has been going on and metal flowing in the oil may not be an issue but it would be a shame to spend the $$ on these upgrades on a motor with metal flowing in the oil that could shorten the life of the re-build. It's a crap shoot and your call. Maybe you can post some pictures of the oil pump scratches and the tensioner holder that was making the metal contact?

I know it's a lot to think about but all of the above is JMHO.

 

I really appreciate the thorough response. This is great info that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise, and I'd end up buying unnecessary stuff and running an underwhelming cam. I'll post some pics and if i can run with what I got, I'll probably just do cams, head gaskets, tensioners and try to figure out the proper tune for this carb for now. I'll keep an eye out for a deal on an exhaust. Maybe later go for the big bore and get the heads done.