maybe they can "overengineer" a stylish oil cooler to rest between the frame downtubes and make it standard, instead of dealers recommending you buy the ugly harley aftermarket one that hangs off the side like an ugly afterthought.

That's if the heat issue is any concern to you all.

I'm not an automotive engineer or mechanic by any means though. Do any of you who know better think that an oil cooler would help the engine last longer?

 

I forgot to mention I took this picture while doing the Screamin Eagle Hydraulic cam plate install. The Inner one look simular not too much plastic missing.

One lesson learned, the SE upgrade has you use the old hardware to attach the cam plate. The SE plate is thicker by about an 1/8"I stripped out one of the screws because it only grabbed a couple of threads. If I do another one I would get longer screws. I also bought alot of duplicate parts because the instructions say you need a couple extra kits like cam retension kit but some of the parts where in the cam plate kit

 

Tarp....I certainly don't dispute your word and have only done a couple of these conversions....but I had no issues with the reuse of the stock screws. Makes me wonder if it had the correct length screws in the original plate to begin with. I had plenty of threads. All the screws in both the support plate and the cover have a torque spec. of something like 95-120 inch-pounds. I had read in other places that 120 is "pushing" it and I stop mine at 110. Maybe you had a hole that already had been overtightened and stripped. I can absolutely guarantee you that Harley is guilty of doing that and I have found more than one in various places that had been stripped and GLUED in at the factory..If you corner a tech that you know real well...they will tell you they find this more often than you would think, or they care to admit. 95-120 is not very tight and I know of a cuple of guys riding around with glued-in stripped-out screws in there cam chest covers because they don't have a torque wrench..

I agree with the extra un-needed parts. If you reuse your stock sprockets, you will not need a spacer kit and if you use the "freezer and oven" technique to remove/install the bearings....you won't need new bearings either.

 

I recently installed the oil temperature gauge where the ambient air gauge usually sits on my e glide. for the first time I am able to tell how hot the bike is really getting. everything I thought I knew went out the window.

with the upgrades I have done to my bike, it falls on its face over 3000 rpm until it reaches 170. how hot is 170? I used to think riding my bike 5 miles up the coast and back would get it hot enough to change the oil.
since the gauge install I have found that isn't enough to move the needle.
takes 2 minute warm up and 20 miles in stoplight traffic to hit 180.

bike does different things at different temperatures. when it gets hot it quits firing one of the cylinders at idle, it also changes fuel mixture. 3 different modes... it is all in your owners manual....

I would like to know how hot oil has to get to be no good anymore I haven't got my bike past 220 2up full dress up hill 90 miles an hour

I live right on the ocean where it is fairly cool and have ridden my bike all day running errands and never hit 180

new HD coolers have thermostats in the kits. I have seen 5 dollar t stats devastate 3 bitchen cars in my life now.. 57 chevy 66 gto 66 cutlass
ouch (I still hate her a little) so trustin a device to work when I need it too is not in my make up.

being too cold is bad on your motor too. I burned a hole in my piston when the condensation inside froze overnight. makes oil/ice slurpee plugs bottom of your pistons. let your bike warm up for a really long time when it is freezing....

 

hey guy's been reading alot bout the chain tensioners,have a 2000 flhtc dresser with 18,000 on it,very well maintain mach. making a run to myrtle beach in a few weeks ,after that going to pull the nose cone off and check the chain tensioners. hopefuly will still be good ,if not I'll do a upgrade plate,oil pump and a set of cams

 

I have a 2004 Dyna Wideglide with 22k on it. Stock except for stage 1 w/ V&H Straightshots. Runs great. I was concerned about the stories concerning the tensioner failures so I recently had the local HD dealer install the cam plate update with the hydraulic tensioners and high volume oil pump. I considered it an insurance policy to make this change. It may be mind over matter but I think the bike runs better. It certainly carries the highest oil pressure it ever has. One other comment, the original tensioner shoes looked great with very little wear based on dealer comments. I've been using Redline since the 5000 mile oil change.

 

I have an 03 ultraglide that I just replaced the cam tensioners ,and I still have a knocking noise from the same general area. Any ideas what it could be? Should I replace cam bearings as well?

 

Wish I would have read this stuff sooner. I have a 01 TC88B on my Fatboy and a TC88A on my St Glide. Took the Fatboy to my local HD dealer they inspected the tensioners. They looked pretty good, the bike had 50k on it. They recommended replacing them since they were in there. I agreed to do them. My 06 Street Glide just suffered a major cam bearing failure. Took out the motor. The tensioners still looked fine however. I took this bike to a different HD dealer after doing a little reading in these forums. I found out when you do the tensioners you should always do the cam bearings according to a few other dealers service advisors that I spoke with. I paid $ 800 to just have the tensioners done on the Fatboy. They should have done tensioners and bearings from what I have been reading. The other dealer I took my St Glide to does both for around $645. I guess I need to pay again to have my cam bearings done on the Fatboy!! The St Glide needs a new motor!

 

The original (bad) outer cam bearings were limited to the very early TC-88's and the 01's should have been okay with the new roller-bearing. Your 06 would not have had the "bad" outer bearing.

I am not clear on which bearings you are talking about...inners, or outers. Although most of us think otherwise and do replace the inner bearings with Timken/Torrington bearings, Harley has steadfastly stayed with the cheaper inner cam bearing and as far as I know, have never made any attempts to mandate the change of the inner bearings. Normally....they would have serviced the tensioners. I will say that it would make very good sense for them to at least inspect the inners while they are in there. They will change the inners if you ask them too and if you pay for them, but I do not think do it as a routine. A GOOD dealer would, one that did not have to do it would not.

Which bearings failed in your case?

 

Well I would have paid for the bearing upgrade on the 01 if they were recommended to me. The bearings that failed on the 06 were the inner cam bearings.