Lost my timing cover
Thread Starter
|
Club Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 10,734
Likes: 3,755
From: SWFL
Lost my timing cover
Odd thing. Was our for a ride today and I heard what I can only describe as a jingle from the right side. It wasnt pinging, it didnt sound like it was coming from inside the motor either. So I pulled over and had a look. I tracked it down to the cover over the cam pickup. Looked like the rivets were loose. So I figured Id deal with it later and road on.
After about a half an hour I suddenly heard the jingle stop. Of course the cover was gone. The inner cover was fine, but the outer was gone.
Is it ok to ride w/o the outer cover while I try and find an original cover? Also, is there a way to use screws to secure it instead of rivets?
Thanks.
After about a half an hour I suddenly heard the jingle stop. Of course the cover was gone. The inner cover was fine, but the outer was gone.
Is it ok to ride w/o the outer cover while I try and find an original cover? Also, is there a way to use screws to secure it instead of rivets?
Thanks.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,198
Likes: 3,087
From: NW AR
If you rotate the cover (that you don't have) 90 degrees, you can put screws in it to hold it on. I have a plain domed cover on my bike mounted like that with button head allen screws. Pretty weird for that to come off like that, if it was put on with the proper rivets. Note that the proper rivets have fully enclosed ends, not like regular pop rivets.
Thread Starter
|
Club Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 10,734
Likes: 3,755
From: SWFL
I was looking at a HD kit which says it includes self tapping screws to tap the inner cover to allow the use of screws instead of rivets. This seems interesting. Thinking about getting this:
https://www.harley-davidson.com/stor...-04-3266698--1
https://www.harley-davidson.com/stor...-04-3266698--1
Thread Starter
|
Club Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 10,734
Likes: 3,755
From: SWFL
Trending Topics
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 190
Likes: 25
From: Rotterdam, Netherlands
Odd indeed...
Someone must have used the wrong drill bit or the wrong rivets. When I did the top end rebuild, I ended up with a couple of water tight aluminum rivets which are pretty hard to break by hand. I think if they dig up my bike in 100K years from now, the timing cover will still be on it.
Someone must have used the wrong drill bit or the wrong rivets. When I did the top end rebuild, I ended up with a couple of water tight aluminum rivets which are pretty hard to break by hand. I think if they dig up my bike in 100K years from now, the timing cover will still be on it.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
|
Club Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 10,734
Likes: 3,755
From: SWFL
Yeah that was silly easy. Unscrewed the two Phillips holding the inner cover on, snipped off the rivets with wire cutters and tapped the hole with a 5mm tap I had, which fortunately was the same size as the chrome Allen screws thats included in the new cover kit. Took all of 5 min. Used blue loctite on both the inner and outer screws, though it didnt seem that it had been used on the inner before. Oh well. $30 on eBay solved my problem with a little more bling.
Last edited by Mchad; Jul 1, 2018 at 08:15 PM.