Lost my timing cover
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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 wasn’t pinging, it didn’t 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 I’d 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
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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.
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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
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From: SWFL
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Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2008
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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.
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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 that’s included in the new cover kit. Took all of 5 min. Used blue loctite on both the inner and outer screws, though it didn’t 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.