Acceptable whine?
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: Lakeland, FL
Acceptable whine?
Ive got a frankenbike with a 97 engine.
It had around 25k miles when I bought the engine. It had a whine in the cam chest. I suspected it was the ina bearing, so I changed the bearing and cam. Then engine was totally stock. The points cover was riveted on, and it had the stock n cam. I replaced the bearing and cam reusing the stock gear and the whine is still there. It does it hot or cold. My primary chain is adjusted right.
Is some whine ok? My other bike (94) doesnt do this at all. I dont want this thing to eat itself when Im far from home.
It had around 25k miles when I bought the engine. It had a whine in the cam chest. I suspected it was the ina bearing, so I changed the bearing and cam. Then engine was totally stock. The points cover was riveted on, and it had the stock n cam. I replaced the bearing and cam reusing the stock gear and the whine is still there. It does it hot or cold. My primary chain is adjusted right.
Is some whine ok? My other bike (94) doesnt do this at all. I dont want this thing to eat itself when Im far from home.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2015
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From: Pine Flat Dam/South Bay Area, CA
One of my EVO's had a cam gear whine. I pulled the cam cover off and checked the pinion gear runout and it was .O21. The flywheels shifted on the crankpin (scissored) and were no longer true. I ended up building a 93in motor to replace it. Good luck and start out by checking the pinion gear runout.
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From: Cental, MI
If runout is the problem.. gotta rebuild... or... I have cured this (others reportedly have also) by replacing the cam Cover...some folks drop an aftermarket (usually Chromed) cover on ***** Nilly.. and it Can cause this Whine!!!
FWIW Andrews cams usually come with a "Middle" Gear... perhaps a Smaller gear yet is in order??
Anyway... PITA... but, good news is... I have a friend whose Shovel whined something awful.. he rode the stem windin **** out of it... never let him down...just sounded Bad doing it...
FWIW Andrews cams usually come with a "Middle" Gear... perhaps a Smaller gear yet is in order??
Anyway... PITA... but, good news is... I have a friend whose Shovel whined something awful.. he rode the stem windin **** out of it... never let him down...just sounded Bad doing it...
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: Lakeland, FL
So now I wonder if the problem is the cam cover. What if it was replaced and not properly fitted? That would explain why it whined before and now. What harm will that do?
Seasoned HDF Member
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From: Cental, MI
Good news... generally if a Cover is not available/feaseable... a Different cam Gear may help...
Better news... not catastrophic... Not "correct" but... wont "Blow up"
Seasoned HDF Member
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From: Poolville
Some guys have had success without line boring the cam cover, not recommended but what ever..
I've had a little cam whine with Woods cams for thousands of miles without issue... Post up a video if you can..
Have you ever heard the whine on a Small Block Chevy gear set up?
I've had a little cam whine with Woods cams for thousands of miles without issue... Post up a video if you can..
Have you ever heard the whine on a Small Block Chevy gear set up?
Last edited by 98hotrodfatboy; Oct 9, 2022 at 08:02 AM.
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But in my really, really, really stupid younger days, I admit that I consumed many bottles of Mad Dog 20 20, often on long motorcycle rides.
It's truly a miracle I survived, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only idiot out there in the early '70s. 🙂
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And yes it was the 70's...👍
Last edited by 98hotrodfatboy; Oct 9, 2022 at 05:48 PM.