Have you had the cam bushing replaced recently?

 

No, same bushing. According to the machinist who mic'd the camshaft & bushing for me, there was no need to replace the bushing.
The only things I replaced inside the cam cover would have been the cam, pinion gear, & inner cam bearing.

 

No, the main won't transfer that far generally speaking- only heat the oil. The pinion bearing can though. But don't go splitting cases just yet.

OK, re-read everything and you've given us a lot more info...thanks. This started after replacing the cam etc and there were broken teeth and trashed cam bearing, right?

There is a screen to catch junk before it goes to the lifters and the top end - the bottom end is a different story

Some had this - some don't, but on most there is a restrictive fitting (plug) in the end of the pinion shaft. It's a tiny set-screw looking plug with a hole drilled thru it. It's a really small hole and could easily get stopped up or restricted further. If the oil isn't circulating thru it, the rod bearings will starve and the only oil that will circulate thru that area is what can escape between the pinion shaft and pinion bushing in the cover. This could explain the overheating in that area, causing the ign to overheat, etc.

Assuming you still have the cover off (if not, take it off) look into the end of the pinion shaft and see what you see. Dry it with the tip of a paper towel to get the oil out. If you don't find anything, put a hose onto the end of the shaft and you should be able to blow thru it rather easily. Don't overtighten the restrictive plug on re-assembly if equipped. You will see 3 holes on the rearward side of the case where the cover mates. If you can turn the engine just a little bit (by hand) oil will (should) slober out one of those holes. Blow thru the corresponding opening in the cam cover to verify no restriction there. It runs thru the cover to the pinion bushing cavity. Also verify there are no "left-overs" in the pinion bushing cavity of the cover.

Hope you find something simple - my brains hurts

PS - check the drilling for the cam oil hole also and verify the cam spacer doesn't have it too tight. You can have upwards of .016 end play and be OK. Too tight isn't good and putting a screw in the end of the cam with the cover lightly bolted on will let you check it if you back the valve spring pressure off at the pushrods.

 

the same thing was happening before & in the process of trying to figure out what was going on with my engine is when I discovered the pinion gear, & cam gear with broken teeth & inner cam bearing in pieces. So , after replacing all of the broken components, here I am with the same symptoms.
The restrictive fitting you mentioned, & the oil passage in the cover may be my smoking gun.
Awesome info! I'll check as soon as I get out in garage.
Thanks, man

 

well, I took the thing apart & checked the oil passages in the cam cover as well as the one through the pinion shaft.
The one in the pinion shaft felt a little restrictive at first, but blew through after a second. I used a small straw pinched dwon in the end to allow it to fit into the tiny holes. Seemed to work pretty well.
Other than a tiny bit of gunk inside of the cavity behind the pinion bushing, all the rest were pretty clear.
I also took a real close look at the pinion bushing. It is definitely showing some heat discoloration in places. I'm thinking I should go ahead & replace both bushings while I have it apart. Is there any special process to sizing the bushings to cam & pinion?
Do you think maybe this particular feed from the OIL PUMP may be a place to check? I don't have a break down diagram of the oil pump, but I gotta wonder if I need to look in that area. Oil definitely "slobbered" out of that particular feed hole when I hand turned the engine.
I'll dig around for info after a bit. I'm actually at work this weekend (nightshift), so my cumputer time is very limited.
Thanks for the info!

 

Kind of a stupid question, but you did pull the oil pump apart and inspect for gunk/bits of cam bearing after the first boo-boo, right?

If I recall, you need to ream the bushings to size. They come undersized and you ream them. I think. I haven't replaced mine and I"m going off of memory.

 

The short of my story is that I can validate the above gas cap/vacuum story. 1954: Took me the best part of twelve hours to cover the last 100 miles (MA to NJ) due to the oil cap on my '51 45ci being put on the gas side of the tank. My first m/c, first HD, my very virgin open road ride.

Ignorance WAS NOT bliss - for sure.

 

Hey, Ride On, Ironbarr!

The bit of restriction you felt on the pinion shaft was oil in the shaft/flywheel/crankpin. When it was clear of oil it felt open... I'd wager. A little gunk in the cavity is normal. I failed to mention inspecting the shaft for scoring which usually shows up as rounded spiraled ridges, but I figure you looked it over anyway. And yes, while in there, remove the oil pump and check it for debris, if you've not already done so. It's tedious, but much easier with the cam cover off and certainly worth the time, for piece of mind. When blowing out the journals with the pump off, remove the pressure sending unit and blow there first. Then replace that and remove the screen plug and screen and blow into there and finally thru the noles in the case where the pump mounts.

Replacing cam cover bushings is a pain at best and impossible without the tools and you have to have a case half or guide plate to ream the bushings. So if you know an independant who has experience on Shovelheads and/or Evos and the tools who you trust, then get them replaced. Doing it yourself is not worth the time and if you have a dealer shop replace them, you will have already paid for new cover as well. The bushings and the tools will cost more than a brand new nose cone from HD. I always buy OEM and throw the old one away, rather than screw with it. Some aftermarket covers come pre-finished and some DO NOT. The new ones from HD are already bushed, sized and come with cam seal installed and they are about 165.00, less if you shop. (PM me and I'll help you out on that one)

You should check the pinion bearing too. Use a soft "something" and gently pry up and let it drop back. If you can actually see any movement at the bearing whatsoever - it's likely shot. But we'll keep our fingers crossed on that one

 

This may sound crazy, but what pipes/mufflers are you running??? We had a bike come into the shop that had been to just about all of the dealers trying to cure the problem of running hot after running perfectly for years. What we found is the inside of one of the mufflers had deteriorated and was blocking the flow causing the bike to run hot, and even choke it out at speed and stall. I imagine if both pipes were just partially obstructed it would cause the same symptoms. This may not be your problem, but it is worth checking. If it was the bushing overheating the engine yo u would probably see some discoloration on the cam too, not just the bushing.Hope this helps.

 

I'm running old paugcho dual fishtails with no baffles.
When I got home this morning, I tried the "pry" test on the pinion shaft - it's solid.
I guess my next check will be to pull the oil pump & check for any obvious signs of mechanical discombobulation - when I get off work in the morning.
I've never pulled an oil pump, but looks like a pretty straight-foward task.
Anything I should be looking for? I mean besides obvious signs of gunk'n'trash?
Thanks for the info - I'll keep ya'll posted.
G