EVO All Evo Model Discussion

Engine running hot

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 24, 2009 | 06:57 AM
  #31  
miacycles's Avatar
miacycles
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,468
Likes: 12
From: Bluffton, South Carolina
Default

Before you pull the pump apart, just hook up a gauge and check the pressure at idle and at speed.
 
Reply
Old Aug 24, 2009 | 02:54 PM
  #32  
skooba's Avatar
skooba
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
From:
Default

Saw all the advice, all good but I think you have a bad Cam Position Sensor. Its in the nose cone. They will crap out when they go bad due to high heat and will run fine when cold up until it reachs the heat point that causes a failure. They have a sealed sensor in electrical glue, the heat either loses up the glue and the sensor craps out or there could be a crack that opens and separates the contacts.

To test get a hair dryer and remove the nose cap. Leave the bike stone cold and get the sensor up to high heat with the dryer. If the bike won't start you found your culprit.

Mine went last year, same symtoms as yours, good until it heated to a certain point. The part is a $125 os so and is pretty simple to replace.
 
Reply
Old Aug 24, 2009 | 11:44 PM
  #33  
geronimo73's Avatar
geronimo73
Thread Starter
|
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Default

miscycles - I run a pressure gauge full time - cold psi @ start up usually around 25-30# When hot, it runs 12-20 psi.

skooba - I'm running a compu-fire single fire ignition. I initially thought my ign was crapping out. I also tried the hair dryer test.
I really don't feel like this would cause the entire cam cover to get so hot. I'm talking almost exhaust pipe hot.
I also don't see where this would have caused the inner bearing, cam gear, & pinion gear to bust up like they did.
I'm thinking mechanical heat build up caused one of the bushings (cam? pinion?) to seize up solid enough to lock up the gears, & consequently breaking gear teeth.
Now that I have all of the broken components replaced, I'm back to square one - there is a mechanical issue & it's causing the entire cam cover to get hot.
Now, it's very possible that the hot cam cover may be causing the ignition to heat up & crap out, much like the hair dryer would. But, not the other way around.
on with the troubleshooting.
Tonight is my last graveyard shift, so I'll be able to spend the next couple of days checking more out.
Thanks, guys!
I'll keep ya'll posted.
G
 
Reply
Old Aug 25, 2009 | 06:56 AM
  #34  
miacycles's Avatar
miacycles
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,468
Likes: 12
From: Bluffton, South Carolina
Default

Your oil pump is good and probably isn't the crux of your problem. I must have missed the post about the broken gear,I apologize for that. Yes it does sound mechanical. I don't remember an evo ever breaking a gear, even if the oil pump locked up the key in the pump would fail before a gear would break. Did you ever check the clearance of the valve train in the top end? Perhaps the retainers are hitting the valve seal/guide causing an extra load on the valve train, which would heat up the bushing/nose cone. On last easy one, how close is your exhaust to the nose cone?? Hope something here helps.
 
Reply
Old Aug 25, 2009 | 08:47 AM
  #35  
Kramer Krazy's Avatar
Kramer Krazy
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 48
Likes: 2
Default

Originally Posted by miacycles
I don't remember an evo ever breaking a gear, even if the oil pump locked up the key in the pump would fail before a gear would break.
This is true.....I had a Sifton push rod chip a chunk off the tip and it went through the oil pump. The metal piece took out the oil pump housing and the gears. When the pump locked up, the key failed, but not until it flaired the oil pump shaft enough to where it would not readily pull out of the engine case.
 
Reply
Old Aug 28, 2009 | 02:44 PM
  #36  
geronimo73's Avatar
geronimo73
Thread Starter
|
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Default

Well, I checked out the components on the oil pump - the individual oil galleys, the drive geras, the shaft. all looks ok, nothing abnormal that just stuck out. I did replace the PRV spring with a new one.
I'll start putting this beast back together & see what happens.
Thanks, all!
G
 
Reply
Old Aug 28, 2009 | 04:02 PM
  #37  
miacycles's Avatar
miacycles
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,468
Likes: 12
From: Bluffton, South Carolina
Default

When you put it back together, remember to keep turning the shaft to ensure that nothing is binding. If you have some binding then you have to shift the body pieces until you heve no binding/excess drag. Then prime the pump before starting.
 
Reply
Old Aug 29, 2009 | 12:27 AM
  #38  
ptcruiser's Avatar
ptcruiser
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
From: Beaver, OK. (No mans land)
Cool

I read your post where you said you have replaced the PRV spring, Did you replace this with stock spring. I ask this because if you put in a stiffer spring you may not be getting enough oil to the cam and lower end as the pump sends all the oil to the top end first, Here is what the service manual says.

The pressure created in the top end oil system causes oil pressure regulating valve to open. Oil is then allowed to travel thru oil pump passage into a crankcase passage and thru cam gear cover passage lubricating pinion shaft bushing and lower connecting rod bearings.

Really would not think this is your issue as your heating up more at higher rpm and at this higher rpm you should have higher oil pressure to unseat this pressure regulating valve, But may be something to keep in mind. You should have a strong return of oil to the tank at rpm if your pressure regulating valve is opening. Just a thought!
 
Reply
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Aug 29, 2009 | 06:10 AM
  #39  
0734's Avatar
0734
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 23
From: Summit, Mississippi
Default Engine running hot

I have tried to read through all the post here and I hope I am not duplicating something already said. All the concerns over the fuel starvation, ignition wiring, manifold seals and timing issues are the things to look for, but I had a similar issue once on a 97 FLH. Mine finally just stopped on the road and would not start. It finally broke to the point I found the problem. Mine was so hot the ignition module had melted off the end of the plate. Tore it down again and discovered my inner cam bearing was bad. It had ran okay for so long, the inner journal of the cam itself had worn to the point it was very noticeable and all it ever did was get hot down there...ran fine as long as it was running. It had an aftermarket cam in it, but I don't remember which one. I had gotten the bike used and it is very apparent the previous owner had not replaced the cam bearing when he changed the cam. I am sure you have done all that and replaced that HD bearing with the torrington as part of this investigation and took a real close look at the cam journals and the bushing in the nose cone cover as well.
 
Reply
Old Aug 31, 2009 | 08:06 AM
  #40  
rezrider's Avatar
rezrider
Tourer
15 Year Member
Liked
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 256
Likes: 7
From: Western NC
Default

This is just a stab in the dark here, Geronimo, what kind of cam are you running? I took a SE11 with low miles on it out of my bike and the raer juornal of the cam that went in the inner cam bearing was scored terrible like all the hardened surface had broken down. just something to check.
 
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:47 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE