Pinion colour code?
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6th Gear
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 11
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From: Lymington, Hampshire, UK
Pinion colour code?
Had some funny knocking noises start in the engine of my 96 Road King. After shopping around a couple of local independents over here was none to impressed with the diagnosis I was being given. They all had a different idea about what it was, however when asked for an approximate idea of cost they all started at £500.00 + parts. Now as I have a mechanical background (though not on motorbikes) I decided to strip the engine down and sort it out. None of the diagnosis I had been given was correct! What had happened was that the inner cam bearing had started to break up, parts had got between the cam and pinion gears and removed a few teeth in the process, and it looks like I was not that many miles away from pistons meeting valves.
The engine had a stage two conversion just before I brought her and it looks like the camshaft end float was not set correctly or with the right thrust washers ( I removed some very strange washers that had been used) Now I am trying to order the parts to rebuild her, the Andrews EV27 cam is no problem but the parts supplier wants to know the colour code for the pinion gear, and there is no sign of any colour on what is left of my one. As far as I know you need to match the cam and pinions as a pair but Andrews don't list any different colours so do I need to bother, if so anyone know what colours I am supposed to be looking for?
Thanks in advance.
LJ
The engine had a stage two conversion just before I brought her and it looks like the camshaft end float was not set correctly or with the right thrust washers ( I removed some very strange washers that had been used) Now I am trying to order the parts to rebuild her, the Andrews EV27 cam is no problem but the parts supplier wants to know the colour code for the pinion gear, and there is no sign of any colour on what is left of my one. As far as I know you need to match the cam and pinions as a pair but Andrews don't list any different colours so do I need to bother, if so anyone know what colours I am supposed to be looking for?
Thanks in advance.
LJ
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
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From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
You certainly do need to match them and the instructions for how to do this are in the box with the EV27, along with Andrews part numbers for the under and oversized gears.
You can also measure the lash on the gears and it should be half a thou to 2 thou lash.
Too little lash and it will whine like a wounded dog, too much and the valve gear will clatter.
Best practice is to use your original cam gear but in your case, that would be a silly thing to do :-)
You can also measure the lash on the gears and it should be half a thou to 2 thou lash.
Too little lash and it will whine like a wounded dog, too much and the valve gear will clatter.
Best practice is to use your original cam gear but in your case, that would be a silly thing to do :-)
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,856
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From: Middle of Kansas
Did it damage the pinion gear also? If not it should have a paint dot on it somewhere, and that needs to be matched up with the same color cam gear. I am guessing that previous owner did not change out the INA cam brg. to a Torrington when upgrading the cam. The INA cam brgs. are known for going bad, and more so with a performance cam. If I remember right, when changing the cam it needs a .050" shim to make up for the difference in length of the stock verses the upgrade cam. If you have a manual it will be a big help. Be sure and check your oil pump also, as it may have gotten parts of the bearing in there too.
Thread Starter
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6th Gear
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Lymington, Hampshire, UK
You certainly do need to match them and the instructions for how to do this are in the box with the EV27, along with Andrews part numbers for the under and oversized gears.
You can also measure the lash on the gears and it should be half a thou to 2 thou lash.
Too little lash and it will whine like a wounded dog, too much and the valve gear will clatter.
Best practice is to use your original cam gear but in your case, that would be a silly thing to do :-)
You can also measure the lash on the gears and it should be half a thou to 2 thou lash.
Too little lash and it will whine like a wounded dog, too much and the valve gear will clatter.
Best practice is to use your original cam gear but in your case, that would be a silly thing to do :-)
Trouble is where do I start cam gear wrecked and teeth missing, pinion gear wrecked, pitted and no sign of a colour code anywhere
May have to wait untill the replacement cam turns up and see what it says about matching the pinion gear, more riding time lost.
LJ
Thread Starter
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6th Gear
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Lymington, Hampshire, UK
Did it damage the pinion gear also? If not it should have a paint dot on it somewhere, and that needs to be matched up with the same color cam gear. I am guessing that previous owner did not change out the INA cam brg. to a Torrington when upgrading the cam. The INA cam brgs. are known for going bad, and more so with a performance cam. If I remember right, when changing the cam it needs a .050" shim to make up for the difference in length of the stock verses the upgrade cam. If you have a manual it will be a big help. Be sure and check your oil pump also, as it may have gotten parts of the bearing in there too.
Have the manual a Clymer one, some gaps in the info but they can be filled in here.
It looks like a lot of things were not done or done badly when she was upgraded, still at least I will know it is right this time.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
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From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
It looks like thats where the problem started, she has whined since I bought her, not having had a BT evo before put it down to 'Normal'
Trouble is where do I start cam gear wrecked and teeth missing, pinion gear wrecked, pitted and no sign of a colour code anywhere
May have to wait untill the replacement cam turns up and see what it says about matching the pinion gear, more riding time lost.
LJ
Trouble is where do I start cam gear wrecked and teeth missing, pinion gear wrecked, pitted and no sign of a colour code anywhere
May have to wait untill the replacement cam turns up and see what it says about matching the pinion gear, more riding time lost.
LJ
Cam usually comes with cam gear, you can order crank pinion from Andrews or H-D....fitting and sizing is a matter of try it, measure it, order it really as you are starting from square one.
A tiny whine is permitted, mine has had a faint whine for 65,000 miles and is still all good. I used the original cam gear as the one that came with the cam whined real bad.
Trial and error is the only way out of this particular hole but once you have some gears to play with it will all sort itself out.
Tell Andrews you have no gears to work from and they should be able to make a good guess as to which matched pair to send you.
If I was in the US I could post you 2 spare cam gears that I have left over from other conversions.
Get the torrington bearing!!!
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 506
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From: Putnam County, N.Y.
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Thread Starter
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6th Gear
Joined: Oct 2010
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From: Lymington, Hampshire, UK
My thanks to all of you who replied, as they say a problem shared is a problem halved.
Will post again when I have the old girl up and running am now in the lap of the spares providers, we dont have quite as many over this side of the pond.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
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From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
In which case I have two if anyone needs one, take about a week to get to you....