how long ?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
Likes: 1,523
From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
Mr B.........lifters mate........don't put that down to folklore......sure, some go for ages but even on TC's (B Lifters) the H-D dealerships are replacing lifters at 40,000 miles, they do this so they don't get sued by grumpy customers when the lifters crap themselves, its in the H-D spec sheets apparently.
I have seen at first hand what inner cam bearings can do to a motor, it isn't so much what cam you run but how you ride and these days people seem to ride hard.
I have seen at first hand what inner cam bearings can do to a motor, it isn't so much what cam you run but how you ride and these days people seem to ride hard.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 9,323
Likes: 3,868
From: Upstate New York
I know from experience that Spanners speaks the truth. I lost my first motor to lifter failure at 46,000 miles. Now I do lifters and cam bearing every 40,000 miles, if only for peace of mind. Rest of the time I ride the bike "like I'm the guy who has to fix it if it breaks."
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Road Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 957
Likes: 2
From: Carlsbad Springs Ontario
how long ?
You take the top and middle rocker covers off then you set the first cylinder to TDC with both valves closed.
Undo the bolts that hold the rocker assembly down onto the lower rocker box but ONLY the two on the timing side (right hand side of bike).
Then you can drift out the rocker shafts and remove the rockers and pushrods (make sure you mark them so they go back in the same sides (inlet and exhaust).
Do same with other cylinder.
Pull pushrod towers, and remove the lifter blocks.
Put new lifters in the blocks (doesn't matter which way the hole faces in the lifters) and get some thin fishing line, thread it through the circlips in the top of the new lifters so you can hold them up and stop them falling in the motor and replace the lifter blocks and pushrod towers.....remove fishing line ;-)
Put the pushrods back in and now, because the new lifters have not hydraulically expanded yet you can get the rockers back in and with a bit of jiggling (remember each pot has to be at TDC with valves closed each time), refit the rocker shafts (making sure the cut outs are lined up so the bolt will pass through the holes in the rocker gear) and re-torque them.
Slap the rest of the bike together and start her up.....the lifters will clatter until pressurised whichever method you use to fit them.
Undo the bolts that hold the rocker assembly down onto the lower rocker box but ONLY the two on the timing side (right hand side of bike).
Then you can drift out the rocker shafts and remove the rockers and pushrods (make sure you mark them so they go back in the same sides (inlet and exhaust).
Do same with other cylinder.
Pull pushrod towers, and remove the lifter blocks.
Put new lifters in the blocks (doesn't matter which way the hole faces in the lifters) and get some thin fishing line, thread it through the circlips in the top of the new lifters so you can hold them up and stop them falling in the motor and replace the lifter blocks and pushrod towers.....remove fishing line ;-)
Put the pushrods back in and now, because the new lifters have not hydraulically expanded yet you can get the rockers back in and with a bit of jiggling (remember each pot has to be at TDC with valves closed each time), refit the rocker shafts (making sure the cut outs are lined up so the bolt will pass through the holes in the rocker gear) and re-torque them.
Slap the rest of the bike together and start her up.....the lifters will clatter until pressurised whichever method you use to fit them.
Excellent info. for a Harley newbie .
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,856
Likes: 127
From: Middle of Kansas
I did the cam brg. on my 99 at about 20,000 miles just for piece of mind. It looked like new along with the lifters. I have about 36,000 on it now, so might have to think about new lifters next year. I have HD quick install push rods, so it would not be much of a problem to do. I am not a hard rider, and most of my riding is on the back roads at 55 to 65. I am pretty sure the 99 has the later "B" lifters, but I would sure hate for one of those little buggers to come apart although I have heard of them going over 100,000 miles.
Hey Spanners; Thanks for all the info you give us guys. I try to read all of your posts even if I am not having trouble in the area you are working on. It is nice to have someone without a lot of hype that knows this stuff, and can relate it very well. I am sure others will agree with me.
Hey Spanners; Thanks for all the info you give us guys. I try to read all of your posts even if I am not having trouble in the area you are working on. It is nice to have someone without a lot of hype that knows this stuff, and can relate it very well. I am sure others will agree with me.
Last edited by Jim Kraft; Oct 18, 2012 at 05:03 PM.
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Road Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 957
Likes: 2
From: Carlsbad Springs Ontario
How long ?
Evos have been round the clock several times, relatively undisturbed. I understand there is one with 250,000 miles at the museum.
You must bear in mind that the internet is like highly concentrated folk-lore, where just one drop should be diluted in an entire ocean to become partly true! We could list a frighteningly long list of things that have gone wrong with Evos, but the likelyhood is any that got your bike were fixed long ago.
So ignore cam bearings, lifters, and all the other things you will read about. If YOUR bike is running fine it may carry on doing so for as many km again as it has on its clock.
If however you are tempted to start tuning it, then by all means consider a rebuild. A friend of mine rebuilt his top end on an elderly engine and blew the crankshaft soon after, because he started riding as if it was new!
You must bear in mind that the internet is like highly concentrated folk-lore, where just one drop should be diluted in an entire ocean to become partly true! We could list a frighteningly long list of things that have gone wrong with Evos, but the likelyhood is any that got your bike were fixed long ago.
So ignore cam bearings, lifters, and all the other things you will read about. If YOUR bike is running fine it may carry on doing so for as many km again as it has on its clock.
If however you are tempted to start tuning it, then by all means consider a rebuild. A friend of mine rebuilt his top end on an elderly engine and blew the crankshaft soon after, because he started riding as if it was new!
As a Harley newbie i was a little freaked out over just what you have described .
Am a former " tech. guru " on the Steve Saunders Honda big wing site but have no experience with my recently purchased 1990 Harley FLT.
As it is a ex. police bike , i have to assume that it was taken care of up until the previous owner aquired it . Apperantly he owned it for about 10 years and had no maintenance documentation as he said a qualified " friend " did all the
wrenching ???
That is scary but my inexperienced ear cant find anything really nasty going on with this motor so far. The bike has not been ridden yet as i have spent all my available time repairing wiring problems etc. etc.
Will do a compression test before she goes to bed for the winter and take it from there .?
Any suggestions ?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
Likes: 1,523
From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
Comp test is fine but your oil consumption will tell you when its rebuild time but always a good idea to know before you decide to pull it apart.
Look at the cost of lifters and inner cam bearing against a rebuild and you'll see its good maintenance for the cost of a couple of cheap Hookers and a bottle of Tequila.
I wrench Harleys for other people and so am totally not into doing things on my bikes that doesn't really need doing......so if I can be bothered to do lifters and cam bearings then everybody else should be too ;-)
This weekend I am doing the cam bearing upgrade on my 99 Twin Cam and putting lifters and cam bearing on a 1997 Evo with 60,000 miles on it, both these bikes should keep going for a very long time and I will be able to sleep at nights :-)
Look at the cost of lifters and inner cam bearing against a rebuild and you'll see its good maintenance for the cost of a couple of cheap Hookers and a bottle of Tequila.
I wrench Harleys for other people and so am totally not into doing things on my bikes that doesn't really need doing......so if I can be bothered to do lifters and cam bearings then everybody else should be too ;-)
This weekend I am doing the cam bearing upgrade on my 99 Twin Cam and putting lifters and cam bearing on a 1997 Evo with 60,000 miles on it, both these bikes should keep going for a very long time and I will be able to sleep at nights :-)
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Road Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 957
Likes: 2
From: Carlsbad Springs Ontario
cheap hookers and a bottle of tequila.
Comp test is fine but your oil consumption will tell you when its rebuild time but always a good idea to know before you decide to pull it apart.
Look at the cost of lifters and inner cam bearing against a rebuild and you'll see its good maintenance for the cost of a couple of cheap Hookers and a bottle of Tequila.
I wrench Harleys for other people and so am totally not into doing things on my bikes that doesn't really need doing......so if I can be bothered to do lifters and cam bearings then everybody else should be too ;-)
This weekend I am doing the cam bearing upgrade on my 99 Twin Cam and putting lifters and cam bearing on a 1997 Evo with 60,000 miles on it, both these bikes should keep going for a very long time and I will be able to sleep at nights :-)
Look at the cost of lifters and inner cam bearing against a rebuild and you'll see its good maintenance for the cost of a couple of cheap Hookers and a bottle of Tequila.
I wrench Harleys for other people and so am totally not into doing things on my bikes that doesn't really need doing......so if I can be bothered to do lifters and cam bearings then everybody else should be too ;-)
This weekend I am doing the cam bearing upgrade on my 99 Twin Cam and putting lifters and cam bearing on a 1997 Evo with 60,000 miles on it, both these bikes should keep going for a very long time and I will be able to sleep at nights :-)
Im a Canuc. and dont know about cheap Hookers and Teguila .
We all go to bed at 9:00 pm and just have wet dream of such things .
Will do as advised and do comp. and oil pres. test to see.
Damned weather is a bitch without a garage .!
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