I need some advice. For the SECOND time the inner cam chain failed. I caught the first one in time. The second did major damage. I have an 02 FLHTC. The first time the motor was stock 88 with Andrews 21 cams and I heard a noise that I knew was bad. When it happened the second time the motor was a BB95 with the same cams with NO indication of a problem.

My question, Can anyone recommend a shop in the midwest [preferably Wisconsin] that really knows their stuff about these twin cam motors?

My shop is offering two options, 1- Send the motor to Harley for a reman [then I lose the BB]. 2- they can repair in house and I can keep the BB.

Either way the rebuild is with the same OEM parts that have failed TWICE already with no assurance that whatever the problem is is resolved.

The odd thing is both failures occured with approx. 22-24 thousand miles on the chains and only the inner chain was affected. I am by no means mechanically inclined. But this suggests to me that there is something off a few thousthants and it it creating a load on the inner chain.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions! Sincerely, Doug

 

Thats why i went with gear drive and Torrington inner cam bearings, thus avoiding this exact issue with cam chains and tensioners. GOOD LUCK.

 

Maybe whom ever replaced the factory cams with the Andrews did not check the alinement of the inner cam sprockets.

 

Were the inner cam chain tensioners ever checked say at 15k or 20k miles? This sounds like the most suspect given the mileage that this happened at both times.

Or as mentioned, cam alignment may not have been checked both times. Was it the same mechanic who did the work?

 

The inner tensioner does have a higher rate of wear. It does seem to be something wrong somewhere. Whenever keeping with the tensioners, the chains should be polished. If your mechanic only replaced the tensioners the first time and everything was properly aliened, typically the 2nd set wear extremely well. If the chains were also replaced and not polished it is like starting new with a failure possible anywhere between 20-40k depending on luck which seems not to be on your side. But after rereading your thread you said the chain failed? Now that is not normal!
I also was thinking if the chains were not replaced, did the tech put the rear one on backward (running opposite direction?)

 

Pay the difference to have gear driven cams.

 

Do yourself a favor & go with the gear drive, no more tensioners or chains, you will notice a little more engine noise though. I put an Andrews 26G in my 99 FLHT, the bottom end torque was awesome.

 

another option is the conversion setup for the new style chains/tensioners that andrews offers .

 

I had a 2000 fxdwg do the same stinking thing to me at
48,000 miles all the little pieces went right stright
to the oil pump. Guess where my engine went in a handbag ?
It didn't pass go and it didn't collect $200.00 ! I went with
the s&s gear drive cams. Man I thought that I was going to
have put some cheese in the tank to go with wine they were
makeing but I loved them. Back in 05 or 06 they cost
$750.00 for the kit + labor. Dang well worth it.

 

When you say failed are you telling us the chain actually broke? or was it a tensioner problem? I would definately inspect the whole assembly, including the cam plate, inner cam bearings, and crank runnout. What part of WI are you located at?