I have an '02 FLHR (carbed) with 38K miles on it and having read in various places about the short life of the cam adjusters, I figured I'd go ahead and replace them with the new stuff (Hydraulic vs Spring, Roller Chain vs "Silent") and get the updated oil pump by buying the kit from Harley. In the catalog, it also says you need to buy the spacer kit (whatever that serves), so I picked them both up, as well as new lifters and adjustable pushrods.

Not having the time nor knowing if I'd have all the right equipment, I turned it over to an Indy (factory trained) that I trust. When we opened the kit box, it was obvious that there was a lot of stuff not in it. Seems HD neglected to mention that you also need to buy the "Cam Installation Kit" which contains the bearings, gaskets, etc. So now we have more downtime to locate a source of the kit needed and more expense.

My Indy said it was a good thing I got it to him when I did. One of the adjusters was down to the point of catastrophic failure and would have gone in less than hundred miles before grenading. That would have been a really big expense!

If that wasn’t enough, one of the cams was worn down through the hardened service into the soft metal. Now this is an engine that gets frequent oil changes and service with synthetic oil. So now we’re going to replace them with a couple Andrews 26s (this is a big old bagger, not a hot rod). More expense.

A buddy of mine just had the same job done to his 2001 Heritage Soft Tail. The cam bearings were also bad and as a result he had to replace his cams as well. I didn’t ask about the condition of the cam bearings in mine. I know that HD used some inferior versions and later switched. But I don’t know when they did that; I assume the “Installation Kit” will have the latest ones.

I’m making an assumption that ’07 and later twin-cams no longer suffer this pain. But if you have an earlier engine, be forwarned. And maybe just buy the whole damn kit from Andrews in the first place.

 

Tha't why when I did my tensioner upgrade to the hyda setup I went with the kit from Herko on HTT. He supplies all the stuff that that HD doesn't. One stop shopping. I also upgraded to the Andrews 26N cams at the same time.

 

Folks...it seems to just depend on the bike and maybe the phase of the moon is was built in, or how many beers the engine builder at the factory had the night before. I had mine checked at 37,000 and they had not worn enough to justify any replacement. I have a friend that has over 145,000 miles on his dresser and has had one set of tensioner shoes replaced....that's it. And then...I have seen them worn down to the metal on the shoe in less that 25,000. Go figure, but I have a suspicion the condition of the chain the shoes run on has a lot to do with it. If the chain was born under the correct star and is nice and smooth, tensioner wear is minimal. I would never let them change my timing chain or toy with another system like the hydraulic kit that only suggest "longer" tensioner life. I am going to get 50K out of mine and that is likely 1/2 the engine life anyway. I guess I was one of the lucky ones.

 

Good advice, petemac; wish I had known that before I started on this "adventure." I searched the forum for info about this subject and kept coming up empty. Surprised that such a common problem hasn't been discussed, and that the it appears to be a common problem with earlier twin-cam engines. To be on the verge of catastrophic failure in less than 38K miles is darn scary.

 

Ron, I think maybe we all got burned-out discussing the cam chain tensioner issues long ago. I am the owner of one of the very first ones to roll off the line and went through all the cam bearing issues as well with two early twin-cams. The MOCO did several things over the course of the last several model years to reduce the problem. The change to a roller chain and going hydraulic has obviously helped, since you don't hear a lot about it on a routine basis anymore. I would go to the hydraulic set-up if and when I have a problem, but would stay away from gear drives. The gear drive will not always be the correct answer if the crank is not machined perfectly and can present other problems as well.

I think we have all just heard about it so much that we are immune to the discussion. That frog "has been boiled" for 10-years now. For sure, anyone coming across an early TC should have it inspected right off the bat....preferably before he writes the check for it.

 

Thanks 1550vt. I searched with every phrase I could think of, being sure the subject MUST have come up in the past, and couldn't find anything relevant. The original discussions must have been retired with the old forum system.

I've read about the concerns on going with gears and opted for the hydraulics and the better oil pump. My concern in doing it now was the idea of having little bits of plastic pumped into parts of the engine that might not be too forgiving. Guess this was my turn to get my frog boiled by HD. )

 

Hey ronn39,Join the ownership club of the twin cam.
I read lots about the new motor when I woned my first evo
a 1989 FLHTC that was re-built twice in the 4yrs I woned it.
I could ahve bought a new twin cam for the money I spent on her .
Anyways, if you like I have some inna inner bearings and some spacers for the
cam install , of course it is missing the one I needed for my install.
Anyways, there are yours for the cost of mailing.
I would say , no more than $7.00...
Chalk it up to a Very Expensive learning Curve.
I know it doesnt ease the financial pain nor the frustration either.
Rob

 

Don't let me get in between a good deal, but you do not want to put the INA inner cam bearings in. The INA is the "bad" bearing and you want to go with the Torrington. The INA is caged and the torrington has a full complement of rollers.

 

Thanks for the offer CndUltra95. The indy has already finished the job. Now all I gotta do is pick it up and ride it without worrying anymore. Well, not without wondering what'll go bad next. )