Fuel Moto, its a Baisley LMR-002. It was like $15 or so. Well worth the money. You have to take the cam plate out to install, and needed the right size punch to knock a dowel out. Other then having to take out the cam plate, easiest, most effective upgrade I have ever done.

 

No need to remove the cam plate to install the LMR pressure relief valve spring but since the cam plate will be off the bike anyway, it is easier to do that way. However, if updating the cam plate, you will also be installing the upgrade oil pump which negates the need for the LMR spring.

.0035" runout is the max suggested for gear drive cams. The backlash tolerance on the gears is so tight that if you get much more than .0035", you will have to install the gears so loose that they will be noisy. The oil pump can tolerate the .0035" runout and a bit and the chain drive is more forgiving than gears but if the runout starts to approach .006" or more, even though the chains will accomodate, the oil pump will not.

There are kits available on Ebay from American Classic Motors with everything needed for the chain conversion plus your choice an an Andrews cam should you consider going that route. You will need the "conversion" cam to go with the late cam plate, or you can install the SE Hybrid kit that will allow the use of the early style OEM cams. The chain kit is much easier to install than the gear drives; no gears or bearings to press on/off and no setting gear lash or bothering with under/over size gears to achieve the required lash. Although I must say that there is something to be said for outer cam journals being supported by roller/ball bearings than bronze bushings.

Check outhttp://stores.ebay.com/AMERICAN-CLASSIC-MOTORS/Engine-Transmission-Primary-/_i.html?_nkw=andrews+cams&submit=Search&_fsub=6&_s id=35434650 before you pull the trigger. If going with a cam plate upgrade, I would suggest the SE billet plate over the OEM plate; the outer cam journals are supported by bronze bushings in the billet plate but in the cam plate parent material in the OEM plate. I have seen excessive wear in the OEM plate in less than 10K miles. JMHO

Edit: If you decide to replace tensioners and inner cam bearings and retain the OEM cam running gear drive cams, check out CYCO's replacement tensioner http://www.harleydavidsontensioner.com/. Cheaper than OEM replacement and will last much longer without worries of catastrophic failure.

 

I have decided to go w/ gear drive ,in fact I ordered it from american classic motors. The whole kit w/ lifters, push rods and gear drive. what is this about setting gears for gear drive? I just thought they would bolt up in place of chain drive gears. If they have to be indexed or set per certain specs what am I looking at. after watching hour long video on cam installation from start to finish I thought i was ready. Now were talking .035 clearance or closer between gears. how is this accomblished with a center mounting bolt? are gear centers not round Help me please. i am about ready to pull out remaining hairs.
Tony

 

Inner and outer gear lash must be checked to insure a quiet installation. Tolerances are much closer than .035"; how about .0005"-.001". Several ways to check; I like plastigage or another approach I use is to clamp one of the inner gears with a C-clamp so it can't move, set up the dial indicator on the other gear and check that way. I have never had much luck wiht the Andrews method in the instructions below. Andrews makes over/under size gears if required. If too tight, bad juju, worst case, stuff breaks; best case the gears whine and the noise can be annoying. If too loose, also noisy but a "klak-klak-klak" noise instead of a whine. I know guys that have removed gears and reverted to chains because they couldn't handle the noise. I know there are those that press the gears on, never check lash and let her rip but that's not the way to do it. Just me, but I would have gone with chains, much easier and no hassle.

Check the link for install instructions; good luck. http://www.andrewsproducts.com/PDF_f...-1999-2006.pdf

 

Looser lash is better than too tight lash. Worst case, as was said above, looser means they're noisier throughout the rpm range. ( Ticking, clacking.)

Properly set, you get only a ticking noise at idle, and they're as silent as a chain when the lash is properly set any any rpm above that.

I would guess that most installs do not require getting a larger, ( or smaller,) gear for a proper installation.

 

Thanks guys!!!! I really like dig the link to the Andrews instalation instructions that will really help. Let me get this clear is backlash the back and forth free play of each gear or the distance between the gears where they meet each other? i sound dumb but never did this and i want to do it right.
Thanks Tony

 

Look at the instructions and the setup for checking. You will see that the dial indicator is measuring the movement of one gear against another gear that is fixed so it cannot move. It's PITA, as you will find out. Plus the delay should you have to order and wait for an over or undersize gear. If installed with correct lash, you won't hear anything except a slight whine once everything heats up and expands. The gear drives in my 95" don't make as much noise as the OEM chain drives did. Crank had .0025" runout and the standard size gears worked but were set up on the tight side of the lash spec. No issues in 15K miles. On the other hand, the gears in my 107" FLHT were never quiet so I pulled them and converted to chains. After making that conversion, I will not run gears again; there is just no reason to do it.

 

And you're "mocking up" the gears with no assembly lube, ( in order to properly measure the lash,) knowing full well you may have to pull it apart and get a different sized gear, as djl has said.

It's fun though when they're set up right the first time, and now 25,000 miles later I still don't have a reason to peek into the cam chest!

I have the hot forged crank with a Timken Bearing supporting it in my '00. That's not available after '02. In that I have decided to stick with '00 to '02 for my future bikes, ( I love these engines!) I would go with another set of gear drives in a minute, given that I ride a solid 20,000 miles year in, year out.

If I had a newer bike, ( like a cast crank 07 and newer for example,) I would definitely go with chains. ( It's simply not as stout a bottom end as the '99 -'02 models.)

Let us know how it goes, Good Luck!

 

i have had failure of tensioners ans cam bearings and oil pump ....i need to take oil pan off for cleaning on my 04 road glide tc88 but the frame has a welded cross brace on it and it looks like even if i pull the rear wheel it still wont come off....anyone with the same issue or if you have some pointers it would be cool to hear from you....
so the motor is out and at the rebuilders for a 95in , se 203 cam, se came plate and hydrolic tensioner, true duals with D&D's,and a power comander upgrade....any imput on hp expectations....i've been told 90-95 when done???

 

If the cross member is not bent, the pan will come out; it's a bitch but it will come out. If the cross member is bent, you will need to straighten it.

If it's not bent, you will need to remove the rear wheel, etc., loosen the front motor mount and jack the engine up a bit; doesn't take much. Remove all the pan bolts. There are two springs that hold the baffle down against the bottom of the pan; they are stout buggers. You will need to depress the springs and slide something flat, thin and strong between the springs and the trans case to slide the pan back. It's a PITA and you will swear that you will never get the pan out but it will come out. Once you get it out, toss the old pan, baffle and springs and replace it with the later pan that has the baffle built in; no springs. It will slide right in and bolt right up. You can try re-installilng the old pan but once you remove it and think about how you will have to install it, you will spend the $60 or so for the new pan.

If the cross member is bent, you will need to straighten it. You can use a length of 1X2 channel that will span the lower frame rails, drill two 9/16" holes to center on the holes in the member. Machine a washer that is about 3/16" thick and larger than the frame holes. Thread them for 1/2-13 threads. Slip the washers over the frame member and hold the channel in place while you thread two 1/2-13 bolts into the washers. Tighten the bolts until the frame member is pulled down to the channel. See the pictures.


TruTrack http://www.true-track.com/tt_20-00et.html makes a tool for straightening the cross member if you don't have fabrication skills/equipment or access to same.

I know one guy that cut his cross member out and welded flanges to it so he coule R/R the cross member as needed. There is some debate regarding the purpose of the cross member and the prevailing thinking seems to be that the cross member simply keeps the frame from spreading at that point. I can't find the pictures but if I had seen his mod, I would have done it in a heartbeat. Good luck.