Cam question
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6th Gear
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Northern Virginia
Cam question
I installed a stage 3, 103" kit inmy 08 RKC. It came with SE 259 Cams. Also have an HD stage 1 air cleaner, V&H headers, Bassani mufflers, and HD super race tuner, and Oil Bud oil cooler.
I love the performance, can live with the reduced gas mileage. I don't like the oil usage, bout a qt every 700-800 mi. Also don't like the chatter from the valves and increased heat.
Considering swapping cams for SE 211s.
What impact would that have on performance, oil usage, heat, and valve noise?
Need advise before I make the decision and drop the $$.
Would you guys recommend a different cam?
I love the performance, can live with the reduced gas mileage. I don't like the oil usage, bout a qt every 700-800 mi. Also don't like the chatter from the valves and increased heat.
Considering swapping cams for SE 211s.
What impact would that have on performance, oil usage, heat, and valve noise?
Need advise before I make the decision and drop the $$.
Would you guys recommend a different cam?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,732
Likes: 9,241
From: Snow Hill, NC
That cam??? i saw it for the first time 2 weeks ago...Not sure that has any effect on oil usage??? I may be wrong but to me that seems more like a piston ring issue than the cams???
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 68
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From: Connecticut
a quart of oil every 700-800 miles ??? Something is wrong. fix the oil problem first and then think about other mods. gas mileage should not go down either. probably needs a tune along with the new rings and or pistons. dsv
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Noises don't travel well over the internet! Far easier to study them in person. I recommend visiting a local tuning shop and discussing it with them. If anything needs fixing then fix it and get it properly tuned. Oil consumption could be rings or valves, valve clatter may be lifters.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 9,165
Likes: 1,910
From: Doghouse... mostly
Did you install the rings in the proper configuration? Not talking about proper placement in the piston itself but proper placement of the gaps. The 259e cam is a just higher lift version of the 211. In your RKC, I'd stay with the 259e. JMO.
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,776
Likes: 2,607
From: san antonio
Address the oil consumption issue first; burning through a quart every 700-800 miles is not acceptable. A compression and leak down test are in order to collect some data but you need to pull the top end. Check ring installation to see if you have the second ring upside down but plan on tossing the ring pack and installing a new one. Have the cylinders lightly honed and have piston to cylinder clearance checked proplerly in torque plates. Have the cylinder bore checked for taper and true in torque plates.
Have the heads disassembled and check valve stem to guide clearance and have the guide seals replaced.
You should find the problem in the process. Have the new rings gapped and put her back togehter. Run a couple of short heat cycles, like a minute, letting the engine completely cool down between each cycle; listen for weird noises and look for leaks. Check out the Motoman breakin procedure and follow it or something close to it. It takes heat and compression to seat the rings but they should seat in the first 50 miles. Problem should be solved.
Then decide what you want to do with cams.
Have the heads disassembled and check valve stem to guide clearance and have the guide seals replaced.
You should find the problem in the process. Have the new rings gapped and put her back togehter. Run a couple of short heat cycles, like a minute, letting the engine completely cool down between each cycle; listen for weird noises and look for leaks. Check out the Motoman breakin procedure and follow it or something close to it. It takes heat and compression to seat the rings but they should seat in the first 50 miles. Problem should be solved.
Then decide what you want to do with cams.
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6th Gear
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 14
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From: Northern Virginia
That sounds expensive. I began having this problem after installing the 103" kit. I convinced the service mgr at the dealership that there was a problem with the rings. They finally took it apart and found I was right. There was a slight gap where the piston ring comes together. They r&r at no charge. Problem did improve but oil usage continues. Especially if I ride hard (3600 rims or higher, 90 mph or higher), which I do occasionally.
I did Sturgis this year, 4100 mi. Used 5 quarts.
Bike runs good but this bugs me. I have 66,000 mi and want to keep the bike a long time.
I did Sturgis this year, 4100 mi. Used 5 quarts.
Bike runs good but this bugs me. I have 66,000 mi and want to keep the bike a long time.
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A compression and leakdown test won't be expensive at all, and very will might save you some bigger money down the road, if it points to a problem that can be addressed now.
Oil consumption isn't normal, as has already been stated. Your valvetrain noise might decrease with a different cam, the 211s would work in your build, and very probably be less noisy. I don't really think of the 259s as noisy, but I'm running Woods 8s in my bike, almost anything else is quiet by comparison. I like 211s, and they're fairly quiet, and if you've got stock heads, you probably won't lose much compared to the 259s you've already got.
I'd also strongly advise you to talk to a reputable builder before you start changing parts *****-nilly. The advice you get from these forums can be all over the place, but the one thing you can count on, if you get bad advice from some dude on the forum, he won't be there to help put the pieces back together if it goes wrong.
Oil consumption isn't normal, as has already been stated. Your valvetrain noise might decrease with a different cam, the 211s would work in your build, and very probably be less noisy. I don't really think of the 259s as noisy, but I'm running Woods 8s in my bike, almost anything else is quiet by comparison. I like 211s, and they're fairly quiet, and if you've got stock heads, you probably won't lose much compared to the 259s you've already got.
I'd also strongly advise you to talk to a reputable builder before you start changing parts *****-nilly. The advice you get from these forums can be all over the place, but the one thing you can count on, if you get bad advice from some dude on the forum, he won't be there to help put the pieces back together if it goes wrong.