cam chain quides
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Stage II
Joined: Apr 2009
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cam chain quides
Hi I own an '06' fatboy. twin cam 88". I'm getting ready to replace the cam chain quides as there well over due. I have a manuel which I've read several times. The job seems fairly simple. My question is since I didn't hear about this from harley I just heard about it in some bar are there any other little maintainence items I should know about? I was looking at the balancer chain guides. Should they be done at the same time?
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
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From: Bedford UK
A bar is not a good place to learn about such stuff! However it is true that your bike may have problems with its cam timing chains. The tensioner pads are known to wear and can eventually fail, which in turn can eventually cause extensive engine damage.
There are various ways of getting around this. One solution is to simply change the tensioners for new ones and keep the rest of your hardware, assuming there is no damage. An alternative is to replace the entire cam drive with an upgrade kit, which gives you the same set-up introduced by Harley on the TC96s. Harley makes a kit which comes with hydraulic tensioners, to replace the spring ones you currently have, plus a new high performance oil pump.
There are other brands of kit available, as alternatives to the HD one, even gear-drive cams. This is also an opportunity to change your stock cams for after-market ones, so you get a boost of performance as a bonus!
Before you do anything, I recommend you do a little more research here on HDF. Go to the Softail forum and use 'Search this forum', then 'Advanced search'. Enter 'can tensioners' when you will get some softail specific threads on the subject. There are 40 and it isn't necessary to read them all, but you should get a better measure of what to do and what you are letting yourself in for.
There are various ways of getting around this. One solution is to simply change the tensioners for new ones and keep the rest of your hardware, assuming there is no damage. An alternative is to replace the entire cam drive with an upgrade kit, which gives you the same set-up introduced by Harley on the TC96s. Harley makes a kit which comes with hydraulic tensioners, to replace the spring ones you currently have, plus a new high performance oil pump.
There are other brands of kit available, as alternatives to the HD one, even gear-drive cams. This is also an opportunity to change your stock cams for after-market ones, so you get a boost of performance as a bonus!
Before you do anything, I recommend you do a little more research here on HDF. Go to the Softail forum and use 'Search this forum', then 'Advanced search'. Enter 'can tensioners' when you will get some softail specific threads on the subject. There are 40 and it isn't necessary to read them all, but you should get a better measure of what to do and what you are letting yourself in for.
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,780
Likes: 2,609
From: san antonio
Hi I own an '06' fatboy. twin cam 88". I'm getting ready to replace the cam chain quides as there well over due. I have a manuel which I've read several times. The job seems fairly simple. My question is since I didn't hear about this from harley I just heard about it in some bar are there any other little maintainence items I should know about? I was looking at the balancer chain guides. Should they be done at the same time?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,640
Likes: 6,445
From: Honah Lee
They are designed to last life of the motor, it's a roller chain unlike your link cam chain, so once it ever grooves in, it rolls, they guides are large and hydraulic tensioned. The case needs split, and it is a major job. Those two shoes tension it and that large one on the bottom is huge. When you do your cam tensioners, be sure to pull the oil pump apart and inspect for end clearance in the case were the twin gyros run and replace the o-ring. The end play is critical for enough oil pressure thru 100K or you will loose your connecting rod pin bushings. Remember the pump gets unfiltered oil from both directions. Also be sure to pull the screen for the oil for the balance chain oil supply. Screen part located at 7 o'clock in the cam galley behind cam plate.. How many miles do you have? Be sure to post some pictures.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Sep 14, 2018 at 11:06 AM.
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