GEAR DRIVES
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: SW Iowa
RE: GEAR DRIVES
At 38k my bike started developing a slight tapping and I got concerned about my lifters and the chain. Made arrangements to have the conversion done.
Screaming Eagle Stage I breather (no brainer, so I did this)
Andrews timing gear conversion
Andrews cams (not sure what numbers...)
Twin Tech 'tunable chip'
Samson Tru-Dual headers (one per side) & 'mufflers' (yeah, right)
Otherwise my '04 FLHTPI is stock. The above added a 'felt' 30% more hp and torque...
(Gotta get it on a dyno...)
[8D]
Screaming Eagle Stage I breather (no brainer, so I did this)
Andrews timing gear conversion
Andrews cams (not sure what numbers...)
Twin Tech 'tunable chip'
Samson Tru-Dual headers (one per side) & 'mufflers' (yeah, right)
Otherwise my '04 FLHTPI is stock. The above added a 'felt' 30% more hp and torque...
(Gotta get it on a dyno...)
[8D]
Thread Starter
|
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,272
Likes: 83
From: Southern California
RE: GEAR DRIVES
ORIGINAL: Calling Fox
At 38k my bike started developing a slight tapping and I got concerned about my lifters and the chain. Made arrangements to have the conversion done.
Screaming Eagle Stage I breather (no brainer, so I did this)
Andrews timing gear conversion
Andrews cams (not sure what numbers...)
Twin Tech 'tunable chip'
Samson Tru-Dual headers (one per side) & 'mufflers' (yeah, right)
Otherwise my '04 FLHTPI is stock. The above added a 'felt' 30% more hp and torque...
(Gotta get it on a dyno...)
[8D]
At 38k my bike started developing a slight tapping and I got concerned about my lifters and the chain. Made arrangements to have the conversion done.
Screaming Eagle Stage I breather (no brainer, so I did this)
Andrews timing gear conversion
Andrews cams (not sure what numbers...)
Twin Tech 'tunable chip'
Samson Tru-Dual headers (one per side) & 'mufflers' (yeah, right)
Otherwise my '04 FLHTPI is stock. The above added a 'felt' 30% more hp and torque...
(Gotta get it on a dyno...)
[8D]
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: SW Iowa
RE: GEAR DRIVES
BTW, the tapping I had heard was NOT the lifters or chain. one of the cam bearings was worn allowing the cam to wobble. The tensioner shoes had about 6000 miles (estimate)left to them. New inner and outer cam bearings were going in with the new cams anyway and were included in the costs.
(Let's see, did I leave anything out...?)[&:]
[8D]
(Let's see, did I leave anything out...?)[&:]
[8D]
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,530
Likes: 0
From: Diamond Bar, California
RE: GEAR DRIVES
I pulled my cams out at 2300 miles, I just felt the the INA crap inner bearings + the chain tenioners was just too big of a gamble to put realy any amount of mileage on.
so, HQ cams and S$S gears with torrington inner bearings= many worrie free miles
and alot of "smiles" per hour.
so, HQ cams and S$S gears with torrington inner bearings= many worrie free miles
and alot of "smiles" per hour.
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 621
Likes: 0
From: Newport TN
RE: GEAR DRIVES
But for every " I put in gear drive " there is 1000 bikes that are still chain driven and there are very VERY few bikes with tensioner damage!
And there are alot of bikes like mine that is above 65K and the tensioners are still good.
If you are building a Harley Hot Rod then go gears, If your building a 90MPH interstate curiser then go gear. If you are just a hiway miler arround the speed limits then the chain is quite serviceable.
Learn how to check your cam tensioner shoes yourself. It ain't hard and only 10 bucks for gaskets. YOUR 08 has the newest design cam chain system that uses a roller chain and a hydrolic tensioner system instead of the spring tension of the old style. Suspose to be way better.
I suggest you learn about the system you have and how to check your tensioners out and keep an eye on them. Then after you KNOW what YOUR bike is doing yu can make a good decission on what yu want to do. And there are a dozen differnet cam grinds and they all do different things, like more top end but alittle less lower grunt. More low end grunt and alittle less top end. better gas mileage and worse mileage. Better cam for 2 up, better cam for solo redlight racer. Better cam for loading up the bike like a pack mule and have better pulling power. Cams are a major key to all of these, so just don't go gear, go with a great gear driven cam set for what YOU want your bike to do.,
Good luck man
And there are alot of bikes like mine that is above 65K and the tensioners are still good.
If you are building a Harley Hot Rod then go gears, If your building a 90MPH interstate curiser then go gear. If you are just a hiway miler arround the speed limits then the chain is quite serviceable.
Learn how to check your cam tensioner shoes yourself. It ain't hard and only 10 bucks for gaskets. YOUR 08 has the newest design cam chain system that uses a roller chain and a hydrolic tensioner system instead of the spring tension of the old style. Suspose to be way better.
I suggest you learn about the system you have and how to check your tensioners out and keep an eye on them. Then after you KNOW what YOUR bike is doing yu can make a good decission on what yu want to do. And there are a dozen differnet cam grinds and they all do different things, like more top end but alittle less lower grunt. More low end grunt and alittle less top end. better gas mileage and worse mileage. Better cam for 2 up, better cam for solo redlight racer. Better cam for loading up the bike like a pack mule and have better pulling power. Cams are a major key to all of these, so just don't go gear, go with a great gear driven cam set for what YOU want your bike to do.,
Good luck man
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 508
Likes: 14
From: Tallahassee
RE: GEAR DRIVES
tda69:
One other point to mention. I see a bagger behind you. The noise from gear drive cams is not too noticeable on a "open" bike becasuse of wind noise. On a bagger the fairing seem to "amplify" the gear noise. I have a friend that put gear drive cames in his 06 EG. The bike runs great but there is significant noise. You really have to turn up the tunes. For that reason I have not yet decided to go to gear drive or not when I do my 103 build later this year.
Just something else to think about.
Doug
One other point to mention. I see a bagger behind you. The noise from gear drive cams is not too noticeable on a "open" bike becasuse of wind noise. On a bagger the fairing seem to "amplify" the gear noise. I have a friend that put gear drive cames in his 06 EG. The bike runs great but there is significant noise. You really have to turn up the tunes. For that reason I have not yet decided to go to gear drive or not when I do my 103 build later this year.
Just something else to think about.
Doug
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Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,942
Likes: 2
From: LAKESIDE CA.
RE: GEAR DRIVES
most of us run some kind of exhaust so the "noise" is not heard or very slight. forme the gain in hp at all speeds and the feeling that I don't hae to worry about the chain are worth every penny (1300 hundred) mine were done an an indy in santee cal.510 SS ..........one day down time
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