I was just reading an article in AIM and the guy said that you should be replacing your lifters every 25k miles. I'm wondering if he's just talking about older models with solid lifters or ?? I've check the factory service manual for my Dyna an I don't see that anywhere as regularly scheduled maint. Is this guy just smoking something or ??

 

Smokin' something... I don't see anything on it for my '08 FXSTC.

 

Personally, I'd run them until they get noisy. That will likely be a lot more than 25k. If you are doing an engine build, then maybe slap in a new set for a fresh start. I mean realistically, wtf good are they if they only go 25k?
Ron

 

Well it makes no sense to me that hydraulic lifters would only last 25k . .I mean it's not like this is new technology and they last a lot longer than that in my cars. You can't even argue the oil issue because modern harley's have oil filters, etc.

I'll have to read the article again . .but I'm pretty sure that there was no qualification in it of "what kind" of lifters.

 

I replaced my lifters on '93 softail, with 58000+ miles, and was told by indie shop owner that it would be a good idea to do so. He told me that failure could be catastrophic to lower end. I examined the old ones, and they looked fine, not loose, or binding. Hope this helps

 

If you are doing a build with that many miles on it, I wouldn't hesitate to change them. (not expensive). They do fail sometimes.

But I surely wouldn't tear a bike apart to do it just because they may fail.

 

The Dude had stock in the lifter company maybe?

 

Twin Cam lifters are exact copies of small block Chevy lifters. They run in the average SBC for waaay over 100k miles with no problems.

 

The reason their recommended is because the evo had replaceable lifter blocks where the twin cam does not. Based on this if it does self destruct it will take out the lower end as lifter blocks cannot be replacedin the twin cam, leave em in, its no biggie. But do replace em whenever you replacing your cams.

 

Now alls we have to do is compare spring tensions on Harley heads vs Chevy heads. Many people beef up the springs in the HD heads, all though this time around I have the stockers. Not sure how they compare to chevys. But I have indeed read about enough HD lifter failures that I would pay the low price for replacements (if my motor was apart for a build or cam change).