He might be referring to the Gear Drive...which is better than SE tensioners. Much more expensive too, providing the run-out was within specs. Ask if they put in gear drive.

Btw, if the tensioners explode, chances are the motor will get trashed. JMO

 

The dealer or somebody must have a record of what procedure was performed. Ask the owner how much he paid to have the work done, the upgrade kit used to cost about $500.00, and then their labor. I paid an indy about $900.00 to do my 05 Wide Glide, but that included all new gaskets for anything he touched.

 

1. the cam chain tensioner is a part of the cam drive. The cam drive includes a chain driven by the crankshaft, which drives one of the camshafts. There is an additional chain drive between the two camshafts. Both chains have cam chain tensioners. Early ones wore through the pressure pads on the tensioners.

2. If left too long the metal backing of the tensioners contacts the metal chain, resulting in metal particles working their way through the engine, with catastrophic results.

3. Later spec stock cam tensioners are greatly improved, last a great deal longer than the originals and are a valid upgrade. There are several more grand upgrades available, including a completely new SE cam drive assembly, or aftermarket gear-drive cams, both of which come with an upgraded oil pump as a bonus. Until the twin cams all Harleys had gear-drive cams.

Hope that helps. You can see the cam drive assembly on-line here.

 

Someone said if I had the VIN that I could go to an HD site to find out what services were done to the bike.

I went to:
https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson.com

Typed in the VIN but all that was returned was:
VIN 1HD1BXB181Y058100
Model name 2001 FAT BOY (FLSTFI)
Model year 2001

(Which tells me nothing about how the cam issue was addressed)

So it looks like an '01, not an '02 so now I'm wondering if it's FI or carburetor?
Also what is FLSTFI? Hopefully the FI at the end means fuel injection?

 

FL= (16inch wheels both ends,normally!) ,ST= (SOFTAIL) F (FATBOY) ,I =(INJECTED)

 

Well, if the previous owner had all the work done at a HD dealer....you'd be able to check vin for recalls, bulletins and service. But if he took the bike to an indie there probably won't be any records of service except receipts. JMO

 

What cam issue?

 

I was told he took it to a dealer. I called the dealer but they won't give me the information, said he has to be the one to call so I passed the info on.


Not an issue but rather what was replaced and what components were used.

 

The I in FLSTFI does mean injected, although it's the earlier MM injection rather than the later Delphi. An alternative to expensive billet camplates are stock 07 and later camplates, which uses a hydraulicly operated tensioner instead of a spring loaded one, like yours were originally equipped with. I got one off eBay for $100 complete with the oil pump. Bolted right on, but you have to use a conversion cam. In my case an Andrews cam with an N suffix (21N, 26N, etc.). The later plates do not use a bearing, so the cams have a different o.d..

 

All softtails were Delphi, even the 2001.. While 2001 was the last year for MM on the touring models, I understand some 2002 road king standards were still MM but have not seen one.. My 2002 RKC is delphi but it has a MM fuel tank on it and the fuel return line is plugged.