I have a 1999 Electra glide. I am replacing the stock cam tensioner, oil pump with hydraulic tensioner set up. Can I eliminate, bypass the cam position sensor, as the new set up has no. place on the cam gear for the pickup to sense of off?

 

I was hoping somebody else would respond with positive knowledge but I don't think you can do it easily. It sounds like a lot of retro-fitting

 

I know this is kinda late but incase you still wanna know, or any one else in the future...
You can eliminate the cam position sensor if you replace your ignition with a '01 or

later ignition(they only need the crank position sensor) or you can order the new

style cam chain sprocked (for the new style chain) with a cam sonsor pick-up from andrews cams. Part #216015

 

the new parts should be ok... I think it picks up from the pinion gear and not the chain....if u order parts specific for your engine and year, it should be ok to run the cam sensor. I installed gear drive back 3 months ago and didn't change anything. called s&s to make sure that I didn't need to change anything and was told that it works with the pinion gear.....hope that helps.....

 

Thanks for the reply, I got the gears I needed from a local and it is up and running. But the more I know for the future the better

 

I am not sure how it works but the ECM uses the two pickups for pre-ignition detection (guess it retards timing). Later models use the Delphi Compression Sense Ignition which reduces the need for a cam sensor paired up with a crank sensor with a sensor built into the coil. If you just do away with it, it could affect timing but not a clue in what way. Since you say it runs good, probably what you now do not have is something to keep it from pinging if you put bad gas in it.

This is how the later system work and is from a Delphi engineer and I quote....

Ripsaw, Just got back from GY, reason for any delay. Not sure of your applications but Delphi has Compression Sense Ignition which reduces the need for a cam sensor paired up with a crank sensor.

From the internet - A compression sense ignition system includes a sensing capacitor having a conductive sensing element disposed in proximity to the secondary winding leads of a first and a second ignition coil for developing a compression sense ignition signal. Epoxy potting material encapsulates the leads and the sensing element to reduce variation of the effective capacitance of the sensing capacitor. The compression sense ignition signal is processed to generate a cylinder identification signal which is used to determine absolute engine position. A fault mode detection and correction scheme is implemented wherein a controller responsive to the cylinder identification signal can determine correct absolute engine position notwithstanding the occurrence of one or more engine or ignition system faults which may impair the cylinder identification signal.

If I am overcomplicating things and this is not what you were asking,
From internet - Michael Faraday found that moving a conductor in a magnetic field (or by moving the magnet field near a stationary conductor) created a voltage. The wire must be part of an electrical circuit. Otherwise the electrons have no place to go. In other words, there is no electrical current produced with a wire with open ends. But if the ends are attached to a light bulb, to an electrical meter or even to each other, the circuit is complete and electrical current is created.

Basically we have individual coils for each plug or coil per cylinder, or coils that fire the target plug on compression and a waste spark on another cylinder, or coilds that fire 2 plugs per cylinder as either a compression only or waste spark system. They all basically work the same way.

The coil will have 3 connections for 2 coil windings. B+ and C- or coil trigger fires the primary voltage circuit and per the internet cut and paste a secondary voltage is induced in the secondary winding. Turns ratio (secondary to primary magnet wire turns) determines the output voltage. Length of magnet wire on the secondary winding determines the burn time in milliseconds. More secondary turns= higher output voltage and longer secondary windings mean the spark burn longer.

Bottom line is the coil has a diode in the secondary circuit which will only allow the current to flow from the grounded end of the secondary winding to the spark plug or ground based on Faraday's Law.