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Howdy,
Many owners just buy and ride. Some start tinkering with stuff. And when stuff breaks, is it because stuff was messed with? Most likely.
If you leave EVERYTHING alone...some M8 motors go 100K miles with no issues.
Back story: at 5K miles a HD447 cam was installed. Original plastic cuffs reinstalled. SAVE money
at 20K miles the lifter cuff cracked on 2 sides, allowed the lifter to rotate 90° and DESTROY the entire engine. Metal shavings pumped into the entire engine. Customer rode the bike in for service.
IMHO, If you are that far into the cam chest kit, replace the cuffs. For less than $100 replace to avoid replacing the entire engine.
BTW, NOT my bike. My buddy at service dealer has it on display. The cuff cracked on both sides
Howdy,
Many owners just buy and ride. Some start tinkering with stuff. And when stuff breaks, is it because stuff was messed with? Most likely.
If you leave EVERYTHING alone...some M8 motors go 100K miles with no issues.
Back story: at 5K miles a HD447 cam was installed. Original plastic cuffs reinstalled. SAVE money
at 20K miles the lifter cuff cracked on 2 sides, allowed the lifter to rotate 90° and DESTROY the entire engine. Metal shavings pumped into the entire engine. Customer rode the bike in for service.
IMHO, If you are that far into the cam chest kit, replace the cuffs. For less than $100 replace to avoid replacing the entire engine.
BTW, NOT my bike. My buddy at service dealer has it on display.
The cuff cracked on both sides
Hate to tell you but as others have said, that was a lifter failure first, and continued running engine with a failing lifter broke the Cuff, not the other way around. Your buddy got sold a bill of goods.
people dont understand that plastic doesnt like heat cycling. it gets brittle. why anyone wouldnt want to replace these, while theyre in there, is beyond me.
Howdy,
Many owners just buy and ride. Some start tinkering with stuff. And when stuff breaks, is it because stuff was messed with? Most likely.
If you leave EVERYTHING alone...some M8 motors go 100K miles with no issues.
Back story: at 5K miles a HD447 cam was installed. Original plastic cuffs reinstalled. SAVE money
at 20K miles the lifter cuff cracked on 2 sides, allowed the lifter to rotate 90° and DESTROY the entire engine. Metal shavings pumped into the entire engine. Customer rode the bike in for service.
IMHO, If you are that far into the cam chest kit, replace the cuffs. For less than $100 replace to avoid replacing the entire engine.
BTW, NOT my bike. My buddy at service dealer has it on display.
The cuff cracked on both sides
Hate to tell you but as others have said, that was a lifter failure first, and continued running engine with a failing lifter broke the Cuff, not the other way around. Your buddy got sold a bill of goods.
people dont understand that plastic doesnt like heat cycling. it gets brittle.
And some people don`t understand that composite materials have been successfully used for engine components since the `60s.
Originally Posted by evildiesel
why anyone wouldnt want to replace these, while theyre in there, is beyond me.
As you say, it`s beyond you, but to many experienced engine builders and mechanics they are a solution to a problem that does not exist, as are a lot of things on the aftermarket.
I`m in the process of replacing lifters in my `22 Tri Glide right now; I`m not putting a wrench to those lifter cuff screws, in fact, I didn`t even remove the chrome covers...
But those S&S lifter cuffs certainly do look cool.
Last edited by Dan89FLSTC; Apr 15, 2025 at 08:07 AM.
Yes... I changed my cuffs... Was it necessary... I don't really think so. First... Yes plastic gets brittle over time... But there is not stress on these things. They are guides, and they move around. The bushing allows for it. It does not have to be "strong" for anything. They just sit there and keep lifter aligned.
And yes, I did my 23, and it seems they have the ridiculous thread glue on cuff bolts figured out cause mine came out easy peasy. And yes... On my 2020... I snapped the second one. And besides the ridiculous thread glue... You have no idea just how soft those bolts are. Absolutely ridiculous. 4 hours of my life I won't get back freaking out the whole time I was going to snap a easy out or drill bit.
So yes, that is absolutely a risk you take. And in the end, is it worth it... I can't say it was. I probably fixed something that wasn't broke. The temptation though is that cool new lifter cuffs are so cheap. $80 is nothing "while you are in there"... But is it necessary... No.
Last edited by Powermankw; Apr 15, 2025 at 10:08 AM.
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Insurance to change OEM plastic cuffs
