When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Primary/Transmission/Driveline/ClutchFind answers to general powertrain, primary and transmission. Have clutch issues and need suggestions? Post them here.
I use to do a lot of hobby work on Harleys. Never for money. Couple friends of mine decided they wanted to try the auto tensioner. They bought 3 and gave me one for my 04 for the labor.
Within the year, they read on here about them all running too tight. Convinced me from just the hear say. I removed their's and like you found them appearing too tight
They wanted the old one back in and what I did . That winter bored and that on my mind, I inspected my cam tensioners and pulled primary to looked closely how the primary auto tensioner worked.
One of my concerns was that my primary chain and sprockets had some runout making one area quite tight
I just by then was fed up with it and put my manual one in. I sold all three auto-tensioners on Ebay. They were the new design b version with the relief in an area for no teeth.
They said the earliest first version sometimes stuck. Not sure about that either.
Tin men love starting Harley rumor problems. How they make a living.
If one listened to them, they would think a new Harley would need to be pushed home. Everyone knows they won't even run till you put a tuner, cams and an exhaust system on them .
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Nov 13, 2023 at 12:41 PM.
I use to do a lot of hobby work on Harleys. Never for money. Couple friends of mine decided they wanted to try the auto tensioner. They bought 3 and gave me one for my 04 for the labor.
Within the year, they read on here about them all running too tight. Convinced me from just the hear say. I removed their's and like you found them appearing too tight
They wanted the old one back in and what I did . That winter bored and that on my mind, I inspected my cam tensioners and pulled primary to looked closely how the primary auto tensioner worked.
One of my concerns was that my primary chain and sprockets had some runout making one area quite tight
I just by then was fed up with it and put my manual one in. I sold all three auto-tensioners on Ebay. They were the new design b version with the relief in an area for no teeth.
They said the earliest first version sometimes stuck. Not sure about that either.
Tin men love starting Harley rumor problems. How they make a living.
If one listened to them, they would think a new Harley would need to be pushed home. Everyone knows they won't even run till you put a tuner, cams and an exhaust system on them .
Been my pleasure reading your posts....
Thanks Jackie Paper
what kind of inspection interval is required? 10k? 20k? etc?
Please keep us posted on how it performs going forward after some serious miles are logged on the bike.
That is the manual tensioner we installed in the 2011 RK. Seems to be on the expensive side but if you do your own work it costs not much more than a good fluid change. I know there are those that feel the auto tensioners do a good job. We did my 2000STC and the RK side by side. We found my chain at 7/8 cold but found the RK chain so tight it couldn't be moved. Regarding the inspection protocol I would check it the same as a stock manual tensioner from the SM
Top photo RK with upgraded manual tensioner 7/8 cold
Botton photo OEM tensioner as we found it, no slack
Last edited by Wagondog; Nov 18, 2023 at 11:38 AM.
What's your friend's thoughts on noise from the new tensioner? I run a Hayden and it's very quiet but I'm always thinking there's something better out there. I tried the screaming eagle tensioner but it sounded like a cement mixer lol...it came out a couple hundred miles later.
I'm using a Hayden. LOVE it. Very quiet compared to OEM.
I just bought a Softail Custom 96ci and ofcourse it had a bad compensator. Since here in EU this is not as easy task as in US I searched Ebay and was lucky enough, to I fimd a slightly used Man o war sprocket here in EU for a bit more than $400. When I opened the primary the chain was a bit on tight side but nothing to worry about. So I decided to make a bump stop like the one sold for around 70$ ( https://www.evolution-industries.com...ter-bump-stop/) from a piece of angled metal. It works great for now, primary is quieter than before and there is no worry that it will overtension.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
