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.
03 FLHT oil pump,cam plate and pinion shaft scoring.
Engine Mechanical TopicsDiscussion for motor builds, cams, head work, stripped bolts and other engine related issues. The good and the bad. If it goes round and around or up and down, post it here.
03 FLHT oil pump,cam plate and pinion shaft scoring.
03 Electra Glide Standard. 45k miles, bought bike with about 29k on it. Engine has always been noisy but kinda brushed it off. Valvetrain noise is very loud from 2,200 rpm on up. Can even hear it on the freeway over wind noise and exhaust. After my most recent oil change found a lot of tensioner material and graphite looking material in the oil. Cut open the filter and decided a tear down was needed. Couldnt put it off any longer. Attached pictures of what I found. Will be checking pinion runout monday. Will report back what I find.
All the scoring on the pinion shaft has me concerned. Depending on runout. If its .004 or less. My plan is to replace tensioner shoes with cycos, replace oil pump with a fueling unit, drop oil pan and flush, do a top end (new valve seals, piston rings, ball hone cyl etc etc)
All this is hinging on the runout reading.
Im wondering if a oil passage could have been plugged? I had the cam chest apart @ 38k. Installed TW21 cams, cam plate bearings and inner cam bearings replaced. Performed the oil pump alignment procedure at that time. Everything checked good.
Will the feuling pump (PN 7010) seal on my camplate with the cam plate mating surface being so scored? Why do all these new style pumps not use a oring between the pump body and cam plate?
Also, tensioners were very worn. But still functioning. No metal on metal there. Another item that has me concerned is the lifter bores. 3 of the 4 are smooth to the touch. But look "frosted" in spots. For a lack of a more precise description, they look foggy.
Attached is the cut open filter. Oil change interval on this filter was about 3500 miles
Looks like a lot of crap when through the pump.. If the lifter bores look good I've go for a stock pump/ plate as mentioned. Unfortunately IIRC you can't get the stock plates anymore.. They cross over to the SE plate.. I wouldn't run the Fueling pump on that plate.
Don't know if an online dealer can come up with the OEM cam plate or not but if they can find one, it is pricey $300+ IIRC. If you do have to cross over to the '07 up cam plate, you will have to replace the cams; early cams won't work in later cam plate. I think I have a plate and pump in good condition, less than 5K miles, in my parts bin. I have been saving them, for what I have no idea but I would let them go for a reasonable price and can probably save you some $$ and can save you some $$ and help sort out the early late parts issue. PM me if interested; I will check to b sure and I can post pictures here or email them to you; can't attach to PMs.
You mentioned "lifter bores". Are you referring to the actual bore that the lifter travels in or the lifter surface?
Bore that the lifter travels in.. I guess you could also look at the lifter surface but the bore is what to worry about..
Actual lifter had some scoring on it, nothing severe. But this is what has me concerned, the "frosted" look of this bore. Looks like oil starvation?
Checked pinion runout using a feuling tool, much to my surprise it was .002
Feuling oil pump arrived yesterday. Looks like a quality unit. It has increased scavenging and volume over the stock pump. Pump part number is 7010 if anybody wants to look it up on their site. I have a baisley lmr 002 spring I was planning on running. Bad idea with this higher flow pump?
As far as the cam plate, I will not be running the plate that I posted pictures of in post #1. That's going in the scrap pile. I worked as a HD tech for a few years back in the mid 2000s and accumulated a fair share of take offs. Luckily I have a good cam plate on the shelf. It has a slight amount of scoring from the oil pump georotors, but much better than the plate coming out the bike now. The
What's really got me pondering bout everything I'm seeing here is. What was the cause of all the damage? Pinion runout good. Cylinder walls looked perfect. Can't see anything wrong in the heads. I've got this thing completely tore down and the only damage I've found is oil pump, cam plate, pinion shaft surface, lifter bore surface and the rear piston wrist pin had deep groves in it where it contacted the piston. Don't have pics of that wrist pin right now, but will post one soon. I believe all this is caused by the failing oil pump. But what ate up the pump?
The conclusion I'm coming too is, perhaps at some point this engine was ran low on oil which started some wear on the oil pump. Which gradually over time it kept eating its self. Sending metal throughout the engine. Oil pump wear got so bad it wasn't able to create enough pressure which made various components starve for oil.
Bore that the lifter travels in.. I guess you could also look at the lifter surface but the bore is what to worry about..
Understood and agree. Just looking for clarification as have seen lifter bores with some surface scoring but not "frosting" but I have seen lifters with surface "frosting". I have removed and replaced several sets of lifters of various brands over the years and have never removed a lifter that had a pristine surface. Not sure I would be too concerned about the lifter bore or lifter surface scoring unless it was severe.
OP might want to check piston cooler jets and blow some high pressure air through the lifter galley ports.
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.
03 FLHT oil pump,cam plate and pinion shaft scoring.
