Cam Tensioners
Thread Starter
|
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 735
Likes: 5
From: Bluffton,SC
Cam Tensioners
Well, was bored tonight decided I'd finally (21K milage 06 Fxst) pull the cover and have a look. Not a hard thing to do didn't even have to pull the exhaust. Whew was I relieved when I looked. Not even worn at all. I'll put a new gasket on and think I'll have another look at 30K.
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 726
Likes: 3
From: Pacific Northwest
Did you get a look at the back one? I think that's the one they say you have to look out for. They say it takes quite a bit a disassembly to inspect but I thought I saw a thread where the inspection was done with a dental mirror. I have an '06 with 15k and probably need to take a look at mine too. And if they're worn, then the question....gear driven cams or the hydraulic tensioner?
edit: Here's the thread with the dental mirror inspection: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...88-03-rkc.html
edit: Here's the thread with the dental mirror inspection: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...88-03-rkc.html
Last edited by gforrest2; Feb 6, 2011 at 12:21 AM.
Former Sponsor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 19,364
Likes: 40
From: Los Angeles, CA
The inner one always wears faster than the outer. I'll be working on a bike that had complete tensioner failure next saturday and get some pics to boot. this bike has 15K on it I think. We have no idea what to expect at this point in time with this bike. But the picture of the ball bearings that came out of the cam chest is enough to give me the ******.
Drew
Drew
ditto that...inner one wears faster most of the time. It can be looked at with a dental mirror, and you can also use a dental pick to get a feel for our deep the groove is.
On 05 RK changed mine out at around 40K, the inner one was worn, but not too badly.
Oh, another thing is sometimes there is not much "wear" as in, not too much of a groove, but they can get brittle and break up.
If you're out of warranty, this is one thing it is probably best to play it safe on!
On 05 RK changed mine out at around 40K, the inner one was worn, but not too badly.
Oh, another thing is sometimes there is not much "wear" as in, not too much of a groove, but they can get brittle and break up.
If you're out of warranty, this is one thing it is probably best to play it safe on!
__________________
DKCustomProducts.com
DKCustomProducts.com
Thread Starter
|
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 735
Likes: 5
From: Bluffton,SC
Yeah, I looked at the inner one also. As much as I can see it looks good too. I used a little mechanic mirror. I can't move it away from the chain as I can with the front. But what I can see there is no grove's in it.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,453
Likes: 249
As a matter of interest how often do these things fall apart? and how often are you surposed to check them? in the book you get from Harleys when you buy the bike they dont even get a mention.
Trending Topics
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,733
Likes: 38
From: Linden, NC
I swapped out to gear drive a little before 30k miles, and the tensioners had worn away about 1/4 of the tensioner pad. However, one of the tensioners was wearing off to one side (not in the middle of the tensioner) and the chain was wearing on the tensioner bracket, and making a noise similar to a small stone hitting the inside of the fender.
Last edited by Weevil; Feb 6, 2011 at 08:44 AM.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider
Verdad Gallardo
