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The only problem I have seen with the newer tensioners is on one bike at the dealer had the edges of the stock tensioners starting to melt at 70k miles.
I don't think that there has been a failure like that of the old style tensioners.
Now you can't say the same with the "upgrade" because they don't change the inner chain type, which I have seen eat all the way to the piston on the hydro tensioner.
This is why I went with Andrews conversion cams, which changes the inner chain to roller.
2009 Ultra: 50,000 miles including a lot of riding though twisty back roads with hard shifting and fast on the highways :
hardly any wear on either part. I won't check again until I hit 70k. Note that the rear had LESS wear than the front. The front tensioner put more pressure on the chain than the rear for some reason.
I just caught there was a question about the primary chain tensioner. I looked at that too when putting a new clutch pack in while doing my renovation of my 09. ( some of the clutch disks were burned from my riding style or lack of I guess). The chain was very "snug" against the tensioner, and in fact, I thought way too tight. But when I removed the tensioner and inspected it, it had hardly any wear at all. I mean just about none.
Your results may vary. Past performance cannot predict future results.
Last edited by beammeup; Dec 19, 2015 at 10:59 PM.
My 09 ultra classic has 98,000 miles. At 75,000 miles the cam chain tensioners were replaced for rhe first time and this past July the primary chain tensioners were replaced the first time. I use mobil 1 synthetic 20w50 in the engine and primary and use mobil 1 75w90 in the transmission and change all 3 every 5,000 miles.
You have the upgraded camplate assy. so you should be good. The primary should be good too.
I would change out that stock primary chain adjuster the next time you do the primary fluid. The OEM adjuster has ratchet teeth on it that tighten then don't loosen so it gradually gets tighter and tighter. Baker makes the "Attitude Adjuster" that is spring loaded so adjusts to the load and flex in the chain. My wrench said the primary chain on my '07 RK was very tight before he changed it which can cause abnormal wear on the left side crank shaft bearing.
I was just in a local dealer that I normally don't frequent, shopping around for a price to do my cam chain tensioners on my 05 EGC. I have not done them yet and my bike is hitting about 32K miles.
The service writer there comes out and says "why do you want to change the cam chain tensioners" to which I replied, they've never been changed and when I checked them last year, they were about ready. He started telling me how an 05 has hydraulic tensioners. I politely disagreed with him and told him I checked them last year and they are in fact spring. He insisted they were hydraulic. Needless to say, I think I'll be going to another dealer to have them done.
Big question being....
Do I just replace the worn out tensioners? Or, do the full upgrade? Oil pump, cams, push rods lifters etc? From what I've found, it's about $700-$800 for just the tensioners, double that for the upgrade, and DOUBLE that if I want/can do the gear drives?
I'm getting ready to change the Compensator on my 2010 Street Glide and I'm torn on whether to leave the Auto chain tensioner or replace it with A Baker Attitude Adjuster. I've read all the criteria on the stock ratcheting too tight on earlier versions but also read that 2010 up was modified to prevent this? I also read that manual adjusters are noisy because they have no spring tension to take up for the whipping action in the later primary?
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Primary Chain Attitude Adjuster
