Well, since putting the apes on and needing to crack the trans cover for the new cable, figured I may as well do the cam tensioner(s) as well while it's all apart and doing a fluid dump. 2013 FLHTCU, so they are hydraulic tensioners. So do I need to buy the whole unit or just pickup a set of replacement pads? Given there are no springs, etc to wear, figured may as well just do the pads. For the record before all the comments come in, yes, eventually I'm going to upgrade and do gear drive cams, but can't afford it right now. Maybe next year along with some other goodies, ie...oil pump, cam plate, etc. But for now, just want to get it done while I can. Just recovered from my first hand surgery and will be going in soon for the next one. Which will leave me unable to ride...but also unable to wrench. I've got most everything needed. o-rings for the drain plug, gaskets for the exhaust, gasket for the cam/trans cover. Is there anything else I'm missing that should get changed out? I know there are quite a few little "fail points" on these engines and it's hard to know them all.

 

If there's less than 80k miles on your bike there's no good reason I can think of to remove the cam cover and do anything with the tensioner shoes.

 

All I keep reading about is how they need to be checked due to failure. I'm a little over 40k that the previous owner put on it. I'm guessing that he also didn't maintain the bike as well as I was told. If the consensus is to leave it for now, I'm good with that. Just one less thing to monkey with. But after seeing/reading some of the failures... well, if it actually does need to be done I'd rather do it now. I know it's got the hydraulic tensioners which also means the pads are a different grade than the older ones.

 

I kinda thought the dire need to swap those pads out ended when they switched material.
If you're going back in this coming winter and going to have hand surgery soon, if it were me, I'd get it back to gather and ride the rest of the summer or until surgery and do everything else after recovery.
If you're really concerned pull the cover off and inspect the outer shoe and make a decision based on its condition.

 

Yeah, that …

 

Well, considering the older is the old burnt orange spring loaded system, maybe that's the ones being referred to. Pretty sure it's 09 and up that they changed materials as well as went to the hydraulic system. But ya, you've got a point, get the clutch swapped out, fluids dumped and try to get in as much riding as possible before going under the knife again. It's my own fault since I bought this one used. I get paranoid because there are so many out there that don't take care of equipment at all. Myself on the other hand is quite the opposite. And after getting this bike stripped apart shortly after buying it, realized that the guy barely even washed it, let alone did much for maintenance. Top it off the dealership screwed me with the "once over" on the bike as well. Techs were either extremely lazy...or stupid. I'm guessing both after going back in there when I realized that the pan and shift lever seal were leaking. Let alone they didn't even charge the battery like they said because the tether had a bad fuse in it. That one was hilarious...since going out to start it the next morning and it barely cranked. When I called, they said "we put a charger on it and it showed it was full". Put my own tender on it and realized that it wasn't at all...checked connections and then the fuse. So ya, tend to get a bit more concerned than I probably should be. Compound that by 10 since we now live in a brand new area and when I say country riding....we've been 20 miles down a road and haven't even seen any houses at times lol So breaking down isn't an option (especially with no phone signal). Anyway, thanks for the feedback, think I'll leave it for another day, since I can still do the clutch cable without dropping the pipes and that makes life alot easier.

 

 

Exactly what Nomadmax suggests.
There is no need to open the cam chest to replace the hydraulic tensioner.
There is a spring in the tensioner too and another dowel too.
They are small and can disappear if not carefull.
Go to the Screamin eagle parts book and look up the camplate and then the instructions.
And then the interactive option and you will see how they go together on the blow-up pictures.
All this is for an fyi purpose.
Leave well enough alone unless there is a real need.
Rob