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Cam Bearings...FAILED!!!!

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Old Oct 21, 2007 | 04:39 PM
  #1  
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Default Cam Bearings...FAILED!!!!

2006 SG...

Just had Cam Bearings replaced under warranty, bike had 29.7k on it when they failed, the cam tensioners were in great shape, they looked like they could have gone another 30k without a problem.

Took the dealer aboutthree days to figure out where the noise was coming from and then a day to get the parts and install, I asked if I could have SE203's installed and pay for the differencebut the lead tech said that he didn't want me to get into warranty issues later on?

When I went to pick the bike up I was handed a bill for $80 bucks? They said that the oil and filter arenot covered under warranty...so lets see; cam bearings failed under waranty and put metal debris inMY oil and filter AND I HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT?

Anyone else have cam bearing failures under 50k? I thought88 Twin Camwas a 100k engine? I'm startin' to have my doubts...[:'(]
 
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Old Oct 21, 2007 | 05:47 PM
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Default RE: Cam Bearings...FAILED!!!!

One out of how many thousand bikes doesnt make it a trend!
 
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Old Oct 21, 2007 | 05:55 PM
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Default RE: Cam Bearings...FAILED!!!!

I know I will take heat for this, but
File a written letter of complaint with
Lori Oelhafen at the MOCO.
then if it doesn't work file a complaint
on line with the Federal trade Commission.
Explain your case.
Moco won't respond positively to your complaint
to them. But enough complaints via the FTC, then they
will.
ORIGINAL: fryeca

2006 SG...

Just had Cam Bearings replaced under warranty, bike had 29.7k on it when they failed, the cam tensioners were in great shape, they looked like they could have gone another 30k without a problem.

Took the dealer aboutthree days to figure out where the noise was coming from and then a day to get the parts and install, I asked if I could have SE203's installed and pay for the differencebut the lead tech said that he didn't want me to get into warranty issues later on?

When I went to pick the bike up I was handed a bill for $80 bucks? They said that the oil and filter arenot covered under warranty...so lets see; cam bearings failed under waranty and put metal debris inMY oil and filter AND I HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT?

Anyone else have cam bearing failures under 50k? I thought88 Twin Camwas a 100k engine? I'm startin' to have my doubts...[:'(]
 
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Old Oct 21, 2007 | 06:08 PM
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Default RE: Cam Bearings...FAILED!!!!

ORIGINAL: Mountainkowboy

One out of how many thousand bikes doesnt make it a trend!
Maybe not, but HD didn't do there homework on the Twin Cam's cam chest from the beginning. There have been far too many failures of bearings, tensioners, cam lobes wearing off, oil pumps going out, oil pumps sumping, and so on. There have been plenty of updates to fix the problems, but they seem to pop back up far too often. If I had an '06, I'd be pissed about a cam bearing going out when the problem was supposed to have been fixed after the early '00 model year.
 
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Old Oct 21, 2007 | 06:18 PM
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Default RE: Cam Bearings...FAILED!!!!

ORIGINAL: xxxflhrci

ORIGINAL: Mountainkowboy

One out of how many thousand bikes doesnt make it a trend!
Maybe not, but HD didn't do there homework on the Twin Cam's cam chest from the beginning. There have been far too many failures of bearings, tensioners, cam lobes wearing off, oil pumps going out, oil pumps sumping, and so on. There have been plenty of updates to fix the problems, but they seem to pop back up far too often. If I had an '06, I'd be pissed about a cam bearing going out when the problem was supposed to have been fixed after the early '00 model year.
No doubt, I would also have been pissed. The oil and filter thing is a bit cheesey of the Moco to do IMO also. What I am saying is that for the most part there are more bikes without issues than with.
 
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Old Oct 21, 2007 | 06:27 PM
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Default RE: Cam Bearings...FAILED!!!!

Motorcycle Consumer News did a survey on the Twin Cam 88 owners. While most of the cam bearing problems occurred with the first year until they changed the bearing design, they did find a fairly significant number still crapping out at various mileages, with no patterns. The tensioner failures were also mentioned. Definately a weak point for the design.
 
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Old Oct 21, 2007 | 07:38 PM
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Default RE: Cam Bearings...FAILED!!!!

Mine went at about 35k. Replaced 'em with Torrington's. Problem solved.
 
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Old Oct 21, 2007 | 08:39 PM
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Default RE: Cam Bearings...FAILED!!!!

ORIGINAL: fryeca I asked if I could have SE203's installed and pay for the differencebut the lead tech said that he didn't want me to get into warranty issues later on?

When I went to pick the bike up I was handed a bill for $80 bucks?
First off...............if the dealer installs HD cams...............then there will never be warranty issues with it. So right there he was screwing you over.

Second thing................$80 for an oil change??

Steve
 
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Old Oct 21, 2007 | 08:47 PM
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Default RE: Cam Bearings...FAILED!!!!

ORIGINAL: dstockton

Motorcycle Consumer News did a survey on the Twin Cam 88 owners. While most of the cam bearing problems occurred with the first year until they changed the bearing design, they did find a fairly significant number still crapping out at various mileages, with no patterns. The tensioner failures were also mentioned. Definately a weak point for the design.
They also made two other points to consider. 1) The tens of thousands of Harley owners who only put a few thousand a year on their bikes, delaying the problem from showing up, and
2) The large sum of money set aside (charged off) to fit "future cam bearing problems."
 
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Old Oct 21, 2007 | 09:21 PM
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Default RE: Cam Bearings...FAILED!

Eighty bucks for an oil change seems a little steep, even if it was all the work that was done. Aside from that, though, at 29.7k (assuming miles) it's time for an oil change anyway, right? So how much do you really think the failed bearing(s?) wrecked you oil/filter? Did they use up the last 2% of its life, maybe?
 
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