2006 Road King Classic - Cam Plate Scoring with new SE Cam plate and Oil Pump.

Just spent a very frustrating day on the phone with HD customer service in the U.S and Canada, you know the old phone Ping Pong, with just Bullchip responses !

At 35,000 kms I had to replace the cam chain tensioners, cam bearings and oil pump on my TC88 as the front tensioner was trashed. This bike was never run hard, however has always seemed to run hot. At 42,000 kms I decided to spring for the Screaming Eagle cam Plate and oil pump, since I had read great things about it. Installed the new kit with new cams, bearings,new lifters, new pushrods and had ported the heads and added a FuelPak. Put the bike back together and it was great, quiet and tons of power until the first time I got stuck in traffic and the bike got hot on a trip to Maine, and the valvetrain ticking noises returned. At 46,000 kms I pulled apart the cam chest and was amazed to find that after 4000 kms the new cam plate is scored again !!. Called the dealer where I bought the parts and they told me that it was normal wear and all TC88's would look the same if I pulled them apart ? Called HD and they said that they have never had a customer complaint of cam plate scoring....WTF ? Well I have measured my crank run-out and it is just over .001, so I know that is not the problem, so I just want to know if anyone else has run into the same issue and what is causing this scoring to happen ?

 

Do you have some pictures? Theres always SOME scoring on the plate, in the pupm and on the gears. If there is any metal particles in the oil they will flow through the pump until caught by the filter. EVERY motor Ive pulled apart has some. Need to see what it looks like to determine if its MORE than normal.

 

Doc,

I do have some great pics, just need to reduce their size as they are 2mb and the system will only accept 19.5 kb. Will try to post them tomorrow.
I am a mechanic by trade and have built many engines but this one is just sucking all the fun out of owning a Harley. This bike has had issues since day one. Last summer while cruising the Smokey Mountains I had the front piston start gripping, took it apart and the top of the piston was covered in carbon and you could see where it was rocking in the bore. That repair was almost $2000.00 in parts for new jugs, pistons, rings and bearings along with the cam plate. So that is why I am pissed that once again this bike is giving me grief.

 

Doc, here is the pic of the cam plate, let me know what you think.

 

That's kind of a small picture to see the detail. Could you take your photo and put it on something like Photobucket and then put it up?

 

that is normal. It looks worse because the SE plates have anodizing, but any stock plate is going to be similar just without the anodizing to highlight it.

 

Yep need a bigger picture, but in the mean time can you feel much of an edge with your finger nail? Some would still be normal.

 

Have you thought about replacing the cam chain and cam sprockets? When I did that mod to mine, I replaced those parts, and the valve train ticking was all but eliminated. Mine had almost double the miles that yours had though. Just a thought...

The wear pattern on your cam plate is indeed from the gerator gear in the oil pump, and I agree that is to be expected. Just be sure to double check the oil pump alignment on re-install.