I now have 31,000 miles on my o5 ultra. How easy is it for me to check my cam chain shoes? Can i just take the bolts out of the cover and slide the cover off and take a look? i guess that I will need a new gasket when i put the cover back on? How can I tell if the cam bearings are wore or not when I take the cover off?

I need insight.

 

I don't have any insight of the cam bearing wear for you unless you remove the chain entirely and check side play with a dial indicator. For the shoes, your procedure outlined will let you inspect. If I were going that far, I think I would install a gear drive at the same time. Gear drives give a little whine but they sure do eliminate the resistence in cam rotation. They have got to be good for ast least 2 hp gain.

 

I would be more concerned with the tensioner. If you're not ready for a gear driven cam then you should be prepared to replace the tensioner. I put S&S 510's in mine (24K miles) last week. I now pull 90HP and 95 torque and I'm good for 100K miles

 

I think there is a thread on the subject.....do a search. I have 24K on my bike and am going to have the dealer inspect while I get my 25K service. Service Manager says not to worry much about the issue until 30K miles. Well, I want some peace of mind, and would rather be sure at this point..........especially on that rear one where most of the failures seem to occur.

Smart move on your part............better safe than sorry........very expensive "rehab".

 

Yes you can take the side cover off and check the outer tensioner. The inner is a bit more difficult to see. You might be able to use a dental mirror to view it. If you don't have a factory manual, get one. The cam cover bolt holes need to be properly cleaned and free of any oil before reassembly. You can get hydraulic lock and break out the treads (case). The factory manual mentions this.

Rather than going in there to look, since you stated you have 30K on the bike, I would just go in and change them. Get new inner and outer tensioners. You have to pull the cam plate to change them. They make a special tool to hold the tensioners during reassembly, nothing more than a pin and you can use a nail instead BUT DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE THEM !!! The special tools have red handles so they stand out and you can't forget but a nail won't. They also make a tool for unloading the tensioners, a pair of channel locks and a rag can work but be careful or get the right tool.

You mentioned the cam bearings as well. Assuming you mean the inner cam bearings, they are a INA caged bearing and IMO should be replaced with a Torrington bearing while you are in there. A rule of thumb is to change the INA's for Torringtons the first time you have to go in the cam chest for any reason. To change the bearing you will need another special tool, a cam bearing removal/installer tool.

If you are mechanically inclined all of this is pretty easy to do IF YOU HAVE THE FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL (hint ).

Another routine maintenance item to consider while you are in there is the lifters. After 30K we replace them for good measure. Goes with the old saying "an ounce of prevention .... blah blah blah".

To change the tensioners/bearings/lifters the pushrods will have to come out. This either requires removing the rocker covers or using bolt cutters and replacing them with quick install adjustables.

To do all this, you will be in for a few HD's (code for Hundreds of dollars). Going to a gear drive cam adds lots more HD's but would still need all the above mentioned stuff, except the tensioners of course.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

Shouldn't these worn items be covered under warranty?

 

Not too many manufacturers repair "wear" items like brake pads, windshield wipers etc. Not that I disagree with you, but I think you better plan on paying for them.

This is a good site to get a look at parts and get an idea of the work involved....http://www.harleyhog.co.uk/1550/bbonline.htm

 

Even if you've never done it before, removing the cam cover and checking tensioner wear shouldn't take much more than one half hour. It's hard to predict what you'll find. I have 70,000 miles on my bike, and I'm on my second set of tensioner shoes. I don't recall exactly how many miles they have on them, but it's more than 10,000. I checked them a couple of days ago, and I was pleased to find no visible or palpable wear---nothing.

The difference between inspecting the tensioner shoes and replacing your cams is the same as the difference between walking your dog and walking a tightrope. They're both do-able, but one is a little more intense. Were it me, if I found little or no wear, I'd close it back up and check again at some later date. On the other hand, if you find a lot of wear such as missing chunks from the shoes, it may be time to think about gear drives. Because, if I recall correctly, replacing the shoes requires removal of at least one set of bearing races, the work involved would not be that much more. The real difference, of course, is money. But even with that, it may be cheaper in the long term to switch to gear drives now if you have to replace the shoes anyway.

Uncle Peepers

 

Mine made it to 44,000. Front shoe was in very good condition, rear was toast. Replaced everything but the cams; oil pump, bearings, etc.

 

Here's my thoughts...

I've got a seven year warranty and put 20K a year on my bike, in five years I'll be around 100K. If the engine takes a dump because of tensioner shoes I'm covered right? As far as I know there isn't a regular service interval inspection for these shoes?

Ride it like I stole it!!!!