I have no pros or cons to discuss but, personally when it comes to engine components I always buy new never used but that's just me...

 

I would not buy used parts for the inside of my engine. Just save up some cash. $250 isn't that much. Don't be cheap with this stuff.

 

No issues with my used cams. I think they had around 3k on them when I bought em.

 

i didn't know this until removing the stock cams from my 08 streetglide. the lobes are pressed on, go figure. after asking the guys at the harley service dept, they said they've already seen a few cases of the lobes shifting out of phase on the shaft itself.

 

I bought used TW37B's for my 2000 Softail. They have been in for almost 10k miles. No issues. (I do need to adjust the SE pushrods before I deliver the bike next week)

 

Been building Harleys nearly 50 yrs and installed a lot of used stuff and cannot remember any failures,in the cam and lifter dept anyway.But what do I know!

 

Dont know whether to have my old ones rephased or buy new.....Damit man always confused!

 

I upgraded cams at 26k and reused my original lifters based on the recommendation of two experienced engine builders in the area. These cams had 3500 miles on the clock and showed no wear at all either on the lobe or bearing surfaces. I keep bikes for the long haul and logged >100k miles on the last one, so I'm not willing to skimp on quality or reliability. For my cam job, for example, I did invest >$100 for a bearing tool and Torrington bearings even though I could've saved money keeping the original INA's, which might've been fine. But I don't believe the lifters used in modern HD's are problematic even in the long haul. These are identical to lifters used in GM cars and trucks that log long mileages without problems. How many lifter problems have you heard about in modern cars?

One of these builders I mentioned re-used his original lifters at 60k when he performed a big-bore upgrade with new cams on his bike. I just helped a friend do a cam upgrade just yesterday and we reused his 6k-mile lifters.

Much of the lifter/cam concern today is based on legitimate problems of mixing components on flat-tappet cams and lifters. With this type a new cam upgrade requires new lifters, period--and a used cam should have the same lifters it was used with placed on the same cam lobe. Rollers are different and don't establish wear-patterns nearly as easily.

My stock cams with 26k had no visible or measurable wear on them either. If using new cams and lifters makes a rider feel better, go for it--but in normal situations, i.e. where the engine hasn't suffered a catastrophic failure, I wouldn't hesitate putting good used cams with good used lifters, as I haven't heard of any problems with this scenario. In fact, I haven't heard of any lifter failures at all since the old small-axle lifters were phased out in the Evo era around 1995. There surely have been some along the way but I don't think it is beyond a rare event.

 

On 50 to 100 year old iron one lung engines, and tractors its common place to reuse old cams and lifters since they are just not available.

I don't think that I'm really that frugal on my bike and have used several used parts external to the engine.

But the internal items such as cams and lifters from the same engine I don't have a problem reusing, but those from another engine when doing an upgrade to mine.

I don't install used (different engine parts) as a matter of principle. Mostly that I do not have an accurate history of the parts, and they could have wear marks or stresses that I don't think could harm my engine but very well could grenade it.

On old iron engines that I know are not ever going to be running at load rating or hauling me down the interstate at 55 MPH or better that is a totally different story. Some times used pieces from other engines are all that you can get. And you may pay though the nose for them too.

Choose carefully that is all that I can suggest.