Torque Cam and Heat
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 541
Likes: 3
From: Sherwood Park AB Canada
I live in Ohio and have been running the 103" stage 2 with SE 255 cams for over 10,000 miles. It gets plenty hot here in the summer but not as hot as where you are for sure! I love how my bike runs and I don't get the heat off of it that I got off a 2013 Ultra I recently rented while on vacation in Hawaii. That damn cat is a monster! But as you are not running stock exhaust that is not an issue for you. A bump in performance is great and a cam like a Woods 222 or Andrews 48 or 57 or S&S 551 or Zippers 525 or 527 would go along way in adding enjoyment to your riding and actually, if when in there, you replaced the OEM cam bearings with Torringtons, your reliability factor will increase over stock and would run cooler than stock cams. I did my engine in Oct 2010 and the options were not as numerous then as now. If I was doing it now, I would be running something other than what I am but I am not dissatisfied enough with what I have to warrant changing cams and re-tuning. In short, for where you live, I would stay away from the SE 255 cams and go with one of the others listed if you are bound on making a change. The 255's are popular torque cams but they are not the best choice especially for a 103". Throw a set of those 222's in there and prepare to grin! Good luck!
Thread Starter
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Banned
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 134
Likes: 2
From: Gainesville, Fl
Been at work but I really appreciate everyone taking the time to give me input. I know the subject is tiresome to many, but when it's your brand new motor and your considering opening it up, you just want to here and read every possible scrap of info you can and do whats best for it. Thanks...Nate
No problem!
Been at work but I really appreciate everyone taking the time to give me input. I know the subject is tiresome to many, but when it's your brand new motor and your considering opening it up, you just want to here and read every possible scrap of info you can and do whats best for it. Thanks...Nate
There you go......
+1 Most folks who went from the stock cams to the 255s say they are very happy with the improvement and would not consider any other cams. Well, they are right, the 255s are a big improvement over stock. I went from stock to SE255s and after about 5k miles went to the TW222s. I can tell you the 222s were definitely a big improvement over the 255s, in felt heat, easier hot starting no more pinging and felt TQ and HP, particularly at the low end, which is where I do most of my riding.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 5,413
Likes: 17
From: eastern oklahoma
i'm using the se 204's and if you look in the se catalog, you'll see how the 204's start out with a little less torque at low rpm's than the 255's, lots more torque everywhere else though, but in my new '13 roadglide ultra, the 204's pull very strong. they give up very little compared to the 255's at low rpm's. squall the rear tire if you wick it a bit hard, so it has loads of torque. look at the torque and hp charts for the 204's vs 255's, and you'll see why i chose the 204's. with hd's c&c ported heads, 1.75 ratio rockers, forged rocker supports, v&h pro pipe, se air cleaner backing plate with the zippers deep air filter element, and a good tune with the se pro super tuner it dynoed with 104 hp and 114 ft lbs of torque. it's a strong runner and i'm really happy with how well it runs.
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
My concern with ANY aftermarket cam is just what affect will it have on the life of the valve train?
Changing duration, lobe separation, but not changing rate of lift, I will assume no change. If the ramp speeds of the cam have been changed, (and that is one of the ways to really wake up a motor) then this will affect the life of the whole valve train, plus the valve guides. I didn't post this to blast any particular cam, just to say there are always compromises. The question is just how much any reduction in life cycle of the parts is there, and am I willing to live with it. In my case, I know a stock profile is going to be reliable, being a factory cam.
This brings up an idea for another post, life of the valvetrain with an after market cam.
Changing duration, lobe separation, but not changing rate of lift, I will assume no change. If the ramp speeds of the cam have been changed, (and that is one of the ways to really wake up a motor) then this will affect the life of the whole valve train, plus the valve guides. I didn't post this to blast any particular cam, just to say there are always compromises. The question is just how much any reduction in life cycle of the parts is there, and am I willing to live with it. In my case, I know a stock profile is going to be reliable, being a factory cam.
This brings up an idea for another post, life of the valvetrain with an after market cam.
Last edited by gregsdart; Jan 21, 2013 at 08:58 AM.
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Arkansas
Difference in heat between cams is nominal. Choose the right cam for the way you ride. I ride mostly 2-up and need low end torque. I don't race so I don't need higher rpm horsepower. People talk about the 255's "falling off", but how often do you pull over 5000 rpm's in normal riding? That's what you have to decide.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
My concern with ANY aftermarket cam is just what affect will it have on the life of the valve train?
Changing duration, lobe separation, but not changing rate of lift, I will assume no change. If the ramp speeds of the cam have been changed, (and that is one of the ways to really wake up a motor) then this will affect the life of the whole valve train, plus the valve guides. I didn't post this to blast any particular cam, just to say there are always compromises. The question is just how much any reduction in life cycle of the parts is there, and am I willing to live with it. In my case, I know a stock profile is going to be reliable, being a factory cam.
This brings up an idea for another post, life of the valvetrain with an after market cam.
Changing duration, lobe separation, but not changing rate of lift, I will assume no change. If the ramp speeds of the cam have been changed, (and that is one of the ways to really wake up a motor) then this will affect the life of the whole valve train, plus the valve guides. I didn't post this to blast any particular cam, just to say there are always compromises. The question is just how much any reduction in life cycle of the parts is there, and am I willing to live with it. In my case, I know a stock profile is going to be reliable, being a factory cam.
This brings up an idea for another post, life of the valvetrain with an after market cam.
We are talking about cams for a road bike here, not a racer! The cams Harley fits are part of the package of things Harley alters away from optimum, to meet EPA regulations. Stock cam timing seriously hurts the ride, along with ignition timing, fuelling, air intake mufflers, exhaust mufflers, etc. I don't reckon any of the cams you read about on HDF intended for road use are going to have any adverse affect on engine life.
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