Gear Drive Cams
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
From: Fredericksburg VA
I converted two 04 softtails to gear drive. Get a service manual, read the gear instructions, and if you have a good knowledge of turning wrenches, you'll have no problems. I did have to go to a dealer to have the old cams and bearings removed from the cam plate and the new cams and bearing PRESSED in because I didn't have a hydrolic press. I also purchase some specialize tools for the job. Got those through J&P Cycle verse from Harley. Grumpy
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,593
Likes: 6,435
From: Honah Lee
Your bike has the roller chain cams, not a concern for you. Actually, if you have the least amount of run out, you are better off with what you have. It will probably last life of the motor. Photos of difference between link and roller chain below. (rollers roll when it's outer link grooves in and they do not wear any more.). Note mileage on roller one. Link one never stops wearing. Lot of people go the hydraulic set up on the older link chain and only replace the front link chain with the roller chain since you can replace sprockets and leave the link one on the inside since you need to go to after market cams to change inner sprockets to roller chain sprockets. Harleys so called oil pump and hydraulic upgrade. Harley motor company ought to be ashamed of them self. That upgrade and the link chains on older bikes has screwed many customer of theirs. The last photo is what happen on older bikes with Harleys hydraulic upgrade. Just blowing more smoke up their customers' ***. Sure wish someone would take a class action suite against them. Sure there is millions of dollars in it. Just take enough people like what just happened at Chrysler on the fuel tank issue.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Sep 14, 2018 at 10:26 AM.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 894
Likes: 6
Bringing this to the top based on comments by Ripsaw. Been thinking about hyd tensioner upgrade and based on ripsaw's post I probably have link chains vs the roller type and would not see the much wear improvement. With this said converting to a gear drive is the best long term solution. Is this thinking correct?
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,267
Likes: 1
From: Redcar Cleveland England
Rest easy with what you have on your 09 model, it's the early tc's with the hyvo flat link chain and tensioners that had a bad batch and was a poor design. The hydrolic pushy out bits moved with the wibly wobly crank to live in harmony, not my idea of perfection but it works.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 894
Likes: 6
Researching this further, it appears that on the pre 2007 models, replacing the stock chain tensioners or upgrading to hydraulic tensioners is a wast UNLESS you plan on replacing the cam chains from the Hyvo flat link to a roller link. Researching that cost now but it would appear that gear drives may be more competative price wise.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Researching this further, it appears that on the pre 2007 models, replacing the stock chain tensioners or upgrading to hydraulic tensioners is a wast UNLESS you plan on replacing the cam chains from the Hyvo flat link to a roller link. Researching that cost now but it would appear that gear drives may be more competative price wise.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,593
Likes: 6,435
From: Honah Lee
If you look in post 13, the last picture is this kit and what happens when you only change one chain. Not sure why any one with this knowledge would spend $500 for this kit. Actually Harley Davidson should be ashamed to sell it claiming what they do. It actions like this that truly make me ashamed of them, that is for sure.
HDF Community Team
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,191
Likes: 2,419
From: USA
If you look in post 13, the last picture is this kit and what happens when you only change one chain. Not sure why any one with this knowledge would spend $500 for this kit. Actually Harley Davidson should be ashamed to sell it claiming what they do. It actions like this that truly make me ashamed of them, that is for sure.