Twin Cam 88 chain tensioner
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,473
Likes: 15
From: River City Western Canada
I was at the local Harley Dealer the other day when a friend of mine told me that if your twin cam has around 40,000 miles on it, you should have the cam chain tensioners replaced and possibly the cams. This is the first I have heard of this. Whatever happened to the stories you hear of people putting over 100,000 miles on and have done nothing to the motor? He also told me that pieces of the tensioners will break and go into the oil pump and loose oil pump pressure. Tell me what you have heard or experienced.
Badlarry
Badlarry
Got a quote from a local shop here in Central Canada $500.00 for the hydraulic tensinors and oil pump upgrade parts only and another 4 to 6 hrs labor. Im guessing by the time its all said and done you be look at a grand
How to check them:
http://www.harley-davidson-hangout.c...ner-check.html
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 62
From: kingman AZ. We aren't in hell, but you can see it from here!!!
I have a '00 EGC that's in the shop right now because of the tensioner going bad. I bought the bike used from the "stealer" BUT! I also bought an extended warrenty!!! My cams are toast,one tensioner was in pieces, and the shop guys say that my oil pump is probably gone, too!
So I said COOL! Gonna get me a gear drive and some cams with a little bit o' grunt and it'll only cost me fiddy dollars and what ever the differance is between stock and the new cams !!!! Thank you HD ESPs!!!
So I said COOL! Gonna get me a gear drive and some cams with a little bit o' grunt and it'll only cost me fiddy dollars and what ever the differance is between stock and the new cams !!!! Thank you HD ESPs!!!
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 10,959
Likes: 2
From: Back in Oz M8
I would look at Gear Drive cams if I was near the end of the TC chain drive lifespan, gear drives are a better system IMO, but do add some noise, not discernible over the correct non-EPA compliant exhaust though.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,074
Likes: 1
From: Baltimore, MD
Take heart : Honda CBR's loose cam chain tensioners too! Of course, the aftermarket replacement is better and relatively inexpensive, and can be easily replaced while doing a valve adjustment. A grand to replace these things? Woah! hope mine don't go!
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 62
From: kingman AZ. We aren't in hell, but you can see it from here!!!
Dennyo, you hit that right on the button! I knew there were a lot of different companies out there, but MAN!!!
My shop guy is really pointing me towards the 95" and S&S cams upgrade, but i gotta be carefull with my ESP being voided, so I'll probably do the SE 255s. They seem to be the best bang for the buck for what I do. Daily driver and some 2-up with momma.
My shop guy is really pointing me towards the 95" and S&S cams upgrade, but i gotta be carefull with my ESP being voided, so I'll probably do the SE 255s. They seem to be the best bang for the buck for what I do. Daily driver and some 2-up with momma.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,033
Likes: 29
These had 52k miles on them:
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,033
Likes: 29
It's a crapshoot whether they wear or not. There is no rhyme or reason why some wear quicker than others. The only way to check them is to look at them, IMO. Cutting an oil filter open tells you not much, IMO. So you have some orange in the filter. That doesn't mean you filters are toast. It just means that a wear item is wearing. I'd guess that the tensioners that wear slowly won't shed enough orange crap between changes that you will even be able to find it in the filter.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,932
Likes: 32
From: Broomfield, CO
+1.......I replaced mine at 35k and put in the S&S 510 gear drive cams and really noticed the difference in torque and HP.