08 Road King with 85,000 miles

I am getting ready to open up the cam chest for a Woods 777 cam change as part of a motor rebuild and want to have all the parts in hand

I see that the new style cam plate has the cams running directly in the aluminium plate (not even a bushing), rather than a bearing like my 00 Dyna. I do see a bushing for the crank end

I see that there is no shortage of aftermarket cam plates so either a "better" one is desirable or it is a wear item?

Should this be considered a wear item, and if so does it have a life?

 

I suspect your bike has that same camplate and it has already done 85k miles! Probably fine for a great many more. It is only 80 bucks to replace, if you have any doubts about it. The plate of course is not made only of aluminium, but an alloy including several other metals, which make it perfectly suited to it's job. That design is increasingly common throughout the motor industry, so is not peculiar to H-D.

 

I'd ask Woods, what they recommend for a Cam Plate, they Must have a Preference?

 

They didn't start runing directly on the plate until 2010?

 

I install a new bushing if needed.

 

'07 and on. I would consider it a wear item.

Another brilliant bean counter vice engineering coup from the MoCo considering that the earlier cam plates ran the cams in bearings; why change? Just think how many bearings the MoCo no longer has to buy. No worries though, if you are concerned the MoCo will sell you a pretty orange billet plate with bronze bushings for the cams to run in and a higher capacity oil pump for about $400.

 

I would consider it a wear item; see #6.

 

The specs for the pinion and cam bearings are in the SM.. Replace if over those.. Your could replace the bronze bushing if out of spec but I'd bet the outer cam bearings are likely close to worn with that many miles..

 

Given no bearing or bush at the cam ends, that is what I suspect and why I asked before opening it up.

I found a NOS one for 45.00 USD so by the time I bought the bushing at the crank end it was a no brainer.

 

Most other engines have cams that ride in the parent materials, no problems until something catastrophic happens. I would prefer bearings or some sort of bushing to feel better but it works fine.