2001 Electra Glide. I'm the original owner and it has almost 50k on the odometer. Anyway, I started hearing some clatter coming from the motor and decided to pull the cam cover. My heart sank when I saw the outside plastic shoe almost worn off but not into the metal. Also little pieces of plastic floating around.

No telling what the inside cam tensioner looks like. Not only do I have to replace them, but a mechanic recommended I drop the oil plan and make sure all the plastic shards are cleaned out.

I probably road the bike about 5,000 miles too many when they should have been replaced. Looked at them around 40,000 miles and they seemed fine.

 

Not much to say bro. When i heard that this was an issue with the Twin Cam motors, i immediately had them changed out to gear drive. Even though my bike had only 12,000 km, didnt even give it a second thought.To many HORROR storys to even second guess the issue. Shop will check your crank run-out specs, and if ok you should install gear drive. If not within specs you can try the new Hydraulic roller chain set-up, but get away from those tensioners by all means. Drop the oil pan? not sure i understand this, there is no oil pan.

 

I think you got the good out of them. It's also recommended that the tensioners be changed out around 25k to 30k miles, per mechanic at local dealership. I've an 06 standard and changed mine out at 27k miles and the old tensioners looked lightly rubbed. On the bright side, sence you've got to go into the engine, you can ponder about bumping up the cams.

 

You've got to remember that he's running an E Glide, different motor and oil setup than our softails. He does have an oilpan while the softy's have a tank.
Also, the upgraded tensioners still are running plastic parts against the cam chains, just better contact and play between tensioner and chain, not forced grinding.
At 50,000 miles the runout may be starting to be too much for gear drive.
If you decide to stay with tensioners, have someone polish the chains before putting them back in. The newer Harley replacement chains are pretty well polished now, the older ones were real rough and that was what ate up the plastic shoes.
The last time I did my chains I had them polished and the tensioners had almost no wear on them after 35,000 miles, I also was running Amsoil and I think that made a difference over running the HD Syn 3 oil.

 

theres and oil pan alright, its under the transmission on a TC!

odds are slim that there is anything in there worth worring about, but you just never know for sure!

 

I think the tensinors for the, up to 06, have better material now. What is used today. I think, can look at color.
Clean the tank, open the bottom drain, clean the small cone screen in the cam plate.

 

Does anyone know if there are cam chain tensioner issues with the 96 c.i. '07 twin cam engines or did the MoCo do a fix on these, and if not what is better way to go?
Will have bike in for 103 build in a week so if it's something that needs to be looked at....

Thanks in advance.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I'll post how it comes out.

 

07 and up have much better design.

 

mgmmgm,

Look at the differance of the cam gears and chain. The gears and chains on the 07 and newer look like they came off a bicycle. I also don't like the thought of not having some type of bearing in the out board bearing/cam support plate. In your case, I'd go with gears and a new cam support plate.