I just picked up a 2001 Fatboy EFI for Christmas. I've read and researched every inch of the interweb that I could get my hands on before buying this thing and I've come across the usual things to worry me about it. The bike had the stage 3 1550 big bore kit installed in early 2002 (the guy who traded it in kept a huge file with all the service records and receipts for everything done to the bike which the dealership passed on to me, a used bike buyers dream!). So here are my concerns:

1- The stage 3 kit was done at a dealership, supposedly by a Harley engine tech who traveled from Milwaukee to put the engine back together after some seals were replaced (Maintenance records show the bike was leaking oil after a return trip from Sturgis in 2001). What are the chances the tech would have upgraded the inner cam bearings to Torrington/Timkens? With 30,000 miles on the bike now is this something I should check out before putting many miles on this thing?

2- I've read all the horror stories about cam chain tensioners failing. Are there any warning signs to this before it happens? I plan on pulling the cover and checking them out myself but until I get the chance to do that I panic a little every time I hit the starter.

Sorry for the long post.

 

The tensioners are nylon shoes on both sides of the cam support plate and there is practically no warning when they go out other than to look at your oil to see brownish-orange colored pieces. I pulled the cam cover off of my FXDWG and found normal wear on both tensioners after 21k miles. I was having issues and my mech thought it was an inner bearing failure since I was firing on only one cylinder. Turned out to be a fried coil but I rather enjoyed the experience of digging into the cam housing. Lots of videos out there on how to if you have not done so previously (such as myself). But the inspection should be done every 20k miles or there abouts.

 

One would think that the inner cam bearings would have been replaced at the time the BB kit was installed; however, a dealer tech might have stayed with OEM parts. If you have the receipts, check for the inner cam bearings and if you don't see them, you must assume they were not replaced. If they are listed, check the PN.

IMHO, I would open up the cam chest and check the inner cam bearings to see if the are full compliment bearings or not. I would replace the tensioner shoes but I would not replace them with the OEM pieces. CYCO offers a set that have been shown to be immune from catastrophic failure like often exhibited by the OEM tensioners. Inner cam bearings are about $12 and a set of replacement chain tensioner shoes is about $35.

http://www.harleydavidsontensioner.com/

Cheap insurance and about 4 hours shop labor if you have a dealer tech to the work.

 

I wouldn't get all freaked out about it,pull the cams out & check the bearings & tensioners