Mike Lawless you described my thoughts precisely. I'm 100% with you and am doing the same.

 

...+1

 

My stock tensioners lasted just over 40k miles before the secondary was bad enough to replace. At the time I went back in with stock harley tensioners cause I had new in bag tensioners in my parts stash. I currently have 18k on the new tensioners. Next oil change im going to inspect them and see how they look. This last oil change i did I open my oil filter and noticed quite a bit of orange in the filter media. Its got me curious how the shoes look. Im going in with cyco shoes next time. Harley really dropped the ball on this design, love my bike but hate this aspect of the engine.

 

Do the Cyco tensioner kits require removal of the cam plate to install the inner tensioner shoes?

 

Yes. You are replying the shoe material on the factory tensioners with the Cyco plan, requiring both tensioners to be removed. Removal of the inner tensioner requires the cams to be pressed out, or a special tool to be fabricated (search YouTube for homemade tools to do this).

 

Here's the tool Joe is talking about that keeps you from having to remove the cams from the plate and buy new outer cam bearings:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoAI...ature=youtu.be

 

So if I understand things correctly the Cyco Tensioner shoes are a far better material than the HD factory tensioner shoes? I the the th while screaming eagle upgrade deal with the oil pump and plate asm. I have 31k on my bike they were fine but I did it anyway. I fell like maybe I wasted money doing the upgrade. On my wife's FLSTF I didn't inspect her tensioners until her bike had 50k barley even worn. I didn't know I should Inspect them but my St Glide blew up at 38k miles the I imesiately dos my wife's but only dod the shoes and that was 11k miles ago. But I think on my son's bike since he does have allot of money. We will do the Cyco shoes and cam bearings. That is if the Cyco shoes are in fact better than the OEM. Has HD upgraded their shoes or go with the Cyco's?

 

Cyco shoes is all I'd install vs OEM. The Cycos don't lose chunks of material.

 

This, just did it. Never have to worry about it again, everything else is just a different band-aid

 

You understand the OP stated his son the bike owner was working on a limited budget? Gear drives like what you installed are great but not not a option for this guy.