Hello All,

great info on this site,but I have a question regarding the se support plate/hv oil pump upgrade kit.

Im getting this installed wed along with se204 cam,adj tapered pushrods.My question is that i didnt have 2,000 so i asked dealer if we could skip the 279.00 for the new SE tappets,and they said absolutely not

Am i being persuaded,lol to purchase their upgraded tappets,or will my present ones work until i can get some more money.

I know their is a wear profile on the tappets now,and that will change with new tappet profile,but like i said can i get by with my stock tappets for now?(also i thought 2005 88" efi had lifters) Anyways im not a mechanic,but my neighbour who rides says there is no reason i need to pay 270.00 when my other ones work fine,would it be better,,yes but not neccessary,but I trust you members more,so i wanted to ask here

Thank you very much for reading

2005 Fatboy 88" EFI

 

Don't know much about tappets, but make sure you get cams with a new inner roller cam chain. The SE hydro kit only changes the outside chain to a roller, and reuses the stock inner chain. The stock chains are the reason for the excessive shoe wear and issues, with the inner chain being the worst of the two. Leaving the stock inner chain will wear away the new hydro shoes just like it does to the old shoes. Unless you have 50k plus on the stock setup with little to no wear on the shoes, without a new inner chain you're spending $500 for nothing. Just my .02

 

How many miles on the bike? Harleys have roller lifters, not flat tappet lifters so if your mileage is not excessive, over 40000 miles, you can re-use the lifters. Of course they should be checked but they're trying to up-sell you. Are they replacing your inner cam bearings to Timken B148's? What's their quote for the new plate, cam, adj. pushrods and lifters? Without the lifters? And what about tuning the new setup?

 

Thanks guys for the advice

The bike has 26,000 miles,and the quote for all installed since camchest will be open is 535.00

I paid 1300.00 for the parts

Im not sure on the Timken bearings being used,i just bought the adj tap pushrods,se cam,and se cam plate/oil pump upgrade kit,but at the time the agent told me i also needed new tappets listed on my estimate invoice as 269.00,and that was the part i was questioning

I know you should never do things half ***,but after getting new rotors,pads,clutch plates,etc and then all this stuff it came close to 3,000 and to be honest that 300.00 if i didnt need to upgrade tappets/lifters i really could use that money to regroup/reload lol!

It will take me another 1-2 months for a 400.00 tuner,and 125.00 dyno,so they are just using a canned map to get me out the door

i will have it tuned properly the minute i have the extre money though,as i know what a proper tune can do to the bike

 

When I did my cams at 16k I went ahead and did new lifters..

I talked to 4 master wrenches at four different dealers when I priced the cam job..

Two of the 4 wrenches I talked to said any bike over 15k and the other two said over 20K on Ur bike and U need/should replace them..



The one I trusted and like the best said He'd for sure recommend new ones for sure at 20K and over.

I did it so If I did have any issues they couldn't come back and say the lifters caused the problem. they warranted the cam job for 1 yr.

One thing is U don't have to use the SE liflters,, the reg ones will do just fine..

Think mine was $119, 3 yrs ago..


.

 

If they are ging to be in there anyway I would do the lifers. It's cheap insurance. When I did my cams I did lifters. Checked them when the big bore was done and they were fine. When I added the new hydraulic cam plate I did them again.

My time frame was cams and shoes at 40K, big bore at 50K, new cam plate around 70K.

 

that there is the key part.. just use the standard lifters.. at 26K i wouldn't be using old lifters either.. a wear profile has already set in. i would be leary about reusing them at 15K..

 

Thanks guys

I actually talked with another harley tech,and he winked at me and said you should get lifters since camchest will be open,but with the relatively light mods im doing stock lifters for 120.00 are perfectly fine

I just saved 150.00,so that does help

I hate being so thrifty,but just dont have the expendable income anymore

ps The actual harley tech also told me that at 26,000 you do NOT need the billet support plate/oil pump upgrade

He told me of a website to get the inner chain,and the 2 shoes and gasket set for 210.00,and with a mild cam like this one,my stock support plate is just fine(also he recommended a spring from baisley for the oil pump)and he said that setup would work for the 6 months i need to save enough money for my endgoal which is the big bore kit.

He also said that the SE upgrade kit is more than worth it,BUT not neccessary if just dont have the cash laying around

The new shoes,cam,pushrods,lifters,and inner chain will run me about 750.00 with 350.00 labor so that is 1050.00 and he said my motor will wake up significantly until i can save the 1500.00 for the big bore,which he said im gonna need new cam and then probably the se upgrade kit if i can afford it at that time.

sorry for rambling,but with talking to another harley mechanic he saved me almost 800.00 and said that as long as im not drag racing,lol my bike the old stock setup renewed will be fine for even another 15-20,000 miles,BUY i just need about 6 months then i will redo it again

thanks again

Any other advice appreciated

 

So why are you doing cams now if you think you are going to have to change them out again in 6 months??? Save your coin and do it all at once instead of paying money just to toss it out later. Trust me, it gets expensive doing that. I'm getting ready for the third set of cams in the bike this season, lol.

 

Have them change the inner cam bearings to Torrington B148's ! You can get them on Ebay for $9.00. Another website for tensioners is here. The Baisley spring is a good idea if you're keeping the stock cam plate. Later on, when you install the big bore kit, you can keep that 204 cam. In the future,when you take the heads off to install the big bore, send the heads off to have them cc'd, decked for compression and ported. Good luck.