If anyone needs a brand new set of fueling lifters, I ended up buying 2 by accident, I will sell them for $200.00 plus shipping, I do not have them in my hands yet though.

 

not for nuthin, but if you have more than 20K on that design and you have not inspected them, or in my case ripped them out and replaced everything on that side with upgraded aftermarket parts, you are just a disaster waiting to happen

 

Not really true but .....

In my own experience which is limited this is what I saw.

my 2004 RK hopped up 95" had 30k and tensioners were hardly worn. I had this one since new and it was never ridden with the 88 I rode it hard too.

My current 2004 Police with stock 88 had tensioner failure at 28k Only 7800 were in service miles.

2005 Heritage purchased new by Dad had over 40k and tensioners looked new.

Buddies 2006 went over 68k and tensioners half worn

Riding buddy has a 2005 hopped up and it had 40k and tensioners 1/3 worn when replaced.



You never really know until you look at them, perhaps this is why it was a 25k service item ??



I will be inspecting my replacement cyco set up this winter and hope to have 20k on them. We will see

 

I put this in a thread in the General Chat, but I just replaced mine with the hydraulic kit at 34k miles. The outer pad had very little wear and the inner pad was a little pitted with just under 25% wear. My oil was changed religiously at 3500 to 4,000 miles with synthetic, typically amsoil. My pads were inspected by the previous owner (a relative) and fine at 20,000 miles. By 34k I said eff inspecting them, just get rid of the potential problem. I plan to keep the bike and pray for cheap miles in the future.

 

I've read that going to the hydraulic kit is a better mouse trap, but not fool proof. There are cases were they fail just like with the spring loaded cam shoes, but typically at 50k or more. Any truth to it?

 

Watching

 

I'm wondering the same. Someone else posted here saying it's not the tensioners at all, but the chain. Non-roller chains being bad, and roller chains being fine. I was hoping there'd be more commentary on that theory.

 

Here is a hydraulic conversion on the inner that did not replace the cams so the inner link chain could be replaced. Typical of what the Mother Ship refers to as their SE oil pump and hydraulic upgrade kit. I call it the double screwing.

Note in first attachment, the outer tensioner running on the roller chain and the inner on a link with less than 20K. There is too much hydraulic pressure at running speed especially if the system is modified for more oil pressure. The second attachment is another tensioner on a roller chain at 90K. After the outer link grooves in, the chain rolls and nevers wears anymore. Since they are small and hot oil age hardens delrin , they should be replaced every 10 years. Probably sooner in a very hot climate..

The last is a typical link chain on a spring tensioner that someone stays into the high rpm range. The chain speed literally cavitates on the tensioner blasting out chunks. The links have a pebbly outer surface that at first appears rough but all the ones I have felt are smooth. This helps to prevent cavitation on rpm under 3500 , Mine at 30K were little warn. (last attachment)

When inspecting the inner link chain tensioner, if the link pins are not touching you are OK. However, if they are close or you are paying someone to inspect, replace the tensioners and inner cam bearings. Inspect the oil pump carefully with precision measuring tools or replace it. If you do not have the measuring tools, guess you could screw a pressure gage into the low pressure switch hole. If OK, then you could just visual check it and replace the o-ring.

 

Thanks, the roller chain difference makes a lot of sense now. Looks like the roller chain is the real fix to me.

 

The hydraulic change was just Harleys way of hiding their penny pinch by using the link chain.
All the way back in the 80's, Toyota had a roller chain cam drive (did have hydraulic tensioner) using a hard rubber tensioner. At 200K, all it had was two grooves and was rolling across.

Of course, the tensioners, especially the straight one on the left drivers side broke ever 75-100K and the chain went into the water pump impeller cavity dumping water into the oil pan floating all the oil above the pickup.