Kit comes with hydraulic set-up, new lifters, cams, oil pump, etc.....do I get to pick the cam type? What is recomended for my tc88 without have to fudge with the Merelli tuning. Good price?

 

Screw that. Get a cam set with gears from S&S.

 

Did you ask whoever quoted you these prices these questions? If not, I would. I would guess that any change to different cams will require some tuning.


Dennis

 

Don't do it! s&s gear drive and new cams is the way to go

 

Thanks, but I ended up discussing this with the tech at HD and decided to go with the hydraulic set up and keep the cams the same since i do not want to have to pay for a tuner. I know there are those that prefer one over the other (gear vs. chain) but the hydraulic is what I can afford right now so thats the way it is.

 

Contrary to what others may have posted, going to the hydraulic tensioner setup is a great way to increase your motor's durability. The retail on the hydraulic setup with the new oil pump is $400+ and gives you an upgraded oil pump. The geardrive setup with cams is around $700. without the upgraded oil pump. Geardrives can not be installed in motors with more than about .003" pinion shaft run out. If the pinion gear is not installed correctly, using red locktite, the back lash can cause problems with the pinion shaft. Both setups are easiest installed with new adjustable pushrods, around $130 and should be installed with new cam bearings. I know the bearings are included with the S&S/ Andrews setup. I'm not sure about the S.E. hydraulic setup including cam bearings. This means you get an upgraded oil pump and tensioners that will last the life of your motor for $300. less than the geardrives. There is not a thing wrong with the gear drive set up, if you have a motor that meets the run out spec. I've been running them in my '02 for six years. The hydraulic setup is just cheaper and includes a better oil pump. Both solve the spring loaded tensioner problem.

 

The bike is a 2000 which is a forged crank, rarely is runout an issue for these up-to-02 bikes, this bike is an ideal candidate for gear drive, and if money was the issue you can simply re-shoe the existing tensioners for $170 every 20,000 miles or so. The money saved would be a nice start for the S&S gear drive, throttle body enlargement, headwork, cams, and PCIIIusb. The Stage I download flash on that bike now is a far cry from a real map, been there, done that.

 

I just put the Herko Pro kit on my 99 FLHRCI this weekend. I had 0.003" of run out and chose this because the chains are more forgiving that gears...or so i hear...i dont plan on testing the theory. I spent about $1000 in parts because I needed lifters, cams, pushrods and a trigger sprocket for the new roller chain. Easy to do. Took me a half day and I was working very slow.

 

Just checked with the local dealership, they charge 845.00 parts and labor for the SE hydraulic upgrade. I am looking at the Herko kit but with labor at my Indy, don't know. might just have to let the HD dealership do it. Might go talk to them and see what other items I can get done at the same time and maybe save a little money, since they are slow in the shop right now.

joe

 

Spending all that cash and keeping the stock cams sounds like a waste of a good opportunity...A 100 buck DFO/TFI unit is all the tuner you need. You don't even have to spend bucks on dyno time. You can tune it yourself with a screwdriver, the base settings provided by Dobeck, and a little trial and error.