55K Miles - What do ya think? Got the extended warranty until 2012 but cant get HD to replace them. The manual says this wear is unacceptable. Do I wait until they break or try to force HD to replace them?

http://www.customwiring.net/images/Photo0346.jpg

 

The warranty will cover you when they take out your engine. Ride it until it blows and get a new engine under warranty. Or, if you like put in an SE hydraulic kit at your expense.

 

If it's not toast by end of warranty them get the se tensioner kit installed. It's like the guy with a really big dead tree gonna fall into his house. Insurance will pay "after" it does but they won't spend a couple hundred to take it down before Insurance (and that's what a warranty is" is legal gambling. I am betting something is gonna happen, the insurance company is betting it won't. Only difference is that if you beat the house in Vegas you still get to play at the same rate, in insurance, if you win they raise your rates or cancel you

 

That is one nice ride. You have to make the decision whether you love it enough to keep it and keep upgrading it or not. Many of my friends have traded to a newer model at this point to avoid putting money into there older rides. Don't wait, when those tensioners blow it's a real $hit show. I did mine at 40,000 and they were in rough shape. There is no price I can put on the peace of mind I now have. While I was in there I upgraded bearings and cams, now at Stage 2, the bike rides better than new. I love my '05 and plan on keeping it fixing, and upgrading it. When the top end needs repair I will bore it to 95" and flow the heads. That will get me to Stage 3, old Harleys just keep getting better with age.

 

You cant force the dealer to do anything.
Some lucky owners have had the tensioners replaced under warranty before they destroyed the engine by their dealer.
Others like me have been told they (the dealer)will not replace them just because they are worn.

If you dont want to pay for the repair,just keep riding it till the tensioners self destruct and see what the ESP will do.

 

Not a very good picture but the wear appears to be within service limits. Manual clearly shows that at least 50% of the shoe material must be worn through before the shoes are considered worn beyond service limits. As long a the wear is even, shoes are not chipped or cracked, they are OK.

At 55Kmiles, it's time to replace the shoes regardless. Invest the $70 for new shoes and the four hours or so to replace them and get'er done. The new tensioner shoes will last longer because the chain has been "polished" from the previous wear. Also upgrade inner cam bearings while you are in the cam chest.

If you have the $$ and inclination, replacing the stock cam drive system with the H-D "hybrid" system is worth the time and $$ just for the upgraded oil pump.

 

been readin your situation i have a 07 flhtc with 53K,i want to inspect the shoes and chain,no noise ,runs great,is it a pain in the *** ,should i expect anything to pop out ???

 

kinda surprised h-d would cover under extended. It's a wearing part after all. Put another way - what wearing parts does the extended not cover? Tires, brakes . . . other?

 

You shouldn't have to worry about your 07 just yet. They should go at least 70-80k

 

my 07 ultra has the upgraded hyd tentioners stock [ so I was told ] and the dealer told me about the ESP is if it an't broke the won't fix it