twin cam 88 cam chain tensioner

[blewcrab]

my 2003 twin cam has 21,000 miles ...I am told that the cam chain tensioners need to be replaced at 20K ....anyone with any feedback on this?

[squale147]

iv seen them last till 60k and go as early as 15k.. not a bad idea to check them

[Nahanhoku]

68000 on the first set of tensioners. I only changed them because I was upgrading cams.

Here is one of many threads on the subject.

http://www.v-twinforum.com/forums/to...tensioner.html

[miker84]

I looked at mine at 20k and they looked normal. Mine were about half worn at 30k. Helped a friend replace his tensioners a couple of weeks ago because his had worn into the metal on the arms at 30k miles. He noticed a ticking that hadn't been there before. It probably depends on how many hours the engine has run and the type of maintenance done rather than the miles.

[shop14]

just checked mine at 28k, all good. another 10k before i check them again.

[route66paul]

I would check them at least, they have been known to go even before 20k.

[chromejunkie]

Mine had very little wear when I changed cams at 38K. Still, it wouldn't hurt anything if you popped the cam cover off and took a look at them.

[niget2002]

Crap... I knew I forgot something.

I just did the 30k on my bike. I meant to check these. Guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow.

[Big-G]

Will the engine tick or knock when they go bad? Or what is a sign without actually looking at them?

[route66paul]

When they "go bad' they frag and send plastic pieces all through your engine, and maybe some metal also. depending how bad they go, you could only be looking at replacing the oil pump, but many times this can cause a complete overhaul and many parts need to be replaced. At that point, it is time to think about going to a 117, 120, or a 124". $7000+ range

[1949shoebox]

its a pain in the ass to keep checking them , always having to worry about them... they break no warning and can blow your motor. just save a lil and gear the cams all worries gone! it'll help your motor breathe better as well as perform better.

[Seawolf]

My 2006 FLSTC has been carefully maintained in accordance with the H-D recommended service schedule that no where mentions the cam chain tensioner shoes. After reading in this forum, I asked the dealership about the cam chain issues. They recommended having them checked at 30K. It is never verbally or printed by H-D as a maintenance issue unless one directly inquires about it. As a result, I inspected mine. The inside rear was nearly gone and the front was out of tolerance. I replaced the spring tensioners with hydraulic tensioners ( expensive, but less so than a geared system for now). In the future, I will inspect the shoes and chain every 25K.

['05Train]

Switched to gears at 19,000 miles, shoes looked decent. I'd check 'em every 10,000 miles or so if I still had them.

[Skywarrior]

Inspected cam chain tensioners at 38k, not much wear, decided to change them this winter and was surprised to see how much wear I had now with 56k. Upgrading to S&S gear drive with Black Widow 540 cam also going from 88" to 95".

[46u]

Checked mine at 50,000 miles and the pads where GONE metal on metal. Had to replace everything but the cam plate in the came case. I now have 78,000 going to replace them with the kit that changes them over to the later style hydraulic ones. It all so comes with the up dated oil pump that helps with the scavenger problems. All so since Harley has doubled their price on the adjusters and cam chains. The Kit all so comes with the new style primary chain set up and you still use your cam bearing set up not bushings like the later models. If you check around you can get the whole kit for around $350 to $380 which the kit retails for $429. One other thing comes with a billet cam plate.