[BackInBlack2003]

Sorry if this discussion appears elsewhere as I am new to the forum. I have a 2003 FLHTPI that has been set up with Stage I, K&N Filter, Power Commander III, and Rinehart TruDuals. I am considering upgrading my cams and am interested in feedback as to whether I should go with installing hydraulic cam chain tensioners or go with gear drive cams. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Chipperski]

I just got off the phone with h-d. The guy said hydraulic is the way to go. Seemed like strictly on the basis of quietness. I'd go with can drive myself. Less worries. Set it and forget it.

 

[hdrider82]

put gear drive cams in my 03. love them!!! ;-)

 

[j michael]

Been running gear drive since 08 in two different motors they are great:woohoo:

 

[acbacb]

Both are fine. Personal preference although there will be some gear whine with the gear drive plus you must measure crank run-out before installing the gear drive. There are no crank worries with the hydraulic tensioners.

 

[02_Red_Ultra]

I put gear drive cams in when I went to 95" and am happy not to worry about a cam chain. There is a bit more noise but that is overcome by turning the volume up!

 

[hdrider82]

I put gear drive cams in when I went to 95" and am happy not to worry about a cam chain. There is a bit more noise but that is overcome by turning the volume up!

@gree: @gree: :beer:

 

[y2k-fxst]

Been running gear drive since 08 in two different motors they are great:woohoo:

I agree, put gear drives in 4 years ago. Would never consider going back!

 

[Armin]

I agree, put gear drives in 4 years ago. Would never consider going back!

Same here!

 

[xxxxxkwizard]

Both work well. I went with the SE hydraulic upgrade kit and it works great. Comes with a new better oil pump too.

 

[Doug53]

Running gear drives in my 03 for the last 2 years.

They have been trouble free.

 

[Gecko209]

Had the gear drive in my Ultra for 3 years without a hitch. The whine isn't a concern, I just pretend its a turbo.......Did I mention I've got playing cards in my spokes?

 

[OZNOG]

The whine isn't a concern, I just pretend its a turbo.......Did I mention I've got playing cards in my spokes?

@gree:

Love my gear setup too, but I use baseball cards in the spokes.

 

[berserker]

I got gears in my 01, but it has a Timken. its getting hard to put gears in cause of Harleys sloppy bottom ends. No Timkens, then cheaping on the crank.

The hydraulic can use the existing cams? With gear drives you need to replace the cams.

On one hand gears have no parts to wear, on the other the hydraulics seem to be doing ok.

Check your crank run out, see if you can even do gears.

 

[OZNOG]

What Zerk said. Check the run-out first. You will need a crank with very little run-out. A trued and welded crank is the best bet, but the $$$ of getting there is steep.

 

[Road King Cole]

Besides what everybody else already said, there is a small increase in HP by removing the chain and going with gears.

Unless you have stock exhaust, the sound is negligible as long as they are installed correctly.

rkc

 

[ripnbigc]

Love my gear drive cams!

 

[jerry34208]

I have one with gears and one with the hydraulic chain tensioners. Both work.
Given all the variables of cost, convenience (ease of install) reliability (both ARE but gears win out by a little bit in my view) fitment (gears will require tighter tolerance & maybe a second set of gears bring purchased for correct fit)... What have I forgotten... Noise may or may not be a factor depending on how thorough you are in measuring and selecting the correct set of gears and how much run out your crank already has.

I'd opt for the SE cam plate with hydraulics. that way you also get the upgraded oil pump with more scavenging.


Sent from my Motorcycle iPhone app

 

[59panhead]

Lets see....Harley had Gear Drive Cams up until 1998....then they listened to some Yuppie College Boy that came up with this chain drive BS System and thousands of guys lost motors that H-D would not cover when the little plastic toy parts came apart and destroyed there motors! Hmmmmm sounds like gears are the way to go....1 other thing all you morons make up your pea sized brain and say I think the gears drive might be to loud.....But 99% of you all change your exhaust to some Crazy Loud System that causes car alarms to go off and your "whining " about gear whine ?

 

[Firetender]

Lets see....Harley had Gear Drive Cams up until 1998....then they listened to some Yuppie College Boy that came up with this chain drive BS System and thousands of guys lost motors that H-D would not cover when the little plastic toy parts came apart and destroyed there motors! Hmmmmm sounds like gears are the way to go....1 other thing all you morons make up your pea sized brain and say I think the gears drive might be to loud.....But 99% of you all change your exhaust to some Crazy Loud System that causes car alarms to go off and your "whining " about gear whine ?

Not quite...HD needs a federal license to sell their products for use on public highways in the US. Increaingly restrictive noise and emissions requirments forced HD to look at alternatives to gears and the chain system made the most sense. It's been upgreaded to the hydraulic system now in use. Same with the exhaust system, it is in compliance with federal noise regulations. Same with your Delphi MANDATED throttle-by-wire closed-loop EFI systems. Magnetti-Marelli is one of the world's largest sellers of EFI systems and still contracts for parts on new HD's, but their pre-'02 EFI system won't accomodate closed-loop or throttle-by-wire.
These are all emission and noise controls forced on the MoCo by the fed. You are welcome to remove/change/alter them at your own risk, but it was "sold" to you in compliance by the MoCo so they're off the hook.