TC88 cam chain tensioner check

[banquo]

That'll be the optional cam plate, finished in Black Denim, with bronze highlights.... for use with the Scheming Beagle Pyrex transparent cam cover, with which you can watch your oily bits churning around, and inspect the tensioners from the comfort of your armchair.....

[SJC69]

Forgot to post this last week, that mirror is just superb, as if it was made for the job.
I paid either £5.99 or £6.99 for it from Boots I can't remember which, it is great.
No chance of the mirror dropping off by the looks of it either!

My tensioners had very little wear so the push rods and spare tensioners have gone back in the box for a while! Good call Banquo

[banquo]

Glad it worked out from someone else, which is what this is all about!

[devon.john]

NO problem?

after all this talk about tensioner wear i had to put my mind at rest.

Ive done just on 40,000 miles abit worrying??

I ordered the parts ie tensioners gaskets etc

striping the engine i found very little wear there was less than 1/2 of one

mil of a thickness of 4ml

i hope this puts afew of youat ease

May be i am lucky i dont do short trips change oil at 3,000 mls

this may help ?????


john

[banquo]

Yes. The big question is, "why do some wear prematurely,and some don't?"
Is it to do with the assembly at the factory, variations in lubrication, variations in chain roughness, or variations in the way the motors are run and looked after? Don't suppose we'll ever get an answer to that though.
Glad yours were OK too John!

Wow what a fantastic tech tip.
Can use give some indications as to what to make someone want to do the cam tensioner pads.
I'm new here by the way , from Ontario Canada , I have a 2002 dyna wideglide with 7500 miles and I'm getting an intermittent ticking from the right side , seems to be when I'm in 2nd gear and above , seems worse if I'm in 4th or 5th with low rpm's. I was thinking it may be rocker noise or cam chain , I was trying to lean away from cam chain out of fear of taking it apart. Your step by step sure took the fear away.
So two questions as already stated for one
1. what kinda indication is given by the motor?
2. Do I only need the cam cover gasket or is there other gaskets or seals I would need?
thanks in advance
Lynn

[banquo]

For anyone interested, here are the results for the 40,000 mile inspection.
A bit more wear, and some chunks missing, but still plenty of wear left it seems....

[Matt FXDX]

I did the S&S gear conversion 9.000mls ago had no problems, my question is, can you tell if there is crank run out on install or is it only when your bearings become goosed?...

[banquo]

Originally Posted by Matt FXDX

I did the S&S gear conversion 9.000mls ago had no problems, my question is, can you tell if there is crank run out on install or is it only when your bearings become goosed?...

Might be better posting this on the main forum - not much traffic on here...

My limited understanding of the run-out issue is that it's the as-manufactured tolerance on the crankshaft, and nothing to do with timing side bearing wear. The crank isn't designed for gear drive, so the manufacturing tolerances will be set accordingly, for a chain drive, which will accept a lot more run-out than the gears. If you're lucky, you have a straight crank, and it's OK for gear drive. If not, you need to stick with chains, or get a straighter crank...
In other words, you can get a brand new Harley motor, whose run out will be too wide for gear drive, because it wasn't designed for that.
Does it get worse with time?
No idea, but someone else will have...

[Steppenwulf]

Originally Posted by banquo

Does it get worse with time?
No idea, but someone else will have...

It can get worse if you lug the engine or change down too hard at a high RPM,
both scenarios can cause the crank to walk. The TC engines have a press fit crank that can shift under heavy torque/loading. Increasing power/torque through moding the engine will increase the torque available and can therefore increase the likleyhood of this happening.

After 2002 Harley moved away from a Timken bearing and forged cranks, some say this has weakened the engine. And when they moved to the 96" for 2007 the increased torque caused these early 96" to be more prone to run-out until the MoCo tightened up their tolerances on later years.

Most importantly though is the run-out when the engine was made. As Jake says the factory never intended the chain drive bikes to be gear driven. But if you have done 9000 miles since install and haven't noticed bad vibration, ticking lifters or loud noises from the cam chest perhaps you've had a good 'un.

If you are at all worried why not open the camchest and check for wear to the oil pump and cam support plate?