Well that's just great...... .0055 runout, now what

[ambush]

I have been collecting components for a couple a years including an Andrews 26g cam set with gears. Even got the gears and cams already mounted on camplate and ready to swap out. Opened up cam chest and measured runout at .0055. (With 67k miles I was surprised how good the original cam shoes looked, about 1/16 of wear.)
So anyway, with the runout at .0055 (correction, it is actually a tad over 4 thou) what do I do?

PS- It's nice to have this edit feature guys. Thanks for all the hard work and a great site. Ambush

[03deuce]

Unfortunately, looks like you will have to run the chain drive cams. 

[Arrowsmit]

Get the crank fixed, or run it as is, or do the roller chain conversion...

VicW.

[Arrowsmit]

BTW, was the bike exhibiting any symptoms; excess vibes, noise, etc??

VicW.

[ambush]

It does seem to vibrate more than it should. I've checked and rechecked the runout a few times now and it is a tad over 4 thou rather than 55. I understand this can be noisy but does it acceletate wear or cause other issues?

[RevFastEddy]

.0055"....well your half way to harleys new Max crank runout , even with the new chain drive. Remember it used to be .003". Put it back together and just ride it a little longer then sell it. JMHO  or fix it right... less than .001" runout is easily obtainable just by sending your crank to falicon or darkhorse for true/rebuild/weld operations. Then you can put it back together and count on smooth long term running.

[Admiral Akbar]

Just curious, what year bike?

Max

[ambush]

Yea Max, I should have noted that's it an 03 ultra classic. I've got a SuperMeg, K&N filter, PC III and I'm in process of doing cam change and 95bb w/headwork which I've not decided exactly on yet.

[tomp]

It won't hurt it to run the geared cams with that much runout, but it will be a little noisy. I've seen brand new crank assemblies at .0035 so it's possible that it went in not much less than that. I'd run the snot of it the way it is. It is easy to listen to this board and get caught in the hype that your crank is bad, but we've been running with these things with runout for years and never knew there was a problem until it became a topic on this board. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

On that same note, you'd have a quieter build if you went with the new roller chain conversion route.

[Faast Ed]

My fear would be:  If it shifted this much, how soon will it shift further?

I guess it is a good sign that it took that many miles to shift this far, but gears for sure would not be an option if it were my bike.
I'd be reluctant to put a lot of money, time and effort into building on that crank. We all have different approaches to things, but if it were my bike I would either consider trading it in (and then do the build) or including the crank mods with the build.

Chain drive would be a good option, but I would still feel uneasy about riding it hard (and that is what a good build will encourage).

I do ot know if this is true or not, but I have always felt that a crank that has shifted some, will be quicker to shift further than one that hasn't. Nothing but gut feelin' to base that opinion on.

[dakota224]

i agree, and with more power its going to shift more. if it were mine i would slap it back together and sell it ,, then buy a good used 2002 with low miles..  they are outthere..

[Eglider05]

If you plan on keeping this bike and running the motor to it's full potential do yourself a favor and pull the crank and send it to Darkhorse and while you're at it have the Timken conversion done. I wish I had listened to those that gave me this same advice, but I didn't.

Rick

[road-dawgs1]

Yup, send the crank out to Darkhorse.  But if you're going to be splitting cases and doing that then you might as well go bigger and then you wouldn't want the 26g cams for that.  Half a dozen of one or 6 of the other.

[GoFast.....]

I have been collecting components for a couple a years including an Andrews 26g cam set with gears. Even got the gears and cams already mounted on camplate and ready to swap out. Opened up cam chest and measured runout at .0055. (With 67k miles I was surprised how good the original cam shoes looked, about 1/16 of wear.)
So anyway, with the runout at .0055 (correction, it is actually a tad over 4 thou) what do I do?

PS- It's nice to have this edit feature guys. Thanks for all the hard work and a great site. Ambush

you do not need cam driven gears anyway for those small of cams. Sell them and put a chain set in and drive it or fix it or trade it in

[TXChop]

FWIW, i just pulled a motor down today. It was a pretty stout 103 that had .0026 at the time of install. Well, the owner got about 8k on it this year and i just checked it now and its almost 7 thou runout. Happened gradually as the cams were quiet when installed and by the time it tore it down today, it sounded like a small block chevy with a blower on it. Just a few more miles and i think the oil pump would have broke and maybe have ate a gear like the pip above. The crank is going to darkhorse this week.

[Admiral Akbar]

I've seen 0.004 run-out start to eat the right main.. I'd rebuild. Max.

[Eglider05]

If you plan on keeping this bike and running the motor to it's full potential do yourself a favor and pull the crank and send it to Darkhorse and while you're at it have the Timken conversion done. I wish I had listened to those that gave me this same advice, but I didn't.

Rick

FYI

This happened on my second ride of the season in March 07. I remember hearing some whine on my last ride of the previous year after I had jumped on it pretty hard just before I put it away. When I took it out the next spring I heard some whining as I was cruising along at 55 MPH and then all hell broke loose. When I tore it down the runout was .034"

Rick