Tensioner fail

[kink04fxd]

2000 FLHTCI. 36,000 miles, never been opened. Just got back from Sturgis last Sat. Bike runs great, no unusual noises didn't use any oil, 2500 mile round trip. Got a wild hair and decided to open up the cam chest and check the tensioners. Glad I did.








Haven't decided what I want to do yet. Got some Cyco pads or I might just go with a 07 up plate and hydraulic tensioners with some Andrews 26 cams.

[86fxwg]

It's a crap shoot how long they last. Pulled down a rock stock 88" w/98000 on the OE's had a few @ 15000 miles that were gone also. I stayed with the stock in my 06. 
Urs may last longer since the chains are polished.

86

[BVHOG]

Good call, either the cyco pads or gear drive, the hydraulics are better but still a maintenance item, a gear drive is a fix along with some some nice Andrews 26G cams.

[koko3052]

Pulled down an 03 Ultra because of "noise". Customer (newby) said it idles great (efi) & good oil pressure, only rode it around the block, 66,ooo kms.. NOTHING left of either tensioner & holders phacked! Installed Cycos, changed all bearings, buttoned it up.
Customer later sent a pic of the oil filter opened up, full of gold plastic (old tensioners) but not much else. Told him to do a couple of fast (flush) oil changes & open filter each time & monitor pressure.
Stock engine & customers decision not to open oil pump.

[Breeze]

15 years and 36,000 miles, I'd think replacing with oem would last the rest of the bikes life.  Then again, no guarantee oem would last that long again. 

[lt1-xjs]

Just go with the 26's in gear drive and use the stock plate, pump etc.

[kink04fxd]

Cam chest was clean as a whistle, no scoring in the pump. I know gear drive is the ultimate fix but my 04 dyna rattled so bad when warm that I replaced them with the hydro set up. Matching gears can get expensive. I just bought this bike 2 months ago after totaling my other FLHT thanks to a deer.

[Y2KRKNG]

Is it an early or late yr build 2000? If early, you'll need a new cam plate anyways do to the slop fit of outer cam bearings. And it was subject to the rear cam bearing recall. If late yr, you're G2G. Go gears.

[koko3052]

15 years and 36,000 miles, I'd think replacing with oem would last the rest of the bikes life.  Then again, no guarantee oem would last that long again.

Yah, you're right. This newby just picked it up from somebody that obviously didn't ride much. I'd like to find a few deals like that!

[wholehog]

Cam chest was clean as a whistle, no scoring in the pump. I know gear drive is the ultimate fix but my 04 dyna rattled so bad when warm that I replaced them with the hydro set up. Matching gears can get expensive. I just bought this bike 2 months ago after totaling my other FLHT thanks to a deer.

you know the routine then......hydraulics is the way to go

[Admiral Akbar]

Parade duty kills the early tensioners.. I'd inspect the cams also.. Many of the early ones were soft..

[kink04fxd]

Definitley going to repalce the cams. I noticed some scoring on a couple of the lobes. Of course this is moot if I go hydro.

[gimp]

Very interested in this subject as I have 2000 FLHRCI.  26k on her.  i bought it a month a go for a song from a customer.  Worried about the tensioner so I picked up the S&S gear kit. going to tackle it this next week 

[Admiral Akbar]

Very interested in this subject as I have 2000 FLHRCI.  26k on her.  i bought it a month a go for a song from a customer.  Worried about the tensioner so I picked up the S&S gear kit. going to tackle it this next week

Hopefully you got gear drive cams to go with the gears..

[gimp]

I picked up the kit 509g S&S kit.  Has everything in it.  Got S&S quickie adjustables as well. 

Only thing that makes me worried is the crank runout.  It there is excessive runout numbers do I have to go back to chain or can I use the Fueling kit that includes the cam plate?  don't know enough about that kit to say whether it will work or not

[Just Nick]

30-35k is what we see form the stock tensioners except for the 06 models seem to last a lot longer

[Hybredhog]

If its over .003 run out, you'll need to stay with a stock style plate & tensioners (fueling plate if it has the shoe posts), or the ^ '07 upgrade/hybred plate, OR dive in and fix the crank and use your gears (snowball time). My theory has been once the factory went with the conical springs in late '04 the valve seat pressure drop significantly, making it easier on the shoes, HD's little band aid for the problem. 

[Buffalo]

I'd go Cyco pads and finish the polishing job on the chains!!!  The hypo chains have 5-6 razor edged plates running on plastic- surprised they last as long as some do. At 23K mine where 50% worn thru. I removed the chains and polished the outside of the links until they where all smooth and slightly rounded. After flushing the chains in acetone to remove the dirt and waxes from polishing, I soaked them in 20-50 overnight, then reinstalled them. At 47K, the shoes showed a shiny spot where the chains had run, but no visible wear. I bolted supercharger into this 95" engine and ran it for 3 yrs at 130h/130t, an inspection with 20K more showed maybe 5% wear, but I was constantly spinning the motor to 6500rpm almost on a daily basis. fwiw  Buffalo