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cam chain tensioners

I have a 2005 softail 88 and a 2006 road king police bike 88 to 95 with the dig bore kit. Can someone clear the air for me about gear, chain, and hydralic tensionsers. I have no idea which ones I have and which ones I should have.
 
mustang27 said:
I have a 2005 softail 88 and a 2006 road king police bike 88 to 95 with the dig bore kit. Can someone clear the air for me about gear, chain, and hydralic tensionsers. I have no idea which ones I have and which ones I should have.
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First Step would be to inspect your existing tensioners. If you have over 25K on either bike. I would look at them. They may be perfect. Some get tons of mileage out of them and some do not. We just hear more about the ones that fail.

If your bikes are stock then you have the old style spring type tensioners in both of them. Basically a stiff spring holds tensioners against the cam chains to put tension on the chains. BIG MISTAKE by HD. These tensioners will wear sooner or later. Some to the point to damage the engine. Could happen in less then 20,000 miles. Plenty of horror stories on line. And some would have 50K on their bike and the tensioners would be fine.


New Style Hydralic Tensioners - Basically the same as above, but use hydralic pressure to apply tension to cam chains rather then the stronger. HD solution to there BIG MISTAKE. HD sells a nice upgrade kit at a good price. Around 400 bucks, close to the same to get it installed. To me the down fall, you still have the tensioners running on the chain, if you search this forum you will find pictures of new style tensioners worn. And you hear others who have had them on the bike for 50K + look at then tensioners and no wear. But they are still a wear item.

Gear Drive - This is the way I went so I am bais. Eliminates chains sprockets and tensioners. There are tons of bikes with gear drives installed(many many miles). This was the solution to HD BIG MISTAKE before Harley released the hydralic tensioners in 2007.

The down fall of gear drives.
Expenses- installed will be more then hydralic upgrade, you have to change cams .
Noise Wine - Some complain of gear noise. I do not have any noise or it is very subtle.
Crank Runout - If your bike has over .003" crankrunout, gear drives are not an option.

I have never heard, read, of the gear drive failing. They are not for "short life racing engines". That statement is just not true.

If I was doing the upgrade today and did not intend on upgrading cams. I'm not sure which way I would go. Bais by the extra cost of Gear Drive cams.
 
Cam chain tensioners by themselves do not wear, it is mainly the tensioner shoes...and as Jonas specified, the newer hydralic tensioners seldom "overtension" so they would be fine. If you keep an eye on the older spring tensioner setup by checking the shoes for wear (use a dentist mirror to check conditions), the plastic shoes are not that expensive though the jury is still out as to wheter the "white ones" wear better than the "orange or beige ones".
 
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