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Is the cam upgrade really necessary?

HDSickness

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Going to do the cam chain tensioner upgrade on my 99 road king dealer says I should upgrade cams while they are in there but I am perfectly happy with the way bike performs now with stock cams.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 
Your ride, you decide.

You definitely need to have them replace the inner INA needle bearings (with the Torrington bearings). If you are doing all this for the hydraulic tensioners, then they are installing a new support plate, and I am sure it will have new bearings. Obviously, the new oil pump should be part of the upgrade to the hydraulic tensioners. And if they are gonna use a silent chain on the backside of the plate, have them use a new one, not the old one.

So the decision on the cams themselve is strictly your decision based on if you want any difference in performance that cams can give you.

TQ
 
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Cams are not necessary unless they are showing signs of excessive wear or other issues. With your year of engine, I would change out the inner cam bearings though.

Most people upgrade cause they want a little more power but of course then you have to modify your fuel injection to compensate and then there is no real point unless you update your air intake as well as exhaust and on and on....

Some people have an insatiable need for speed (that would be me :D).

If you are happy with your engine as is, then save your money and just stay with the stock cams.

No harm, no foul.
 
Going to do the cam chain tensioner upgrade on my 99 road king dealer says I should upgrade cams while they are in there but I am perfectly happy with the way bike performs now with stock cams.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

If it were mine, I would do a Low Torque cam with the New Bearings...

signed....BUBBIE

Never asked or told How many miles on the bike and is it stock or 95"
 
Bike is stock 88c/i fuel injected does have the bad bearing which is one reason I want to upgrade the tensioners and oil pump and do bearings at the same time. I do have stage 1 air cleaner power commander and samson slip ons.Just bought the bike in december has with 5800 miles now have 7600 miles.
 
Being ignorant of builds etc, my opinion would be , pretty much, useless. That said, I really like my 01 Ultra pretty much stock. It's plenty quick enough for this old cat. I have no need for speed just because it's my style. For me, if I'm happy with my ultra the way it is, leave it alone and just ride and enjoy it.
Also , the fact that I'm too broke to spend tons of money on upgrades, makes it easier to have my opinion
 
This question is for all you gear heads , why with only 7600 miles on the clock would the cam bearings and tensioner need replacing ?
 
This question is for all you gear heads , why with only 7600 miles on the clock would the cam bearings and tensioner need replacing ?
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He Has the Ball style bearing on the rear cam so it is Waiting for a problem.

HD changed to the Heavier style ROLLER bearing on the rear Drive Cam because of the ball style bearing BLOWING UP inside and Problems.. Some never did replace the bearing yet,,, HD would Only replace them after the Blew...

it IS a WAITING problem and MIGHT happen and on some Might Not....

He says it still STOCK so, I would replace...

He also is saying He is Going with the KIT and that is a good thing..Lots of New parts -- good Upgrades for the money..


My thinking would be to replace the Shoes with all the new parts in the "KIT" 429$...

You get the Needed Upgraded Oil Pump (high volume In and Out) and for me the new style Hydraulic type Tensioner (with cam plate), would take out the worry of chipping shoes and getting pieces into the oil pump and thru-out the engine..

I have Had the Right Now(chipping shoes) on my 2000 FXDS and did the G drives Long ago... using the $$$$$$ Feuling oil pump and Delkron cam plate... BEFORE the KIT was available..

Yes he is very LOW mileage, AND probably "could or would" Not have any of the Troubles with the Shoes,,, but Needs to change out JUST that rear cam bearing,, it is a MUST..In My Book..

I think while GOing there it would be an Excellent up grade for that Low Mile bike.. Really, a 99 and under 8,000 mi. wow.

So If $$ (kit=429$) not the problem It IS one heck of a good upgrade..

Need to do or Should do are two different things. I'm OFTEN confused and go for the DO.
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99rkc is asking about the cams.... IF happy with the stock set-up, Keep the stock cams.. NO NEED to change UNLESS You want..

signed....BUBBIE
 
This question is for all you gear heads , why with only 7600 miles on the clock would the cam bearings and tensioner need replacing ?

I think it sounds like some of these changes he is making on a preventive basis. The inner needle roller bearings as the engines come from the Factory are INA bearings. These bearings have about half the number of needles (rollers) in them compared to the Torringtons (Timken). We have had members here on HDT that have had these nuke. Should be done. See pix.

4755d1255523683-timing_is_way_out_no_seeming_adjustment-torrington_vs_ina.jpg


The rear bearing in the support plate was a ball bearing as Bubbie points out above. That definitely was a problem. But the kit will change that out.

So the big question is still old cams/new cams. His choice.

TQ
 
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