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Does Harley Now Have A Cam Chain Tensioner Upgrade Kit?

Rocket,

While you are in the nose cone, make sure you get an eyeball on the inner tensioner. This is a bit of a challenge, but patience and perseverance will prevail (especially if you use a disposable dental mirror)!!

If either tensioner is 1/3 or more worn, replace them both. This will reset the clock for you and postpone when you have to shell out the grand for the conversion. Latus has the tensioners for $66.50 each, but Zanotti's sells them for $44.13 each. So for around a HD (hundred dollars - included the gasket), you will have a little peace-of-mind until the piggy bank is ready!!

Here are the p/n from my bike. I bet they are the same for yours although the suffix letter may change indicating an up-dated part:

39954-99a (primary - outer)
39964-99a (secondary - inner)
25244-99 (gasket)
11301 (o-ring - 2 for pump)
11157 (o-ring - for pump)

While you are doing all this, you might think about replacing the OEM relief valve spring (26210-99) with the Baisley spring (LMR-002). This will increase oil pressure by about 10-15%.

TQ
 
TQ,
I've read your related posts and your pictorial guide (learned about the dental mirror there) and am impressed with the time and effort you have put into helping us less handy with a wrench here.

I got myself all pumped up to check my tensioners, got the new gasket, paper towels, and drip pan handy and went out to see just how much to cut my Allen wrench back to get between the fasteners and the pipe...and nope, there's just no way to cut the wrench back enough to clear the bottom front fastener. I took one of the easy to get to fasteners out just to see how far they would need to back out and there's just no way that bottom front one can be removed with the pipe in place. I've got the exhaust studs and bolts soaking in penetrating oil, right now.

Thanks also for the info about replacing the present fasteners with stock ones, but if they (even one) are worn as you described I'll just bite the bullet and free up the $ for the upgrade ASAP. I'm dead set against just replacing the stock tensioners. If they look worn the only place I'll ride the bike is to the Harley shop to have the upgrade done. If they look fine to me I'll wait a bit and check them again later (although I really hate to keep removing the pipe to do it).
 
My local Harley shop will do the tensioner upgrade kit (listed by BUBBIE, above) and the labor for $800.00. What was surprising to me was that the mechanic I talked to was not at all impressed with my sense of urgency for getting it done. I told him I was under the impression that the stock '99-'07 tensioners were a fatal flaw of the engine and I was worried about them breaking up, blocking the oil passages/pump and causing the engine to seize. He was very polite, but basically told me that I was unduly concerned about that. He works on bikes with tensioner wear (even down to metal on metal) but just doesn't see the problems I mentioned about self destruction and plugging up the oil passages. He pretty much advised me to chill out about the tensioners and enjoy my ride, maybe check the present tensioners again in 10K and when I do want them replaced to then go with the upgrade. I'm going to take his advice about the tensioners and just keep and eye on them, for now.
 
I dont agree with him i would do it before 10k mine was done at 11k it depends how hard you run your bike,my inner was bad then Hogmasters in il,put slm conv cams and computer on it runs great power out of the gate, bike is heavy there are many options like gear drive. i have all hd parts besides cams, comp he is right you wont explode tommorrow but like mine in the heat it will be noisy and will go down the road sometime save the $ i had to buy it one buy one then sent it out i would try my luck and tackle it next time gear may wine alittle mb
 
Well OK, I know that I've read about problems with the prior to '07 (thanks smitty901) spring tensioners and plan on upgrading to the hydrolic tensioners when service in that area is indicated. As it stands right now there is no indication that any service to the present tensioners is required other than they have a bad reputation. Smitty, I'm happy for your friend getting his bike like he wants it, but $1,600.00 would break my bank or at the very least cause no small amount of family friction. I'll go the $800.00 when I decide it's justified. At least I now know there's a Harley upgrade kit and how much it cost.

By the way, what's such a good deal about the dealer keeping the bike in storage for him for the winter? He doesn't ride it at least a little bit every month? I know you do, because I've seen a picture of you on it out in the snow. Maybe he just doesn't have space for it inside.

It's getting back up into the low 40's here again later this week so I'll be putting more wear on those tensioners starting very soon.
 
TQ,.. Really nice job showing how you did your conversion Project. Great Pictures. I really understand what it is all about now. Thanks!
 
Rocket J. said:
My local Harley shop will do the tensioner upgrade kit (listed by BUBBIE, above) and the labor for $800.00. What was surprising to me was that the mechanic I talked to was not at all impressed with my sense of urgency for getting it done. I told him I was under the impression that the stock '99-'07 tensioners were a fatal flaw of the engine and I was worried about them breaking up, blocking the oil passages/pump and causing the engine to seize. He was very polite, but basically told me that I was unduly concerned about that. He works on bikes with tensioner wear (even down to metal on metal) but just doesn't see the problems I mentioned about self destruction and plugging up the oil passages. He pretty much advised me to chill out about the tensioners and enjoy my ride, maybe check the present tensioners again in 10K and when I do want them replaced to then go with the upgrade. I'm going to take his advice about the tensioners and just keep and eye on them, for now.
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I changed mine out at 30K (I went to gear drive). The tensioners had pitting, but overall looked pretty good. One reason to hold off. 10K miles down the road, you may change your mind about getting a little more power. Then you can do it all at once.

Right before the end of the year. Some dealers were running a special on the tensioner upgrade for less then 600.00 dollars (Parts and Labor).
 
Welcome aboard, Jonas. Not that I'm an Old Salt here, myself :p

That special price of kit and labor for less that $600.00 really IS a special. Should I see that in my local area it would be difficult to pass it up no matter if I think it's presently needed or not.

If you have the time and inclination to share a bit more info about your gear drive I'm really interested; kit? , do it yourself or shop?, cost?

I appreciate the advice about my waiting and maybe wanting to upgrade after more time to think about it. Perhaps. I know I would were I in my 20s but I'm getting older and more sedate (61) and at this stage in life mostly want a smooth, well running bike with some longevity. The present power and speed of the bike keep me white knuckled enough as it is.

Yeaaaaah, old school gear drive would eliminate lots of problems, but in reading posts on this forum can present other problems, too.
 
"Old school" as in gear drive not as in specific to TC, smitty901. I'll probably go with the SE hydrolic upgrade kit, but want to look at other options, too. Even the hydrolics are wear items and I'd probably still eyeball them every 10.000 miles or so, too (I've read that you don't). I've had gear driven cams before and never had any reason to ever check them.

Cool (veeeeeeeery cool) pictures of you riding in the snow up above. Brrrrrrrrrrrr. I don't want to make any of you Northern folks feel bad, but it was in the mid 40s with lots of sunshine here in NC, today.
 
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