2004 Deuce cam gear install question

[flaj]

A question from a new member.
I'm in the process of changing over from cam chain to cam gears on my Harley 2004 Softail Deuce. I checked the crankshaft end play and measured about .003" run out. Is that much run out going to give me trouble with the new cam gears?
The service manual says 0 -.003 but that's with chain drive cams.

[Wrightturn]

Hey flaj,

Welcome. Runout at .003 is the outer limit for converting to gear drive. It can be done but be prepared for a little more noise. Measure twice.

[flaj]

Originally Posted by Wrightturn

Hey flaj,

Welcome. Runout at .003 is the outer limit for converting to gear drive. It can be done but be prepared for a little more noise. Measure twice.

Thanks -- If I hadn't already bought the gear set I would just put new adjusters in. And to think, I was chasing a noise to begin with and thought it might be the adjusters. None of the articles that I read about doing the job ever mentioned crankshaft run out. Even the gear set instructions don't mention it.

[Wrightturn]

Hey Flaj,

Let me guess that you have an S&S conversion kit. Check out Andrews Products installation on their web site. I have gear drive in a 99 Dyna but had too much runout (.004+) in my 02 FLHP to convert. I have done them around .003 but check backlash carefully. The noise isn`t that bad, doesn`t hurt anything and can be balanced against pipes that are too quiet.

Did I mention I have about a 30% hearing loss ?

[flaj]

Only 30% -- I probably won't even notice the noise -- I'm at 50%

[Tbone]

Here's a dumb question. How in the heck can there be runout on a crankshaft? Even at .003 in. it seems like it wouild wobble itself to death at 5500 RPMs or wear out everything connected to it. Has this always been the case (no pun intended) for Harley cranks or is this a recent deveopment?
Inquiring minds want to know.

[Wrightturn]

Hey Tbone,

Nothing new. They vary from one bike to the next. I check each one before I convert to gear drive. Sometimes you find one you can not convert like my FLHP. If I could send every crank to Truett & Osborn......

You would think they would shake and fly apart but they don`t. I have put over 40k on the bike with one set of tensioners. The bike has a SE breather and V&H pipes and rejetted carb. I have been known to run it hard. Wife says I am using it for a test site so I can build another motor. The problem is corrected by total tear down and truing the crank (flywheels). Not all dealers know how to do this and prefer to just replace the crank. No guarantee the replacement will be any better. My 99 Dyna is under .001 . Dead straight cranks and balanced engines exist on the drawing board but seldom on a production line. I have a few places to have this done but the longevity of a motor depends on how you ride it and maintain it as much as engine tolerance. Blueprinted engines cost more than production line engines.

[Tbone]

O.K. One dumb question deserves another. Forgive me for picking your brain. Is the runout side to side movement of the axis of the crank or wobble of the axis of the crank? My guess is that it is side to side movement of the axis. It seems like the bearings would prevent wobble of the axis. Side to side movement of bearings seems more likely.

[street bob]

Thats what I thought they were referring too!..
I call it endplay.
If its running out by .003, I think that that is excessive!

[Wrightturn]

Hey guys,

It is wobble. Check out the Andres instructions especially page 4.

http://www.andrewsproducts.com/PDF_f...99_Gear-01.pdf

Side to side end play is easier to deal with. Check ou Timken bearing conversions for Twin Cams.