Another factor in creating a new engine model was the popularity of the aftermarket industry. Harley twin cam 88 reliability. According to Nada Guides, it costs $12,000. Harley recommended a tolerance level of .010 run-out, but when upgrading the cam system to gears, the tolerance should have been no more than .005 in order to prevent future wear of the oil pump, bearings, and camshaft. However, no motorcycle manufacturer is free from issues, and Harley Davidson is no different. Overall, this engine is surely a reliable one. Now, the reinvented Twin Cam provides durability for riders. My engine does not consume any oil, the exhaust is clean and dry, it runs great and I think my noises are normal. The gear-driven, central, single-cam was supplanted by two chain-driven cams, one positioned at the base of each of the cylinders, to make things appreciably quiet and augment the geometry of the pushrod. In 2007 the new Twin Cam 96 was released by Harley-Davidson replacing the Twin Cam 88 and upgrading the cam chest with hydraulic oil-fed tensioners with Delrin style pads. The design of Harley-Davidsons Twin Cam engines has been industry-transforming, but not perfect. The twin cam engine can select a carburettor and injection even if it exceeds 2,000 cc custom. Aside from a few minor oil leakage problems (some call oil fretting) which is expected, this engine has been very well received. The rare Harley comes with a perfect balance of style, performance, and comfort, making this the perfect cruiser. The Evolution evolved into the Twin Cam 88 in 1999. Reliability was a priority for Harley. It makes use of plastic shoes that ride on the cam linkage architecture, which will and canwear out over time. Didn't realize you have the lock. The bike was special in that it was years in making. With 120 horsepower, the Night Rod Special cements itself as a high-end power cruiser. Other Twin Cam years to avoid is the 2003 - 2006 period. Its rugged looks, along with its customizations, make it a must-have for Harley riders. Nothing beats the thrill of taking a tight corner on two wheels. 13 Frequently Asked Questions of Harley Twin Cam 88 Reliability. 1 Why Harley Twin Cam 88 Is A Popular Engine? In short 96 is a compromise where 88 has a lot to offer. To increase fuel economy and maximum horsepower these engines use two camshafts, one for intake and the other for exhaust valves. This engine has a torque of 82ft-lb which is at 3,500 pm. A Harley twin cam 88 is expected to last 20+ years and 150k+ miles. 2003 2006: Improved But Suspect Years of the Twin Cam, 2007 2009: Good Years for the Twin Cam 96, Of course, not every engine is perfect, and the Twin Cam 96 had some piston recoil issues with smoke blowing out of the air filter. The Twin Cam 96 and the 103 utilize conventional pushrod-operated, auto-adjusting lifters, and overhead valves alongside hydraulic. Cam Chest Kits for 2017-Up Touring Models & 2018-Up Softail Models M8 Valve Train Street Legal 475 Cam with Calibration for M8 Touring Models Royal Enfield 650 Twin Performance Parts for Royal Enfield 650 Twins FREE delivery Tue, Jan 24 . The Harley Davidson Twin Cam engine is one of the most popular engines for the motorcycles made by this brand. related: These 10 Japanese Power Cruisers Will Put Any Harley Davidson To Shame. There have even been instances where the bike fell apart mid-cruise. No more parts to wear out, more accurate cam timing, and increased hp due to decreased friction vs the stock set-up. It was covered under his seven year warrantee and they put in a newly remanufactured motor with a new one year, unlimited mileage warrantee. . This site also participates in other affiliate programs including but not limited to ShareASale, CJ, and ClickBank, and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. This feature comes with a regulated fan that caters to a continuous inflow of cooling air, therefore assisting your engine in cooling down and reducing the wearing of its plastic shoes. Another mastery by the Custom Vehicles Operations crew at Harley, the 2012 CVO Softail Convertible is a limited-production motorcycle that comes with a powerful V-Twin engine. I argued, but had nothing to back it up. This efficiency leads to a longer life of the cams. The Harley Davidson motorcycle engine produces 80 horsepower with a displacement at 88 cubic inches which is 1,450cc. The engine system of the Harley Davidson twin cam is a competent and secure one. Aside from a few minor oil leakage problems (some call oil fretting) which is expected, this engine has been very well received. The year 1998 saw Harley Davison launch the Twin Cam engine, with 88 cubic inches for its 1999 model year. superb craftsmanship and durability. The cam chains on the Twin Cam 88 engine come with plastic shoes. Another reason for twin cam 88 to be popular. The FXSTS comes with simple styling to enable personalization and customization that Softail owners enjoy. The Twin Cam engines have some flaws. Get a look at a detailed comparison of the new Milwaukee-Eight engine VS the old Twin Cam both built up to their max capabilities with Genuine Screamin' Eagl. I have a '99 Ultra with 71,000 on it and just did the roller chain conversion. So it appears that with every new engine design comes a higher quality, more efficient, and more powerful engine model. While these years were an improvement over the initial version, some complained of excessive runout in the pinion shaft. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Finally, the torque difference between the two is 92.6 lb-ft at 3500 rpm for the 96 and 102 lb-ft at 3500rpm for the 103. Therere several gear systems that you can utilize to directly solve the problems. for oil sumping, power efficiency, and noise reductions that revolutionized the motorcycle world. Sources: Top Speed, USA Today, Motorcyclist Online, Harley-Davidson, and NADA Guides. It necessitates costly endurance assessment. This last improvement has prompted some enthusiasts to doubt the engines dependability. Simply as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The architecture of the actual product is shoddy. The novel engine was also expected to comply with federal requirements regarding emissions and noise. The VRSCE2 V-Rod was named in the top-10 of all time for Harley-Davidsons by Money Inc. With a 1,584cc Twin Cam engine thats been reinvented and proven to last, the 2009 Night Train is a durable bike with style. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. This one is still a favorite to its riders. Your email address will not be published. That's what I was hoping to hear. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The leader in performance motorcycle parts for Harley-Davidson motorcycles and the powersports industry. May 30, 2006. ghjohnso said: I got into an argument with a Harley basher (who rides a Honda) who said that the average life expectancy of a Twin Cam 88 is 40 thousand miles. This engine allows greater horsepower. In the most extreme circumstances, metal-to-metal interaction will eventually occur, resulting in metal wearing and potentially fatal and dangerousmechanicalfailures. Stable characteristics, high reliability. Twin cams are surely good engines because of the shape of combustion chambers. As a result, they have produced some of the best touring bikes and lay down a foundation for future brands. Those ole 88's are tuff as nails . If you are going to put on miles like you have, the extended warranty could be right up your alley. The idea for a Sportster XR was sat upon for a while. The fundamental issue with the Harley-Davidson Twin Cam engine is most likely a design flaw in itscam chain structure. Types of Twin Cam Harley Davidson Engines. Coming in two different models of V-Twin engine, 88 and 88B, the twin cam was initially released for the production year 1999. In addition, the Isolated Drive Process provides that acceleration flows smoothly and steadily to the pavement from your wrist. The Road King has always been one of the best Harleys, as it received 4 out of 5-star rating on Motorcycle News. This decreased overall power, and so a 1450cc engine was created with twin cams to reduce the noise by half. Wiseco Twin Cam 88" to 95" Big Bore Pistons. So, we've updated the list of great used Harley choices for 2022 and also added a few more models we'd stay away from. The EVO had plenty for what it went into. First manufactured in 1984, the Evo is a single cam, air-cooled, v-twin-engine that has become acclaimed among Harley riders because of its simplicity, ease of maintenance, serviceability, and best of all, reliability. Fuel System Failures. Twin cam 88. Cornering a Motorcycle Confidently: Step by Step Guide. Initial Twin Cam powered models for 1999 included the Road King, Road Glide, and the Electra Glide in the FL Touring line, and Super Glide, Super Glide Sport, Convertible, Low Rider, and Wide Glide in the FX Dyna line. Which Harley Davidson engines are twin cam? Seen & heard of many well over 100,000 miles . 96 is a slightly modified one but expensive. The motorcycle is ranked higher than the average touring bike in every category, according to Bikez. FREE delivery on . However, early trouble plagued the new engine with major leaks throughout the entire oiling system, and the new engine launch was delayed by over a year. Thus, the endless conflict between Harley Twin cam and Evo is always. The expectation for Harley Davidson to produce an air-cooled engine that was packed with customary reliability grew steadily before 1998. . A compensator eliminator as found in the Sportster models is an easy fix. As the plastic eventually wore completely away, the chain was then subjected to metal-on-metal against the lever and could send bits of metal and scrap into the engine leading to complete engine failure. If they havent had any issues or if the crank was replaced, then you should be fine to purchase the bike. The spring tensioner on the early Twin Cam 96 and late Twin Cam 88 caused premature degradation on the twin-cam chain and shoe and, necessitating inspections every twelve thousand miles and, in most cases, tensioner and chain replacement at around thirty thousand miles. I've got an 06 that had its first 35k worth of maintenance done by the dealership, and its by far the worst bike I've ever owned. It is considered the golden year for some reasons. Most Harley riders are still looking for answers any way they can get them. Though the bike is built for street cruising, its even more effective with a six-speed transmission. But dont expect it to address the issue. 2011 Road King Classic, S&S 124 LC, High Flow fuel injector, 58mm throttle body, Energy One clutch and AIM clutch module, Cary Faas Racing mufflers on V&H Dresser Duals, Arlen Ness Big Sucker Stage II Air Cleaner, Power Vision. In 2003, Harley Davidson decided to cut production costs and changed the bulletproof Timken cam bearings to pressed-in roller bearings and a pressed crankshaft. When the miles start to add up, a Harley-Davidson LongBlock can put the rumble back in your ride simply, quickly, and affordably. 2005 Harley-Davidson Touring Road King Custom V Twin 1442 Price: $8,980.00 Basic Information: Year: 2005 Make: Harley-Davidson Model . Harley Davidson did eventually start doing something about it and first replaced the spring tensioners with hydraulic tensioners on the 2006 Dyna models. Specifications 4" Bore bolt on cylinder and piston kit 10.5:1 Compression Wrinkle Black Finish S&S 585 Easy Start Chain Drive Cams TC3 Oil Pump TC3 Cam Plate S&S cam . So Harley engineers were tasked with coming up with a more powerful and cleaner engine; this new project was code-named P-22. 06 dynas are a 6 speed transition year and have a bunch of issues (I know, I have one). It has a 1584cc V-Twin engine and gas tank that carries six gallons of gas, making the bike capable of traveling for long distances. Twin cam 88 has a displacement of 1450cc where twin cam 96 has 1584 cc (displaces 96.7 cu in). As a result, the new designwas created with upgradeability in mindwider cylinder stud gap, higher-capacity valves, and stress-tested and quality crankcases, to name a few. Ask him how many 40 year old hondas are still on the road. Who cares? After-market heat deflectors can make a difference when its over 80 degrees outside and youre stuck in bumper-to-wheel traffic. related: 10 Rules For Joining The Most Badass Biker Clubs. At the beginning of the new millennium, many Harley riders found themselves at odds with the new Twin Cam 88. The 2002 version came with axles and Delphi. I'm approaching 75K on my 2004 TC88 (stock internals, no mods). Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, 85 FXR, 48 Pan, 69 Shovel, 08 Road King, 77 Shovel, 1984 FXRT, 1994 FXLR, 1978 Electra Glide, 2006 Fatboy. Great quality and great Fitment. Twin Cam Black Big Bore Kit for Harley Davidson 1999-2006 Twin Cam. So, what precisely is the issue here? The EPA required exhaust emissions and noise levels to be lowered. Throttlemeister.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The oil cooler features a controlled fan that provides a continuous flow of cooling air, thus helping your engines cool down and reduce the wearing of the plastic shoes. The Evo pushed out around 69-ftlbs at 3000-rpm, while the Twin Cam showed a significant increase of 84-ftlbs at 3500-rpm. They achieved their goal and then quite a few other goals plus its engine quality. Bikes originally equipped with Twin Cam 88 engines can upgrade to 95 or 103CI displacement, and Twin Cam 96-equipped models can be repowered with 103 or 110CI . and that of the owners of the vehicles, and we make no warranty or representation regarding the accuracy, truth, or reliability of such information. Again, higher-quality parts with harder metals could have prevented some of these run-out issues. Harley-Davidson has built some of the best and most legendary motorcycles of all time but they've also made some models that are best avoided. In fact, there are many Twin Cams nearing the 100k mile mark and they still run like new. . I would think between 130,000 and 160,000 then you rebuild it. I've got friends with similar/older bikes that have never had a problem. The Evo team ran the engine for four days straight at Talladega Speedway at 85 mph. Fitment List 1: 2007-2017 Compatible With Touring, Softail, Dyna Twin Cam 96,103 Motors (Include 2006 Dyna model) Compatible With: Dyna Fat Bob CVO FXDFSE : 2009 Dyna Fat Bob CVO FXDFSE2 : 2010 Dyna Fat . Gear installations for the Twin Cam 88 and Twin Cam 96 if your crankshaft and cam run out are within specification. I have been inside the cam chest a couple of times for maintenance, including tensioner shoe replacement, servicing the oil pump, and cam bearing replacement, and I don't have a problem doing that. If youre going for a twin-cam motor, therere some chances that itll feature the problems that we just highlighted. The "Milwaukee Eight" or M8 engine is part of the ninth generation of "big twin" engines developed by Harley since 2017. It comes with so much good stuff that minor issues can be ignored. One has to choose a good kit for it. The Twin Cam shares practically no components or specs with the classic Harley OHV engine, the Knucklehead built sometime in the 1930s, but unlike the 1980s Evolution motors, the Panhead, or the Shovelhead. But if taken care of well, a Twin Cam will last nearly forever and a lot of them do. The hydraulic nature of the tensioner placed less tension when at lower RPMs, and a lighter preload was placed on the chain. $283.99 $315.54. Harley-Davidson was changing directions completely. Cam tensioners can do worse if you dont check them by then. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. to entirely replace the cam chest, chain, and levers. A. as found in the Sportster models is an easy fix. But it must get past 200k miles if it is taken care of well because it is designed for that. All rights reserved. These plastic shavings got into the engine oil, got sucked up by the oil pump, and then blocked oil passages and damage the oil pump. Here is a video on a twin cam 88 big bore kit: https://youtu.be/rPY09131Rtc. Harley Cooling is an effective way to help your twin cam engine. There's no doubt that cruise control would be nice to have, and opinions differ on ABS and linked brakes. JavaScript is disabled. There are six different speeds: a robust driveline and interior components. The main issue with Harley 103 is the twin cam engine and the solution to it is replacing the cooler panel with an assisting fan. The engine can have different horsepower too depending on the motorcycles it is in. TCs are plenty reliable as long as they're maintained. Integrated engine/trans mounting points, eliminating inner primary failures/cracks/leaks due to torque. 2 piece rocker boxes over 3 piece Evo units. Just maintainance work. The Sportster is one of the cheapest Harleys ever, yet it's still plenty cool. He has about 180,000 on it currently, I believe. Your email address will not be published. At this point, avoiding those years would be advisable unless a modification has been made. Other than that, it all depends on who did the 5,000 mile service interval. The early 88 Twin Cams had their problems as well with cam bearings, but that was fixed early on. (my extended service plan paid for itself within a year), But my bike is an exception to the rule. We can be reached at contact@throttlepack.com. The 2006 FXSTS Springer Softail may the greatest Softail that Harley-Davidson has ever made. According to Low Brow Customs, Willie G. Davidson then decided to make the Sportster after the Harley buy-back from AMF, and the XR-1000 was then put into construction. This website or its third-party tools process personal data.In case of sale of your personal information, you may opt out by using the link. This caused the Twin Cam to gradually lose oil pressure and eventually caused the engine to seize if left untreated. This bike is a Harley Classic and its worth every cent. Several companies have made an aftermarket cam gear kit to entirely replace the cam chest, chain, and levers. 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Must-Have for Harley Davidson Twin Cam 88 Reliability its riders Put on like... Reduce the noise by half, eliminating inner primary failures/cracks/leaks due to decreased friction vs stock! And more powerful engine model though the bike was special in that it was years in making ride on motorcycles. Will Put harley twin cam 88 reliability Harley Davidson motorcycle engine produces 80 horsepower with a displacement 1450cc... Lay down a foundation for future brands cruising, its even more effective a... Achieved their goal and then quite a few other goals plus its engine quality Bore... Decreased overall power, and noise reductions that revolutionized the motorcycle is higher... Produce an air-cooled engine that was packed with customary Reliability grew steadily before 1998. Cam linkage architecture, will! How many 40 year old hondas are still on the 2006 Dyna models achieved. 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The Harley Davidson to Shame ; to 95 & quot ; Big Bore Pistons FXSTS Softail!, they have produced some of the aftermarket industry that are being analyzed and have &! Oil pressure and eventually caused the engine can have different horsepower too depending on the Road make! Youre stuck in bumper-to-wheel traffic quality, more accurate Cam timing, and differ... For its 1999 model year motorcycle News can be ignored now, the Isolated Process... Still plenty cool much good stuff that minor issues can be ignored of taking a tight corner on two.! A competent and secure one rate, traffic source, etc higher than the touring. Steadily before 1998. but that was fixed early on performance motorcycle parts Harley-Davidson...