Would you go with a manual primary chain tensioner or a spring loaded automatic tensioner like the Hayden?

I worked at H-D at the time in the Engineering Dept (not an engineer). I don't remember the automatic chain tensioner being considered a problem related to the flywheel scissoring problem. The scissoring problem was a big deal at Harley and pressed together flywheel strength was studied extensively to determine cause(s). Several changes were implemented to reduce or eliminate the problem although there is only so much you can do with a pressed together flywheel vs a one piece forged crankshaft. Problems we found (to the best of my memory). 1. Production line parts cleaning fluid was not being changed often enough (to save money) causing parts with slight oil film to be pressed together. Study showed oily parts in press fit caused significant measurable decrease in flywheel strength. Solution- change parts washing fluid more often. 2. The flywheel truing process causes the press fit to be manipulated causing a decrease in flywheel press fit strength (the more the flywheel is trued by hydraulic press or old fashioned hammer blows, the weaker it gets). Solution was to possibly assemble the flywheel more accurately so that the flywheel would be true without any manipulation of the pressed parts. This is one of the reasons the flywheel runout tolerance was increased from the original 0.0015" as they found flywheels could not be pressed together without separate truing and meet the .0015" tolerance. 3. Larger displacement engine (110cu in vs previous 103,95,88) combined with bikes generally getting heavier over time and possibly some occasional engine lugging by folks not downshifting into correct gear when putting around a parking lot at low speed. There was a mechanic I worked with who was involved in studying the problem and he could scissor a flywheel on command by riding a bike ( I think he would lug the bike around slowly in too high of a gear and input lots of throttle). We've probably all done it and felt the herky-jerky motion created by not downshifting properly. Solution was to change the throttle calibration to not allow as much power input if the bike was in too low a gear for the current wheel speed. Lot's of police bikes were built with 103's (stock tuning) and to my knowledge the scissor problem didn't appear until the 110 motor was released in 2007 to the general public. 4. The straight roller left main bearing may contribute to scissoring problem by not holding the flywheel as rigidly as the previous tapered timken. I could see possibly where the automatic primary tensioner could contribute to the flywheel scissoring once the flywheel has begun to scissor as the flywheel output shaft running out of true would cause the primary chain to tighten/loosen/tighten possibly causing the tensioner to ratchet tighter and tighter over time. Not here to defend the automatic primary chain tensioner. It may be part of the problem but I don't think it is the only factor. There's my two cents.

Who remembers the shelf struggling to stay afloat? Good times.

Hey GF, your channel has grown because you provide quality content that is pertinent to HD riders. Until today I have never heard of crankshaft scissoring or problems with the automatic chain tensioner. That's why I come here.

I took the automatic tensioner out of my dyna at 25 k miles and replaced it with a Hayden M6 .The bike now has 104 K miles and going strong . I like the hayden unit as it is so forgiving .

Never had an issue with the automatic primary chain tensioner on my stock 96" FLTR with over 196K on the original drivetrain.

Harley increased the allowable run-out so they could weasel their way out of warranty claims. That's one of the things that definitely left an impression on me about the Integrity of Harley-Davidson as a company.

I put a Screamin Eagle manual tensioner in my softy bout a year and a half ago and wish I had done it sooner, yeah, a little more work to adjust it but I don’t have to worry about my chain feeling like a guitar string especially when laying a roller lol. Shifts better too and the bonus is by taking the outer primary cover off once a year, I can really see the condition of everything and thoroughly clean/inspect everything.

Your logic makes perfect sense to me. In light of this information, I think I'd rather have a manual tensioner. I'd be ok with checking the manual tensioner once in a while if it kept that stress off of everything else. Great info, as always.

I had that done ... new rods and had crank tried and welded.. ended up getting a runout of 0.0008" at the cam plate checked... and got the timing bearing done to the case.. smooth as silk

I’m a Harley mechanic for over 25 years now and I’ve seen nothing but problems caused by the automatic primary chain tensioners

I totally agree with you. My '09 went through three transmission bearings. Then I shared the crankshaft off. The chain tensioner was always super tight. This makes total sense and that's what actually I said when the crankshaft sheared off

2013 RKC 55000 mi Stage 1, All stock after that. My chain is about 5/8ths free play . checked thru hole with long screw driver ! Folks just ride!!! Have Fun! Old M/C Mechcanic age 69 Long Live 57 Pan ...

I'm a new subscriber since purchasing my first HD. It's a used, 2011 Heritage Softail w/ a stock 103 engine. I've wrenched plenty of bikes over nearly five decades but never really messed around with Harleys. What I like about your vids is that you offer food for thought. This vid is the perfect example. What came first, the looser tolerances or the automatic chain tensioner? As an old British bike fanatic (mainly Bonnies and Tridents) I'd put my money on the auto-tensioners for messing things up more than the looser tolerances. Mind you the old Triumphs never had auto-tensioners but sure had plenty of people that over-tightened the dog poo out of the primary chains...leading to various ugly disasters. Anyhow, keep up the good work GixxerFoo. For a young guy you sure have your finger on the finer technical issues, good and bad, of this Milwaukee iron, and that's commendable. The devil's always in the details isn't it?

Great video. I have a 2006 Road king custom. At 48,000 miles I changed the cams and plate to SE and 204 cams( stock 88, true duals, super sucker air filter), I also put in an auto primary chain adjuster. After about 100 miles the screaming coming from the primary showed an overnight chain, I scrapped the auto adjuster and put a new shoe on the manual one. With 75,000 miles on it now, no noise, and little wear on the hydraulic cam shoes. Changing the cam plate and staying away from the auto primary is definitely the way to go

When I did my last build, I went with Hoban Brothers Darkhorse Man O War crankshaft (they ensure it's balanced then weld the pin and provide a certificate with your total runout numbers), their Man O War compensator sprocket (in my opinion a better/simpler design than Baker's with the added benefit of being serviceable/rebuildable), and Southern Oregon Hotbikes HB125-07 primary chain tensioner. Topped her off with a Rekluse clutch and now she is smooth as silk.

I fitted a Hayden M6 to my 2003 Fatboy at around 30,000 miles-one of the best mods out there.On some of the later models there's no inspection plate on the primary cover to check the chain tension-HD seemingly,were so confident with their automatic chain tensioner they didn't bother fitting one-sounds a bit like Titanic and life boats!

I’m not surprised your channel is growing. Good info with no attitude.

Been using Haydens M6 primary chain tensioner since 1998 on my 86 FLT. No problems so far. This video gives me another reason to look at our 2014 FLHTCU with suspicion lol. Been subscribed since the shelf was sagging. Your content has always been good. Keep it up!

I like your reasoning with the chain tensioner . You're not the only one out there that has this same theory.

It keeps growing because you are giving us good information in a way that is entertaining and fun to watch, keep up the good work. Can't wait for the next one!

Congratulations Foo!! Yeah, glad I have an 02 but like you said, the Timken won’t stop scissoring and glad my adjuster is manual. 55k on my crank which is the only stock case part left after I finished building her on my 95” 100/100 build and so far she has been flawless. Everyone I Know who has a brand new bike, their biggest complaint is trying to get it in neutral at a stop, too much tension!

While in my primary installing a Baker comp. I also installed an attitude adjuster. Your video reinforces that decision. Keep 'em coming!

Own a stock TC88 02 FatBoy w manual tensioner. I always check the tension when doing the primary fluid change, and have barely needed to adjust it over the years. Like you, I like the idea of knowing what the tension is set to. I had the opportunity to change to the automatic adjuster, but felt the constant tension was too much, all the time. I felt that if I ever really needed to in the future, I could easily do it. That was over ten years…and I found no reason to change. Great video as always 👍😎

Planning to put in a Screaming Eagle compensator and manual chain tensioner this winter on my 2012 TC96. I think you are 100% right.

Great video sir! You're very literate and easy to follow. (Many people posting videos don't know what they're doing) I bought an '09 FLHX new. Of course, they're all great when new, but eventually I suspected something was not right. I read blogs from different sites about the auto tensioner and decided to take a look. I discovered that my primary chain was as tight as a piano string! Along with that, many bloggers also found their clutch hub splines broken on the inboard side of the hub. I found this problem on mine also. The majority of the splines were broken and pieces lying in the bottom of my primary. Some of the pieces were up to 3/8 inches. So, I bought a new clutch hub, clutch hub bearing. I also replaced the inner primary bearing. (noises) Bloggers complained too, that the compensator was not strong enough for the 96, so I replaced the original with a recommended S.E. compensator. Yes, the auto-tensioner is garbage! Even though the cost of a different tensioner would not "break the bank", I altered my original tensioner to make it a manual adjuster. (I liked the components of the original) It cost me about $1.00 for a long stainless screw and nylock nut. Again, I can afford new parts, but at this point I'm pretty disheartened with the whole scenario, so in defiance, used my head instead of my wallet. Currently, I have roughly 55k on my bike, and I like my bike. I shouldn't have to buy another to alleviate issues. But, every year now, it seems more issues keep popping up. I believe I have a collapsed lifter, but haven't addressed that yet. I believe the faulty auto-tensioner has caused much of the mentioned issues, and there may be more to be found. This is not right. You'd think that after all these years, Harley would be able to build a better product, or at least stand behind what they do build by fixing their mistakes? In a perfect world, maybe.........

I have been working on Harleys since 1979. Great subject ! I believe you are actually on to something! Great show, I hope you keep growing viewers. You describe issues in a nutshell. I know it seems that the average Joe that understands the workings of a small block Chevy would be able to grasp the working of a Harley even though they are not the same. You are either a gearhead or you're not. I have seen guys cause problems on shovelhead's that was not the bike's fault. Although they did have some so called engineer's that must have lied about previous employment! Lol I would love the guy and get to question him about the single bolt on the exhaust! Really ! Haha thanks for a great show, keep up the great work ! AMF

Replaced mine on the 2007 Fatboy after hearing things from folks so glad I did. Thank you for this video. Brothers need to know.

Love your content. You make these issues easy to understand for the lay person. Love the twin cam content, I may never be able to afford an M8, so my 88 tc in my Road King Classic is my future. Thanks again!

Thanks for the informative video. Sadly, I recently had to learn about this issue the hard way. The Automatic HD chain tensioner, which obviously had been running too tight for some time on my 2010 Ultra caused a lot of damage and many components had to be replaced at a significant cost to me. Not that there is ever a good time for this sort of unexpected expense, but this really came at the worst time possible. Of course the Harley dealerships will play all kinds of games and rack up a big invoice for you, but HD itself will never take responsibility for this sort of engineering mistake, so the owners are left dealing with the issue out of pocket. All this happened with only 37k miles on the bike. On the other hand, my 1999 FLHTCI has 137k (exactly 100k more miles than my 2010) and never had any such issues! After much research, I arrived at the same conclusion as you, and your video further solidified the fact that the auto chain tensioners are the issue. I only wish someone had told me a few years ago so the cost of repair would have been a few hundred dollars, rather than several thousand dollars! Thanks and please keep up the good work.

Everytime I watch one of your videos it always gives me a warm & fuzzy about keeping my 02 RKC with its manual primary chain adjuster among other things you've talked about. When I change the primary fluid about every 5K, I give the primary chain a wiggle. If it's maybe a 1/2" at most, I call it good. I've adjusted it twice in 78.5K miles. Bike continues to hum along like it's still new. Congrats on 25K subscribers. Awesome! My favorite Harley channel. I miss the sagging shelf too.

As always, very well narrated and in an understanding way. The chain tightening up as much as you explained would certainly put extreme force on the crank and clutch basket, I'll defiantly keep an eye on that. Love the picture of the three stooges behind you. Safe riding from England.

Really great to have a knowledgeable source of information.

On my 88th TC, someone installed such an automatic tensioner. As a result, the failure of the bearings and seals of the primary and gearbox

Damn interesting hypothesis. During last rebuild (103 to 110 CVO) upgrade,I had crank split, with new pin, rods and bearings and then welded by revolution. Installed new SE compensator as well as new tensioner. The original compensator was shot but the tensioner was still decent. Motor had 56k miles. I noticed now that the engine (floorboards) are very smooth at about 60 and is like glass at 90. I attribute that smoothness to the crank work. Anyhow, these 45 degree motors got lots of engineering compromises. I’ve not had transmission bearing issues (yet).

Congrats on the channel success ! I have never thought about the auto tensioner causing crank problems but I think your on to something most of the crank problems I run into is guys doing wheelies & holeshots that puts an extreme torque load on the crank ! I have tried pressed together cranks on my old Rowe truing stand & then I weld both sides ! That's what we used to do on the drag bike except we only did the sprocket shaft side pinion side is keyed ! I have a snap on 3/4 drive torque wrench & I put 350 to 400 lbs on all the shovels & Evos !

Hi, thanks for the video. I agree with you in that the automatic tensioner needs to go! You're Right, nobody EVER talks about the fine-splined sprocket shaft although it experiences much more abuse than the pinion shaft of the flywheels. I sure wish H-D would use an interference press-fit plug in the crankpin to solidify the flywheel assembly like Darkhorse does, that would eliminate a lot of problems with that whole assembly! Thanks again for your excellent video!

I always enjoy the videos that you produce.I trust what you are telling us!my only regret is that you are too far away from eastern n.c. for me to carry my bike to you when it needs to be worked on. Keep up the good work,and thank you!

Great video Dude. You have hit the nail on the head about the auto chain tensioner

My 06 fxdli has had no tensioner issues, primary exposed twice in 26k of use. Overall its been a great running bike.

I bought my first Harley Davidson in September 2020 and it had 3400 miles on it when I got it. Ever since, it's been extremely difficult to go from 1st gear to neutral, so I find it easier to go from second gear to neutral. The bike has now done about 11,500 miles from new and I'm feeling guilty that I didn't research this topic sooner because I feel that if the tensioner has ratcheted tight, in the early days, then it's 11 thousand miles overdue for a manual adjuster. My mechanic said he'd do the changeover on the next service, which is in about 5000 miles time, but I'm thinking of getting it done sooner.

Congrats on your 25K sub milestone. Love your straightforward vids. I never thought of the tensioner creating an issue with the crank but makes sense. I briefly put in a hayden but read a lot of problems with it evidently being cheaply made. The springs and over all design of the hayden did not impress me. The concept was good, just not the execution, to me.

Yo brother Foo , I know I thanked u before about ur information videos, but man I'm a member of a couple different forums but I've learned more about the 07 and later twin cam engines from u than I have from being in those forums for several years now. So please , whenever possible, I d love to see more on the first year of the 96s starting in 2007. Have an awesome day, bro.

In 45 years of riding I've owned Pans, Shovels,Evolutions etc. But last year I bought My first 883 Sportster for an incredible price in MINT condition. It's a 2005 883xl that had 3k on it and in turn, I now own My first twin cam. Well I apparently got lucky because this year has the bugs of the earlier and the changes of the latter are engineered out. And to be honest, I'm gonna leave this thing stock, it's a joy to ride. Of course I put the 30 tooth sprocket in and went 10 over on the front and will be replacing tensioners etc (TLC) , but I'm stopping there. This has become My favorite ride !

I 100% agree. In my 08 Dyna big twin I've found multiple issues thanks to your videos stemming from the tensioner including one I hope you do a video on soon. The overtightened chain created a primary leak that damaged the primary seal, bearing, and walked in / grooved race I replaced yesterday. Thanks to your video I now see I likely now pull the 6 speed to do bearings on too since my leak continues. What you missed about the correlated compensator issue though is that often the sprockets, while showing wear, might mask what in my case was the underlying hard start issue, the alternator rotor with integrated spring pack. The spring lost torsional force falling to push out sprockets and the internal magnets on opposing side were loose enough I was miles from them falling into and destroying stator. I even needed a starter ring gear on the clutch basket from the chain pulling so hard on basket and bearings it chipped teeth, sheered a few. Your videos really saved this guy used to Ironheads big $$$ on repair guidance! The technical approach helped me understand the failures enough to make insights and know what I needed to do in last couple weeks and now I know where to be looking to next in addressing my primary leak. Thanks. :)

The automatic tensor gets crazy tight and does damage. I have a manual tensor on my Twin Cam.

Excellent video and it all makes sense. Thanks.

Another well done area of interest. Thank you sir.

Congrats on the 25k subscribers! I love your channel. Simple solution, go back to the Evolution. Can you imagine where we would be if Harley invested in the Evo like they did on the Twin Cam? Evos with FI and CC would be awesome, especially if they exceed 100 cu in.

Great channel, l enjoy all your info. Keep up the good work. I put an automatic chain tensioner into my ‘06 Night Train thinking l was improving my bike. Now l am going to take it out. The more l learn about the newer Harleys the more l like my older 88” twin cams. To be honest, the only thing l wish my bikes had was the built in clock that is in the odometer that the ‘07 and newer bikes have. Lol

I’m surprised that you “only” have 25k subscribers!! Cheers, and thank you.

That's because you put out GOOD INFORMATION 👍 And you're a good teacher.

Harley flywheels have been scissoring since before they started pressing them together, but the very first time a pressed together set did it everyone started acting like it was something unique to them. In the 33 years I've been rebuilding and modifying Harley engine's I can honestly say I've seen it happen to more pre pressed flywheels than pressed one's, all this turmoil over it is proof of how people just latch onto something and make an issue of it.

I have 53k on the Hayden in my 95 ultra. Why didnt Harley go with a similar solution? Simple not complicated and works great.

makes sense. Thanks for the heads up

Another great video. What other primary chain tensioner do you like? SE, Hayden,Twin power, etc...

I’m gonna do the baker at 5k miles. Thanks for the info. I’ve got a big loupe cam going in this week. I can see this even further aggravating the issue. I’m going back and watching everything you put out btw. Your like my Harley mechanic friend I don’t actually have. Many thanks.

Very interesting. Always seem to be finding reasons I'm glad I kept my 2001 RK!

I agree with your theory. Definitely gave me a heads up to pull the covers and check runout. Increasing runout tolerances on a crankshaft is mighty suspicious. I've worked with high speed turbine compressors and have first hand witnessed the results of vibration caused by runout. It aint pretty! As for a root cause analysis on "scissoring", I think you are on the right track with the tensioner issue. Your videos and commentary rock! Good job!!!

Love your Chanel always learn a lot❤️

due to videos like this ive pulled my primary cover off twice in 28k on my 103. even though i would describ myself as an aggressive rider down shifting to pass ect... every time ive inspected itvits been perfect, right between 5/8 & 3/4 so now you have heard a good story about the adjustor. i was thinking dark horse comp and adjustor but... not yet anyway.

I believe in manual tensioners...and the scissoring of the crank I think is from heavy on - off throttle that causes alot of for and aft torsion load on the pin. Love the vids keep em coming

Thanks again for another great video and detective work! Always wondered about those automatic tensioners and heard that they over tightened. I just stay with my manual tightener and will have to get a hydraulic for my’12 SG. Thank you other commenters for advice, I’m gonna check them out.

As always more great information. As far as the auto tension on the primary goes sounds great but too tight is no good and it can get that way too easily. I agree, go manual. Not a problem on my EVO.

Not bad Gixx, doubled your subs in just a year, congrats!

Great Info as usual... keep up the GOOD work!!! Thanx!!

Thank you ...

I have thought about it, since my primary imploded. broken comp. spring. about 180,000 kms. I have 187,000 0n it now. 2009 fxdf. I had to go back and replace the starter clutch drive 3days after i fixed the primary. then the fuel pump let go. but i still love the bike .do a lot of hiway riding. In B.C. canada its got the 96 inch motor . Use to like riding down to reno, montana, anacortes oyster run. till covid hit.

I have one of those 07 automatic chain tensioners, with around 23k on my twinky, and only checked it once through the derby cover last year. The chain still had some play on it then, but I have considered getting a manual tensioner. Probably next year. Thanks for the reminder about this possible problem.

I absolutely agree, this makes perfect sense to me. I just posted a lil vid on my channel of my bike, will be doing this work soon and installing my Darkhorse while im in there

Started seeing the issues with the cranks in the 07 and up and the auto tensioner is a no brainer as far as getting it gone. Already had the compensator replaced on my 07 softail a few years ago and put in the SE tensioner a few months back. So far so good.

Easier way to check chain tension on automatic adjusters is to remove derby cover and stick a slim screwdriver in there sideways to move the chain up an down. I usually get 3/8 to 1/2 movement which is spec. Never had a problem with auto adjuster on my 2011 softail or my 2014 rk. I check them every 5 k when I change fluids and adjust clutch.

I'm at 107,000 MI with no inner motor issues...I run Redline oils ...2011 Ultra

Awesome video...learned a ton, as usual!

Yes the Atomic Tensioners are definitely not a good thing at all !!! I have the Baker Compensator and the Baker Attitude Solid Chain Adjuster on my bike.

Great piece. Question: Are there any companies that build/sell primary casings with a manual adjustment window? If not, seems like a great opportunity for someone to fill that niche.

When I bought my 22 Heritage one of the first things I did was weld the stock tensioner to 5/8" of play at tightest point.

My 2001 FLTRSE has the manual adjuster and CV carb conversion.Thank the Lord!

All of this happened to my 07 Ultra Classic. It sucked bad, I loved the bike, hated all the money that thing costed me. It made me buy an Indian. I still have a Harley with a Timken conversion, and welded crank. It's still alive.

Absolutely is a problem buddy just had this exact problem. Moter rebuild time sucks. Manual adjustment the way you want to go 4 sure. Thank you great video.

Wow. I am in the middle of discovering this personally. I am currently in the assembly phase of trying to recover exactly what this Man is saying. He is legit. I am switching from an "automatic Primary Chain Tensioner to a Maunual One. I dont subscribe to any channel here at KZfaq "University"!!!!! LOL I bought a manual chain tensioner from Drag Specialties. I am putting together a photo documentary to illustrate exactly what is in this video. He is exactly right and is a page I HIGHLY recommend that all Harley Owners subscribe to. HE NAILS IT. I appreciate you looking out for us Brother. Keep it Coming

I miss the old 5pc cranks. I've assembled and trued dozens for Flat/Knuckle/Pan/Shovel/Block head motors with no failures. Late Shovels and Evos had 3pc cranks. Of course if ya want to make more power , go with T&O , S&S or Jims steel wheels. The steel wheels take a lot more torque on the shaft and crank pins nuts than cast iron wheels. And the tapers must be CLEAN and DRY.

For those who want to spend the best $100 dollars of your life consider adding a Southern Oregon Hot Bike "HB-125" Hydraulic Primary chain tensioner. Set it and forget it

What is your opponent on the haydon style auto adjust tensioner style vs.a 2006 vintage stock unit?Thanks Great video thanks for sharing your knowledge

great info a usual man. good job.

I pulled my primary cover at the start of the riding season. Sure enough, my chain was as tight as the Vatican's Banking Books! I pull the auto tensioner out, reset it to the proper chain tension and will check it again at the seasons end.... But, I expect I''ll be changing it out for an after market manual unit.....

I can agree the automatic tensioner system is too tight, think about the clunk when you put it in first gear. However the manual tensioner if serviced is a better option, but the manual tensioner also has a tendency to break apart or drop the shoe the chain rides on. I'm going to say depending on what type of setup you run meaning cams, motor work essentially maybe the determining Factor. But obviously regular maintenance is absolute.

I have a 2016 softail heritage 103HO and I’m curious why they don’t have the small inspection plate for the primary chain tensioner even with the auto tensioner? I just thought it would be easier and cheaper to have it. Thanks for your input.

I run the Baker compensator and manual adjuster which is supposed to be checked every 5,000 which is also the oil change interval so just doing that in addition to a three-hole oil change is a piece of cake. That's on an '08 Road King but my 14 Ultra limited also has enough slop that when I get on it at low RPMs I can hear the compensator springs slipping or the chain smacking the case.... So it's about to get a baker as well.

Gixxer, as always, great segment...I have used the Hayden M1 with great success and tried a Hydraulic one on my 05 Night Train and both worked to my satisfaction. The reason I went to auto tensioners was because of that 'Slack' that I felt even when I adjusted them! It seems as though 07 and on was a bad year(s) for 'Harley's' auto adjusters AND compensators. What are your thoughts?

Your content is great that's why you are growing

For thanking me watching your videos,You are welcome.

Over tensioning by the auto tensioner can also be caused by chain slap. Remember that HD recommends shifting to 6th at 85km/h or 55mph. This lugs the engine into a chain slap condition.

My compensator on my 15 CVO Street glide shit the bed at 20k miles. I switched over to the Baker compensator and attitude adjuster manual primary chain tensioner. It’s a lot louder than the stock auto tensioner. That had me nervous for a good little bit. But 5k miles later, everything was sound and in good working order. I also notice my clutch is a little rattly / noisy when fully open. I wonder if all that excessive pressure from the auto tensioner is the culprit. I’m going to replace it with a rekluse and see if I tell a difference.

I'm pretty sure the issue is down to the dynamics of the engine. The crankshaft wobble you're referring to are called crank torsionals which are resultant of the engine, crank, and cam design. The tensioner it's designed to balance chain control and chain tension. The chain does not put stress on the crank, rather it has to deal with the dynamics of the crank.

I took mine out this summer and put the manual adjuster in I think it runs a lot cooler too

i really enjoy ur channel best channel on the tube keep on keepn on

there's a revision to the original HD auto primary tensioner...seems to be working well with the new revision that i heard.

Yes for sure

I am amazed at all of the bad press on auto tensioners… I talked with several techs at different HD dealers and every one of them said that they have never seen a failure from the tensioners. Also the forums say the same except for the few that claim that these auto tensioners are causing engine failures with no evidence or proof of such. All new Harleys have them and no inspection covers. I am no pro or expert, but I have to go with the techs and say that the auto tensioners are ok. I’m installing one in my 06 Ultra Classic … with a Drag Specialties compensator and Screaming Eagle clutch kit.