Why does my 2002 Harley Lowrider need a new oil pump?
 

I took my Harley into the shop because it developed a whining sound in the engine, and I thought what was a valve chatter had gotten louder as well. I have put almost 40000 miles on the bike and my warranty runs out next April. The dealer called me a couple of days ago and told me that the cam chain tensioners are the cause of the noise, which I was told might be the problem, and that they would have to be replaced as well as the oil pump. I didn't think to ask while I was on the phone, but why would the oil pump need to be replaced. That makes me think that it wasn't working right, which makes me wonder if any damage to the engine has occured because of lack of oil pressure. Does the oil pump have anything to do with the cam chain tensioners, or does it have to be replaced when replacing the tensioners? Or is the pump a totally unrelated problem which I need to ask more questions about?

It's TOO low?.

I've just asked my husband to read your question and he said he is not sure what one has to do with the other, but feels that your oil pump should not have gone out at 40,000. He says, yes, it is best to ask more questions, but definitely get it replaced while it is still under warranty. You may also ask your dealer if this is a problem with this make and model year. A lot of times there are recalls on the bikes and the owner is not notified. Ride safe!!!

the cam chain tensioners are mounted on the cam plate that is outboard of the oil pump. there is probably nothing wrong with the pump itself. but if the tensioners have gone you would want to replace the cam plate and pump to ensure that no debris from the tensioner assemlby has blocked oil passages in the cam plate that could cause damage or restrict flow to the pump or plate( and to the motor). h-d do a kit for the repair it includes cam plate assembly( cams, chains tensioners etc) and a new oil pump , its called a cam super kit. if you were thinking of adding a performance cam now is the time to do it... you may only have to pay for the new cams ... if you are running a stage 1 kit (hi flow air filter, performance exhaust and carb or fuel injection recalibration) a performce cam would work nicely suggest a s/e 203 cam great low end and midrange power NOT a peaky cam very nice power and torque.hope this helps, cheers ffr 952

Some cam chain tensioners wear out before 20,000 mi. No rhyme or reason others last much longer. The new 2007 /2008 have a different setup with a hydraulic tensioner and a smoother edge cam chain and a different plastic shoe that's supposed to be more durable. They came out with a upgraded oil pump some time back around 2004 that puts out 10% more so your shop is doing a good thing for you. I read American Iron magazine to keep up with the tech stuff, they call it like they see it while others avoid the issue. It's really all part of the motor companies planned obselence program. You either have to replace expensive parts or get a new bike. many of the parts in the new engine are different from your 2002. The aftermarket is not going to create a lot of parts for a low production run engine. They kept the EVO pretty much the same for 10 years over a million of them on the road great aftermarket. They seem to be changing parts now that will wear and make a bunch of noise so you will take it in for service before it fails. Of course they tell you about the noise requirements by the EPA require a quite chain drive. It's cheaper than sllowing down the production line to use trial and error to get a set of quieter helical gears that mesh well. One of the HD shops in my area will not work on a HD over 10 yrs old now. It keeps them in business when you have to buy a new bike. I will keep my rebuildable Evo engined 95 electra glide until they put a water cooled V-rod type engine in a touring bike or maybe get a Victory next. They have made several changes since the twin cam came out. Yours has the rear cam bearing fix, the 2007 took out the cam bearings in the support plate and use a parent metal bearing like a car camshaft. Your lower end still has the steel bearing races that can be changed and are preferred if you want to punch it out to 124 Cubes. The new ones are said to be less tolerant of 120 hp engine mods. Glad to have you on two wheels, at 40,000 miles it is time to educate yourself on the tech stuff before the warranty expires.

40000 miles is a lot for a Harley engine. These are not long-lived engines as a rule. I'd say this wear is normal, and in fact I'm surprised you went this far without some mishap.Harleys are good looking bikes but they aren't very good motorcycles for the money. Excellent resale though. You might want to think about dumping it and getting a new one.