A new factory defect has surfaced that is being kept quiet for now. It has to do with a mistake when building the water cooled motors. Your dealer will NOT know about it unless they have experienced this before. I'll try to explain what's going on, what the symptoms are and how to check for this defect without tearing down the motor.
Let's name this the one dot-two dot defect. It's rare so don't think just because you have a 2014 wet head this is a problem with your bike.
There are three 103 Twin Cam motors made in 2014. They are the STD 103 motors in the Dyna and Softail. The HO 103 that are not water cooled and the 103 water cooled.
The STD Dyna and Softail motors are one dot-two dot motors. The HO and water cooled motors are two dot-three dot motors.
Here is a picture of a one dot-two dot cam shaft. They are in all 2006 and up Twin Cam motors.
The reason they are called one dot-two dot cams is easy to see. Look at the indentations on the cam lobes.
The 103 HO and 103 water cooled motors have two dot-three dot cams in them. Sorry but I do not have a picture to show you.
There are two differences in the three types of 103 motors. The 103 HO has the new style cam (two dot-three dot) and the 103 water cooled have the new style cam and the water heads with a smaller combustion chamber making higher compression.
The one dot-two dot cams lobes are different and have a different duration than the new style two/three.
When HD puts these motors together the bottom ends are all the same with the exception of the motor case.
Issue is, some of these HO and water cooled bottom ends have the old style one/two dot cams in them. That's a problem.
What issue does this cause?
1. The motor will not idle correctly.
2. The bottom end torque is way down so it feels like the bike just will not take off from a start without a lot of throttle.
3. Heavy pinging will occur during not only hard loads but most normal loads.
4. Hard start issue.
Why does it cause the above issues? The factory calibration is wrong since the cam is wrong.
How do you know if you have this defect if you have some or all of the above symptoms?
The normal CCP (Cold Cranking Pressure) on a correctly built motor will be around 180. If you have the one/two dot cam in a water cooled 103 with the smaller combustion chambers then your CCP will be 225 pounds.
If in doubt; visit your dealer and have them check the CCP. Then have them contact MoCo who will have no idea what you are talking about. Have them ask the Engine Build Dept.
The fix is to install the correct cam. That is the only fix. There is no calibration available for the 103 water cooled bikes with the one/two dot cams.
How to check CCP
For a FBW throttle bike
1. Remove air filter
2. Fully open throttle butterfly
3. Remove spark plugs
4. Hook up compression gauge.
5. Remove the system relay from the fuse box. See attachment
6. Crank the motor until you get the highest reading on your compression gauge. (Only takes a few revolutions)
7. Repeat for the next cylinder.
Check again when the motor is hot.
<fieldset class="fieldset"><legend>Attached Thumbnails</legend>
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Let's name this the one dot-two dot defect. It's rare so don't think just because you have a 2014 wet head this is a problem with your bike.
There are three 103 Twin Cam motors made in 2014. They are the STD 103 motors in the Dyna and Softail. The HO 103 that are not water cooled and the 103 water cooled.
The STD Dyna and Softail motors are one dot-two dot motors. The HO and water cooled motors are two dot-three dot motors.
Here is a picture of a one dot-two dot cam shaft. They are in all 2006 and up Twin Cam motors.
The reason they are called one dot-two dot cams is easy to see. Look at the indentations on the cam lobes.
The 103 HO and 103 water cooled motors have two dot-three dot cams in them. Sorry but I do not have a picture to show you.
There are two differences in the three types of 103 motors. The 103 HO has the new style cam (two dot-three dot) and the 103 water cooled have the new style cam and the water heads with a smaller combustion chamber making higher compression.
The one dot-two dot cams lobes are different and have a different duration than the new style two/three.
When HD puts these motors together the bottom ends are all the same with the exception of the motor case.
Issue is, some of these HO and water cooled bottom ends have the old style one/two dot cams in them. That's a problem.
What issue does this cause?
1. The motor will not idle correctly.
2. The bottom end torque is way down so it feels like the bike just will not take off from a start without a lot of throttle.
3. Heavy pinging will occur during not only hard loads but most normal loads.
4. Hard start issue.
Why does it cause the above issues? The factory calibration is wrong since the cam is wrong.
How do you know if you have this defect if you have some or all of the above symptoms?
The normal CCP (Cold Cranking Pressure) on a correctly built motor will be around 180. If you have the one/two dot cam in a water cooled 103 with the smaller combustion chambers then your CCP will be 225 pounds.
If in doubt; visit your dealer and have them check the CCP. Then have them contact MoCo who will have no idea what you are talking about. Have them ask the Engine Build Dept.
The fix is to install the correct cam. That is the only fix. There is no calibration available for the 103 water cooled bikes with the one/two dot cams.
How to check CCP
For a FBW throttle bike
1. Remove air filter
2. Fully open throttle butterfly
3. Remove spark plugs
4. Hook up compression gauge.
5. Remove the system relay from the fuse box. See attachment
6. Crank the motor until you get the highest reading on your compression gauge. (Only takes a few revolutions)
7. Repeat for the next cylinder.
Check again when the motor is hot.
<fieldset class="fieldset"><legend>Attached Thumbnails</legend>
</fieldset>
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