cam pinion gear

I have a 96 FLHR with an Evo. Engine mods are the heads have been milled bigger cam, roller rockers and adjustable pushrods. Recently I started getting a real lowd tapping noise down low after the engine was hot. After research and alot of asking around I replaced the pinion gear to the next size bigger. It worked great for about 2 months and now it is making the same tapping noise again. If anyone has any idea why it started again I would greatly appriciate it.

thanks REX

cam gear

it sounds like the pinion gear and the cam cear has a back lash. check the lifters if there good sounds like you have to live with it unless your loseing the cam bearing witch is real bad will make a lot of noise.

Look real close at the rollers on the lifters. There should be no play there. Also, I don't remember what year HD stopped using the INA bearing for the inner cam bearing. But, if you've got the cone off and the lifters out you might want to check it out. Just some thoughts.
Bobcat.

H-d Stopped Useing Torrington Cam Bearings In 1993 And Went With The Ina Cam Bearings And To My Knowlege They Still Are Useing Them Today. I Preffer The Torringtons Which Can Be Bought Aftermarket. There All Steel Vs. Ina Nylon And Steel. The Torringtongs Have More Needle Bearings And Are Set In Steel Not Nylon.

The old INA bearing fiasco is still going on... Like you say, the Inner cam bearings are still INA! H-D is still saving the 50¢ per bearing and denying the problem.

From the timeline I know of and could dig up, the original INA fiasco was on the Shovel's up to mid '77 and I thought all EVO's had INA's but not for sure. I do remember a lot of pre '93 bearing failures including one that wasted about everything that small hardened needles from the bearing can do to an engine. I had to fish a needle out of my '87 FXR when we found one had broke that freaking cheap cage. Slim magnet and got real lucky.

Regardless of what you are working on, the INA bearings are crap and if you are changing a camshaft, change the bearing(s).... Really cheap insurance.

You would think that H-D would learn but, the profit is the driving force over quality some times...