Roller Cages

Is there a reason not to use aluminum cages with a 3 hole crankpin? Thanks!

Reason #1 would be if there are embedded particulates from previous duty.

...Cotten

Thank you. That would be a good reason. All parts are new, but someone told me you should not use aluminum cages with a three hole pin, but could not tell me why, and I can not see a reason why not.

Danny, Aluminum is just the wrong metal for the job. Every time I've taken a motor apart with aluminum cages, the cages showed lots of wear, regardless of # of oil holes in the crankpin. When HD started using the aluminum cage they also went to bronze thrust washers and a single hole pin drilled at an angle from the drive side. Neither metal showed any wear resistance, I have seen the cages wore right to the bearing slot. S&S sold rodsets with Al cages for a while and they proved troublesome as well. S&S then went to the 51-72 steel cage and then to the modern steel closed end cage similar to the aluminum type. S&S quit making the open end cage some yrs. ago , but Jims Machining makes a nice set (expensive) and good original HD stuff isn't too hard to find yet.