Interests

This type of work (and restoration) obviously is of interest to me - but, I don't do these operations myself.  I let the experts do it.  Most require special equipment and fixtures. 

Cam Regrinding:

We leave that to the Leineweber's.  I see Jim is trying to keep the business in-the-family and continue the traditions of quality products - and performance !

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Head Surfacing:

The guy I have do this for me uses a Bridgeport Mill with the head indicated in on the table, cylinder head facing up.  This other method (above on a lathe) works too, but may requires more fixtures, and that weight spinning around might be a bit more dangerous !

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Indicating and Measuring:



Here's a photo (from Lee Wickstrom) indicating in a cam bushing(or needle bearing) hole for boring.  When this area gets cracked (common on early bushing motors) and welded - it tends to warp.  It's very subtle - not much.  But when you go to install your cam and it binds, and you've measured your pinion gear mesh . . . and all your figures seem correct - you'll be scratching your head.  WTF?  Reaming or matching to your gear cover bushing will be in order.  Nothing worse than a binding cam.



The Same, but Different

The motors will interchange in the frames.  But that's pretty much where it ends . . . and I don't mean just performance wise.  I mean the actual engine parts will NOT interchange.  The pipes are different, the crank is different, the cams are different and the intake manifold is different.  The pushrods are different.  The cylinders are different.  The rods are different.  The cam and crank bearings are different.  The spark plugs are different.  The top motor mount is different.  The pushrod clips are different.  The gear cover is different.  The breather is different.  The engine sprocket and primary chain is different.  The pistons are the same !  When you talk to the "race guys" that know these motors, if you really want to ruffle their feathers, and get their dander flingin' . . . tell them "Oh heck, all they are is a K Model with different heads."
Zing !

Chris Carr

 

I like that Carr helps announce and commentary at the Grand National Flat Track Series.  Many times I hear Chris refer to certain races of the past (and I was at that race !)  You can see on this version of Carr's XR....the oil tank is as low as Kenny Tolbert can get it . . . low weight/better handling.  Wind tunnel tests show his left hand at the perfect air/draft position.  Tucked in - Skinny reverse forks - Probably CD8 rubber - Steering damper - Magnesium (or titanium) primary cover - He shows the No. 4 (so he's already won the title at least once for a single digit). 
Tucked in . . . out of turn 4 the revs build - so does the mph +110, 120, 125, 130 - down the front shoot past the stands, pushin' air, the smell of race gas, the roar of all 45 cubic inches of air-cooled XR750 . . . a flash of orange and black - a dirt clog rolls - a candy wrapper flies through the air . . . and I can still smell the race gas.  Wow.  The thrill of standing on the fence at Springfield.

Ready for Delivery

I guess I'll deliver this to my friend Randy.  I've known him for years, done swaps with him . . . and he always invites me to his home(and garage) to check out all his stuff - and I've never been there yet.  Sometimes it's a nice gesture to just see other dude's collections, hear the tales - and just hang out and talk old bikes . . .  Let's go ! 

I Hate Crap In My Pockets

For a guy who hates shit in his pockets,

I just had to get the crap out of there !

 

Big Twin Timer Gaskets(2ea)

Idler Gear Gasket

Early Points Set

Cam Specs. Comparison

Blue Post-It

X-Mas Ideas (for Cheryl)

.11

Papermate Pen

$9 cash

Coffee Stir Stick (works good for One-Shot paint)

$1 corner ?

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For some reason, my new panhead doesn't start very good.  It pops through the carb a lot, and only likes "way advanced" ignition timing????  Hmmm?  The timing (valves and ignition) is spot on, and has been adjusted to many different combinations, but it's the same story.  My cam seems to be correct, but I thought I'd make a cam chart, and see where the intakes are closing, and compare.  I have the Andrews AB grind in it now.  Once the engine is running, it sounds perfects and runs/idles perfect.  I have a magneto in it now, but I'm gonna slip a points timer and coil on to see what happens. Updates later . . . 



Low Attention Span . . . or ADD?

After I framed and displayed my print, I noticed my SU Carb . . . so I finished it up.

 . . . then when I put my carb back on the shelf, I grabbed my Bell Moto 3 and put it on . . . . then decided to go for a ride.

I fired up the Harley 45, and rode around . . . down by the river, where I saw some thin ice forming along the water's edge . . .

So I went back and switched my wheels (on my flat-track bike) to ice tires.  Talk about Attention Deficit Disorder !  Stay on task dammit !  There goes a squirrel . . .

 

 

$3.55 (Yesterday's Prices)

I never heard of Whites.  There's White Brothers (of coarse), but this is just Whites.  I decided to use an NOS set of Delco Remy points (and leave these Whites in the package)  The points have Made-In-USA stamped on them (but no Delco)  I like buying new, aftermarket products still in the package at swap meets and sales.(who doesn't?)  Most aftermarket parts(of yesterday) are still better quality than the aftermarket parts(of today). 

Leftovers

It's all these "little things" at the end of an engine build that just takes time.  In your mind all you have to do is . . .  throw the pushrods in, adjust, set the timing, done.  But it's the leftover box of parts that always gets hoarded and rummaged through to find the small screws, clips, washers and nuts that you need to get this thing done right. 
So we kept working on this motor in-between leftover turkey sandwiches.  The pushrod covers were clotted with old oil from years and years of leaking - baked on like hard grease.  I used a plastic razor blade, solvent, brass brush and hot water with Ivory Liquid, and it still left a few spots. 

The reproduction pushrods will work just fine I guess?  They just look weird.

Northwest Hot Shoes

#69 Sonny Burres threw his bike in the van and drove all the way to Peoria, Illinois and won the Peoria TT in 1975.  #42w Steve Baker threw his bike in the van and drove all the way to Daytona, Florida to win the Daytona 200 in 1977.  Baker also won the World Formula 750 Championship, edging out Barry Sheene. (see the movie: Take It To The Limit)

Knucklehead Rocker Assembly

One of the most critical aspects of assembly . . . Give yourself the time, and take your time.  Make sure the covers do not touch the aluminum rockers.  All threads are good.  No binding of rocker arms (you should have some end play (even though it's hard to feel with new seals).  The best advice I can give you - IS READ THE HARLEY-DAVISON SERVICE MANUAL.  The manual tells you how-to-do-this, and it works.  One down - One to Go.

Lil' Joe's Minnesota

A guy I know (Lil' Joe), has lived his entire life in Long Beach and Las Vegas....moves to Minnesota of all places.  It's cold as shit last Sunday(20F)with some wind, I'm shivering - and he's outside with a t-shirt.  I'd say he's adjusted.  Joe built himself a new place, new shop . . . but it has all the same stuff on the walls as the shop in Vegas, so nothing has changed.  He's got his own unique way of doin' things for sure . . . that's just Joe.

Lil' Joe doesn't follow traditional methods.  Sometimes it works.  Sometimes it doesn't. 
That's just Joe.  Old school choppers all the way . . .

The radio is hooked up in the shop - the heater is not !  WTF !  Joe, it's Minnesota !  Once he gets the heat in the shop, it will be a go . . . He's only been in his house for a couple months.

He said the Left-Side panhead carb is the way to go.  It runs and starts better on the left. 

It was good to catch up with Joey, and I'll be back once he gets some heat in that place !

It was a Plum Crazy day !

PS. Thanks for coming over Pat . . .

we'll get some plans for that panhead !

Good seein' Denny too . . . Go Vikings.

The Cow Palace

 

 

This is a venue on my-list-of-places-to-see.  I really want to someday go see the building, tour the inside . . . see this actual place where all these events made history.  I feel it's one of the most important buildings in America.

Ricky Graham and Evel Knievel both caught big air here !

1967 Sportster Model XLH

This is about the nicest 1967 XLH I've ever seen - (on Ebay now)

-Electric Start (1st year)

- One year only kicker cover



This is how to hook-up your Tillotson properly and correct.

It's sweet - Professionally built and restored.

This would be your totally awesome view, riding down the highway, through the turns . . . (with correct accessory switch by the way), full instrumentation.  This is a very fancy motorcycle.  A gentleman's touring motorcycle.  Power, storage, comfort.  A beautiful evening ride to the AMA meeting on Thursday night . . . 

"We still need volunteers for flagmen at the scrambles on Sunday . . . "  (Those were the golden years . . .)



A "Nervous" Fix . . .

Drilling and hammering on vintage knuckleheads can be a traumatizing experience.  Don't fuck it up.  Dad made a special pin(rivet) to lock the intake flange.  We peened it from the inside, smoothed it out and formed it to a stock-like appearance.  Now the flange is tight and secure.  PJ-1 Satin Black and it's ready for the valves.  Late Model Knucklehead: The last one, and the best one.

Catholic Girls

"My wife, she's catholic you know..."

Sturgis Model

So my dad pretty much restores this guy's entire Sturgis motorcycle.  It was all farted up.  It started with just the motor and transmission.  Then, as it goes so often, the owner asks, "Can you put the motor in my bike?"  then . . . "Can you hook up the wiring?"  "Oh, I forgot . . . Can you put turn signals on it?"  "Oh, and can you fix the brakes, and fix the bearings, and fix the dash, and the seat, and the . . . Where does it end?  My dad, being the all knowing Harley guru scholar he is . . . pretty much did the entire bike - Started it yesterday, rode it around a bit . . . it's ready for the owner.

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I did a couple things on it . . . like source, order and install the nos Sturgis fork cover decal.

Part No. 45771-80

This chrome foil decal had backing on both sides -

and I somehow got the $35.00 item installed perfectly !?!

Over the years, we've done many motorcycles for owners who aren't the best wrench, but they love the old iron.  I just hope the owner takes the time to learn, research and read how-to maintain and repair simple things on these motorcycles . . . it's the best for all of us.



Seat Time

Parker rippin' around on the edge o' the bean field . . .

What the hell ?

Friedman Photos

Part #2

So I came up with this system . . . improved fuel flow (I drilled the fittings a touch larger too) and now 5/16 ID all the way to the carb.  Hook it up, and test for leaks. 

Hank Scott says . . .

" I just get the lead and they throw the red . . . who goofed?"

Stripped Threads

I spend a lot of time fixing threads, caused mostly by over tightening.  May I suggest using nylon insert locknuts, jam nuts, flange lock nuts, serrated lock nuts, loc-tite, prevailing torque lock nuts, cage nuts or hex pal nuts or even pushnut bolt retainers???????

Above: This happens when the bolt & nut are junk(and too soft) to start out with . . .

The Keensert (left) is the best, but it's easy to fart it up.  The pins don't always drive the easiest, and sometimes it's hard to get them all the way down.  Once it's in - it's done and solid.  If your hole is way oversize, the Keensert may be your only option.
The Nutsert or Timesert (center) is good too.  I like the top "flange" that gives a surface to tighten against.  They are available in "oversize/oversize" when even the Heli-Coil failed. 
I use the Heli-Coil (right) most often.  Simple to use and works great in aluminum.  If you follow the directions, take your time and get it correct, the heli-coil has saved people thousands of dollars and prevented lots of warpage from welding and high heat, trying to weld up and redrill.

All these motors I work on, usually have a lot of this . . .

Speaking of stripped threads . . .

Heather Thomas, 80s heart-throb for old dudes.

She still looks pretty good... (for a 60)

PART #1: Gas Line Fitting

Early LEFT - Late RIGHT

The early-style seals like a steel oil line/brake line - with a flare.

The late-style seals with a rubber seal
(like an ironhead/shovel top end line)

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Problem is . . . these fittings are 1/4" outlet

and my S&S Super E is 5/16" inlet

I also want it "serviceable" if I have a problem on the road.  I change, and redo many things when building these bikes.  It might look cool, but if I can't fix it with common tools, I shit-can it for a simpler application.  I want to run a fuel filter too (5/16" IN and 5/16" OUT)

I decided to go with the flare (seals better for fuel I've found).  I chased the old threads to square them up with our Snap-On Tool thread chasers.  The thread size is 7/16-20.  I'll use a common 1/4" copper tube nut, available at every local hardware store.  My next step is to get a short piece of that really good copper connector tubing, that auto parts stores sell.  It will already have the flare (factory flared) but it will have too large a diameter for my 1/4" nut . . . so I'll have to drill the nut to .3125(5/16) to fit my tube. This nut will be the only piece of my fuel line that's "special", but easily replicated.

STAY TUNED FOR PART #2.