TECH: Tin Primary Cover 101

The old, BLACK cover appears to be an ordinary XLCH tin primary cover.  1958 up XLCH.  You ever notice how many of these covers have the extra (screw hole) provision in the top center for a screw, but it's not drilled - and there's no boss on the XLCH case for the screw threads???  I believe KR and XLR and Iron XR have this boss, and it's tapped for an extra screw.  This cover is actually drilled for it (I presume it was run on a KR, XLR or Iron XR)  This cover also has that "extra clutch reinforcement dome plate" over the top of the smooth cover itself.  I'm not sure what year they stopped production of this earlier cover?  Later covers have the ribs, with no extra dome reinforcement.

Below:  KR, XLR, Iron XR, possible early Aluminum XR Cover

1. Top Center Hole Provision and Drilled

2. Heavy Clutch Dome reinforced

3. Possibly used on early XLCH ?

Below: (Same as above cover)

1. Center Provision NOT drilled

Below: Later XLCH Cover

1. No Center Provision

2. No extra plate over clutch dome.

3. When did they start using this cover ?________

I've noticed the small "front sprocket shaft nut dome" is slightly different on these late covers also . .  maybe just an entirely different stamping, or die stamp?  Anybody know anything about this?  Many old Harley parts all look the same . . . to the untrained eye.

Genuine Junk Parts

This S&S B carburetor was so stuck, gummed, and messed up - I heated, soaked, everything and it finally came apart.  The valves(in the back) were stuck in the guides, and each valve was rusted, and stuck to the seats . . . had to tap them out with a drift.  Oil pump parts are corroded and rusty.

These heads were assembled years ago with no oil on anything.  Somebody just used a wire wheel and made the combustion chamber look like it was fresh . . . anything but !

Cracked gear cover(needs welding) and more corroded parts, oily, dirty and need to be cleaned and blown dry before I can bead blast them and find out they are cracked or junk anyway . . . this is the way it goes - work and labor to find out you can't use it anyway . . .

RACE SHIT: 1.625

WR connecting rods on big end are WL width with XL (OD) . . . 

Will require surface grinding.  

Oh, and Von Dutch still hates you.

Fab by Bake

I buy this rare oil tank, have Gelner blast it - and all the hidden bondo and JB flies out - looks like it was hit with buck shot.  Big hole, pin holes, chain grooves . . .a mess.  Hawbaker comes to the rescue and preps the bad spots, removes more nickle plating (which causes welding spits and splatters) and he proceeds to fabricate a heavy-duty chain plate on the bottom, fills all pin holes.  Solid.  Again, it's up to me for more prep, filler, sanding and ready for paint.  Thanks Bake !  I really appreciate it. 
( Now I have to race it ! )  Hux as pit crew . . .

Sand, Buff & Polish

XLR motor mounts and S&S original, aluminum tear-drop cover.

KR "John Penner" Race Loop

Penner's brake-stay resembled a big egg.  It looked a little weird for my taste.  I had local L&J Welding plasma cut my design, then I smoothed it out.  Saturday, I laid out my hole templates, measured, drilled pilot holes, drilled holes to diameter, then beveled each.  Every time I had to realign, and secure the loop with c-clamps.  It took me forever.

Thrust Washer

S&S Flywheel machined for H-D thrust washer.

Workin' Hard or Hardly Workin' ?

If you keep it fun - Really not like work at all . . .

Above: Line up the heads for correct manifold placement

This '48 runs STD heads

Dad turns it over and we watch and measure all clearances . . . make sure everything is correct, no funny "clicks or clunks" . . . she's a smooth one !

The sky is falling . . .

I'm flyin' down the street on my motorcycle and a huge tree limb breaks off over my head . . . I duck, and it just barely hits my helmet.  I get home and part of my Speed Merchant sticker is gone?

Swap Meet Scores . . . Need Fixin'

I bought some unique parts last weekend . . . at some reasonable prices - BUT, all the parts need work.  They all need fixed.  This pig snout kicker has a tight, solid outside bushing which Jeff will locate off and bore the inside for a steel sleeve with a flange.  Press in steel, then bore steel sleeve for the bronze bushing, hone to fit the shaft.  (steel sleeve will resemble the bronze piece pictured)

I picked up these early (E)series S&S flywheels.  S&S flywheels don't have thrust washers at the crank pin.  The wheels are made of a special forged steel, that if everything is set up correctly(key word: correctly) you don't need them.  This set was worn.  McFarland will set this up in a rotary table and machine it so the washer is just flush (or maybe a touch above) the flywheel surface.  He'll do it so the flush washer has a press-fit, I'll stake it, and she'll be good as new !
NOTE: Early pre-1955 motors(loose roller) with no left Timken, flywheel assemblies will move right to left (.012 endplay preferred) with engine revs.  This is why it's important to have the Left & Right case races aligned properly (lapped properly) so the contact made with the thrust washer areas are random and not constant contact on one side or the other.  Keep 'Em Rollin' - Keep 'Em in the Center !  

Cedar Rapids Swap Meet

Bound for Cedar Rapids . . . Trailer, bike, parts . . . 

Coffee stop with Dino.

 From Left:
Al, Bill, Noot & Zimmer . . .

Things get kinda weird . . .

I think it's rays from those huge electrical junction boxes they put us under every year ?
25+ years at this swap !

 It didn't mellow out much through-out the day . . .

THE "Jeremiah" of Cedar Rapids:
Married, dad with (3)crazy kids, bike builder, vintage historian,
bmx racer, hard ass worker, beer guzzler, pizza buyer . . .
Thanks dude - See ya'll soon !

Al's Ironhead Stroker Frame

Added some stripes Saturday . . . make it Pop !  Splits are for brackets, etc.

Sacred Spots

These places are everywhere, but are slowly slipping away from us, due to construction, deterioration and time.  Find a sacred place that holds past history which is dear or interesting to you - and go there.  Civil War battlefields, historic homes, crime scenes, film scenes, music venues . . . all do it for me. 

Early Shovelhead

SU Eliminator carburetor . . . she's so sweet.

BORN FREE California Bound

My dad delivering an engine for a Born Free build . . . 
( Thanks J.G. ! )

Generator Brush Maintenance

Your brushes may look ok . . . however, the shorter they get, the less spring pressure on the armature.  I like to keep my brushes good and new.  I replace them before they start jumping around, maybe earlier than necessary, but I don't have a lot of generator problems either.  When your brush is worn, all that material worn away from the brush has turned to dust (and it's all over inside your generator to gum things up).
Real exciting stuff on this blog !
PS. Take a photo before you start unhooking all your wires . . .

Panhead Parts-Motor Challange

Our vintage motorcycle friends bring motors to build that have never been "a motor" before.  To get it correct, it's a Mind Trip of spacers, thrust washers, end-play, side-play, stack height, clearances . . . then, when you get it all correct . . . the bearing retainers are aftermarket "junk" . . . and it's a switch, swap, trade, mod, deburring game of switch & swap.  Trying to get all the parts to "like each other" is the hardest part. 
Why can't everyone just get along ?????

Half - A - Century

Yesterday, in my own mind, "50" was the new "90" . . . I felt a bit down.  My family threw me a pre-party on Tuesday night which helped . . . but, I just couldn't get over this impending gloom.  Then, this morning I get a box full of money, gift cards, a cool home-made card, candy . . . coffee, donuts . . . everyone tellin' me jokes and wishing me a Happy Birthday - It was really nice - and I feel a whole lot better.
 Ready to do wheelies again. Age is just a number everyone . . .
I need a good iron to get these bills flat !

Vintage 1 Shot

A retired sign painter gave me boxes filled with his old One Shot paints.  The lids are dusty, kinda rusty, but the paint inside is perfect.  Probably the good lead-based stuff ?  This paint is smoooooth !

Morty made the paper . . .

It's Pet Week !

 I'm not sure how he gets the 'possums to leave . . . ?

. . .  if The Hyde scares 'em off ?

or . .  The Mort just makes-a-deal with 'em ?

Ready for your close-up ?

I like Sportsters - Stock, Mod or Turbo !

Sakes Alive . . . That White 55 !

Gene Payne was nice enough to show & tell some tricks to these KRs & XLRs for my own projects.  Gene has a real neato stable of race bikes with enough history to fill a small museum.