A chopper it is, then.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 11:18 pm

The hardtail frame didnt have all the tank and speedometer mounts anyways. You'll have to add them if you use it later, and want to use the double tanks.

I've ridden both types frame, I rode the hardtail a year or two in Az. I was wearing out swingarm bearings every year, I undertand most people never wear them out. I ended up cracking the hardtail frame in 3 places. I was hard on bikes. I went places most people only go with 4wd trucks. The swingarm is much more comfortable overall also, just not as cool looking.

I built a small windshield, it was only about 16" wide, and I made it so I just looked over the top of it when riding. I used an old Harley windshield for the metal brackets, cutting them down, and using a new piece of plexi. Used Superglide or Sportster turn signal brackets for the mounts to the handlebars. Worked well for cutting bugs, and the worst of the cold, and looked decent.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 6:57 am

Good news. We found the other two front heads at Pauls. Matched them up to what I call pairs. There was one valve left in two of the heads that I think are a matched set and cast mold date from the 60s. Everything got set into the frame mock style and went in just fine. Plenty of clearance. I am going to keep my eyes open for an oil bag that will accomidate electric start. The one I have is too big, being designed for kick start, and interfears with the side cover. It will stay on the rigid frame for now and be part of the rigid build.
Folks, I can't tell you how exciting this project is. Heck, six weeks ago I had nothing going on but life and now two potential bikes to build. I still have a hard time believing it's Me having this good luck. I'm used to seeing others get it. I am almost on overload with all the information being poured into my head. I'm even getting most of this F and L and X thing I think. Thanks.
Gobbler

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:33 am

I have an S&S Cycle GBL #1415 carb now. Does anyone know if this will work for me? I had one source indicate that it could be a drag carb.
Gobbler

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:02 pm

Not sure about that SS number, i run the old Bendix on mine

Canuck Bob · Post by **Canuck Bob** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:28 pm

Thought I'd share a Canadian culture clash with a Yank biker. Back in the 80's a fellow artillery man bought himself a Goldwing. While on leave he decided to ride through east Montana to the Rockies. He spotted a fine roadhouse with a bunch of motorcycles up front.

After getting settled with a cold beer and checking out the chicks a biker walked in with a face with more scar tissue than facial tissue. He loudly shouted, "Who's the blank riding the Jap scrap?" Everyone jumped to their feet and ran to a window to verify some fool had dared enter their patch bar on a Honda.

My fellow gunner survived because of a sparkling sense of humor and a backbone of steel. He kept us in stitches in the mess with the details.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:58 am

We spent thursday going through more boxes. Many days will be spent just trying to run down numbers for various parts just to know if the go to big twin or a sportster. The sportster parts will be going back to Pauls. We found an appropriate front end to the swing arm frame for an FX and another oil bag. The fender I have from before should just fit the front end so I won't have to try to de-rust the one that is on it. We also found a bent rim with the correct brake rotor for the front end and matches my front wheel rotor mount. There is a coffee can full of metal "stuff", a few more cables, a chain guard and chain Here's what I brought home thursday.
Gobbler

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Sun Feb 12, 2012 12:58 pm

Looks like you have a good, later model oil pump.

The brake caliper looks like a rear, but some early disc brake front ends used the huge caliper. If it were me, I'd use it on the rear, with the appropriate square type swing arm, and get the smaller Sportster/Super Glide (FX) single front caliper, or a dual disc setup if they can be had reasonably. I think the huge calipers wore the bushings quickly because of their weight, and they don't look as nice on the front. Looked again, the caliper has a brake pad from the smaller type sticking out if it. The correct cailper may be around somewhere. It's sort of triangular looking and about half the size of the caliper that's on the front end.

Check the bearing races on the front end. If it's set up for ball bearings (which is what the pic looks like, as does the fork stops on the basic lower triple clamp), its for a Sportster, if it's set up for tapered rollers (Timkin type) it's for a big twin. The two types arent interchangable, but I don't recall what's required to use the rest of a Sporty front end on a big twin. Could just be getting the lower triple clamp/ bearing stem that goes thru the frame. Been a few years since I messed with them much.

There should be an aluminum plate that the headlight hangs off of. The plate has a rib down its center, and it mounts to the top of the top triple clamp with two 5/16 bolts.

You have the correct oil tank, it will have a battery box that mounts to the right side of it. The FX size batteriers are smaller and nicer looking than the FLH size batteries.

The squarish looking chrome thing in the lower side of the pic under the Drag Specialties cards is a coil cover. The coil mounts above the primary cover (left sie) just in front of the oil tank.

The carb I'm not familiar with. We mostly used the older S&S Super carbs. I know they had different models, but that's what was most common for a street/perfomance carb back when I messed with them.

The oil tank looks like an early electric start one. It doesnt have the built in oil filter. You have an ealry, hardtail/early swing arm type oil filter in the upper pic, its on the upper left side and has the bent lookng bracket on it. I dont know if they are compatible with the electric start setup. It mounts to the frame in a hole just right of the center post tube, and sticks out to the right. I don't think there's clearance for an electric start battery. I'd save it for your hardtail/horsehoe oil tank setup.

Thnking about it, I'd swap for an oil tank that used the built in filter, if it can be done economically. Having an oil filter is a good idea. You coul make a bracket for your old style filter or get an aftermarket filter, but the built in ones are very handy and clean.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 7:35 am

bsaride wrote:I will try to get a pic of the custom p-nut tank I have, see if you want it

Did you ever get a pic of that tank? It may very well be just the right for the hard tail. One of my friends got all bug eyed when I told him about your tank offer. He just said, "perfect".

Gobbler

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:47 am

If you have a choice on the heads, look at how deep the valves are seated. Choose the set that have the valves sitting as high in the seats as you can (not sunk deeply in the heads), they have the most life left in them. Once in a while I'd see heads that had the valves poorly ground, and the seats were about used up. Replacing valve seats is a drag, and many dont like to use heads with replaced seats. They are cast into the heads, and should last a couple lifetimes when rebuilt well each time.

Unless the piston are actually fitted to the cylinders, they will be scrap. When building a motor, new pistons are normal fitted, with the cylinders being bored and honed to fit that exact piston. The rods will likely be replaced also, it was usually a better value to simply replace the whole rod set with a new S&S rod set rather than rebuild the old ones.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:14 am

I hear ya on the pistons. The ones in the picture were there so I brought them home. I don't intend to use them but they are cool conversation pieces. I never saw the conjoined conector rod system like this before. Fascinating.
Gobbler

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Wed Feb 29, 2012 5:35 pm

Well a deal was struck with a fellow levergunner here and now I wait for a transmission to arrive. This is going wonderfully. As I metioned earlier there is another pair of forks coming that have the mounts for the brakes and fron fender. Then Learned he also has the most of an FL front end. No rim but there are brakes, a fender the chrome things that go on the front forks to make them look bigger, the headlight halves but no bucket and a set of handlebars. A set of seats that are almost as new. He has a set of fatbobs and a set of footboards and a tail light. I already brought home the tanks and we are in negotiations on the rest of the available parts. He is a farmer and labor is a big value. I may be able to get most of it for time as the currency. I like running a tractor and he seamed warm to the idea. He was pretty sure he was gonna want some cash for the seats though. Here's the tanks. I spent the day today brushing and sanding and got some paint on them so the metal is covered.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 7:57 am

The front end parts I talked about showed up yesterday. I mean showed up, as in the owner delivered them.

Mike said that he went through everything he had and took out everything that he wanted to keep. The rest he brought to me to use at my discretion. Incredable. Everything he brought me was taken off after an accident he had some 7 years ago or so. Everything has at least one good dent, scratch or crack. The windshield has a nice crack in it but all the bracket is there. Some neck bearings and cups and I will be doing some bolt ons real soon I hope.
Gobbler

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 9:50 am

Man your getting the parts together, a parts bike.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:52 am

That's the way this one has to be. There are a lot of parts in this last batch that I won't be using but there are a few critical parts that will save me a lot of searching. It looks like we have 90% of the engine so far. A gear or two, two pistons and rings and gaskets all around. Here's a question for those whe like to ponder cool. I have an alternator systm and I also have the generator port up front. My plan is to run the alternator for power needs and block off the generator port. However, I do have all the gearing inside for the generator so I could, if I got creative, run something else up front. I have thought of a couple ways to put in a "PTO" if you will to run other things. Perhaps a cable drive to a little air pump I could carry?
I had thought about a small cylinder mounted up front for an air pump. It would also draw, no doubt, some serious looks as folks try to understand the "third" cylinder.

Any ideas?
Gobbler

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:06 am

Sportys were known for generator problems so when i headed for the west coast i wanted something dependable.
Mounted a small alt out front by grinding the comentator bars off and putting a pulley there to run the alt.
Worked good with no issues, looked kinda weird but hey.....

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:47 am

My bud, Doug, has a delco alternator on his 68 Electroglide too. I'll try to get a pic some time.
Gobbler

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 7:14 am

The transmition arrived in a busted crate but appears unhurt. We're shifting gears now, baby.
Gobbler

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 9:58 am

Uh, you may need to trade transmission cases with someone. That's an early case, the later cases which will work with the alternator type inner primary case has ears to mount the primary cover to. If you went with an open belt drive, it may alleviate the issue, but I think the mainshaft of the transmission is a different length, and the primary drive won't line up right. Check with someone more current on their Harley stuff, but I used to work on them and build them years ago.

It may work to use a tin primary cover made to fit alternator motors, but I'm not sure. The shaft length may still be an issue. There's likely someone around that would swap your early case for a later one. I'd swap if I could, it would just be far simpler.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 6:40 am

This is sorta how it might look.

For those who have a sence of humor and expect an oil leak.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 8:08 am

Looks like your getting ready for spring bro, keep on it bro.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 6:33 pm

Cant wait to see.it all done.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 6:52 pm

Me too, JReed. Everything is just sitting there for the photo op but this is my current direction.
Pitchy, I said I had a bud with an alternator on his 68 Electroiglide. Here is a bad photo for you. I'll try to do better later.
Another question. I am about ready to have my crank parts assembled and balanced so that I can start to put the case halves together. The case halves are not matched but bolt together fine. Does the distance between the bearings on the case halves change with any case changes>? The left side is a little later, having the stator for the alternator, and the right half is still early enough to have the peanut cover and generator port. Will the crank care?
Gobbler

M. M. Wright · Post by **M. M. Wright** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 6:54 pm

Lookin' good. Man they really did a job on that box I built. Didn't think anyone could tear that up.

Sending you a PM

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 9:01 pm

Each side needs to have the correct shaft for that year/type case. There is some overlap of application, but be sure before paying to have the lower end done. Whoever is doing the lower end should know what shaft it needs for each side, or just get the correct ones. The cases should be line bored also, especially since its not a matched set of cases. If whoever is doing the lower end doesnt have the tools to line bore it, have someone else do it, or you're wasting your money, and may end up with a rough running motor, and one that doesn't last as long as it should. Do it right the first time, and you probably won't have to ever do it again. A lower end will generally last as long as a couple top ends. It should be line bored as matter of course in a standard rebuild. The bearing needs to be fitted on the right side, the left side is Timken bearings and are simply pressed on the shaft.

Whoever is doing the lower end should have the cases also, and put them together. They'll need them to fit the bearings on the right side, and to line bore them. Again, if they aren't doing all this, get someone else to do it, they aren't doing it right otherwise.

To balance it, you need the pistons and rings you'll be using.

If you don't have one, buy a shop manual. You may not need to know all of whats in there but it's a wealth of information, and just interesting to know. It has all the info on how to build the motor etc. Even if someone else is doing it, knowing whats involved and what's going on is interesting. It isnt rocket science, but you need to have some special tools to do it right.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 6:20 am

Thanks Malamute. I don't have the pistons yet. I have five used ones that appear to have very little milage on them but I thought a new set would be the way to go. As for manuals, I have one for 1970 - 1974 and one for pan heads. They belong to my bud Paul. Actually he has a whole bunch of manuals. I had mentioned earlier that his dad had a shop before he died and Paul just lent me a few that would apply to my task. I also have four Tech Tips booklets from Easy Rider that another bud lent me. Loads of stuff I don't understand in there too.
Gobbler

M. M. Wright · Post by **M. M. Wright** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 8:59 am

Gobbler,
I have built the same engine from older gearside right and alternator left. Be sure the spigot holes, where the jugs sit match well or have them flycut. I have a tool which allowed me to line hone the main bearing bore on the right side then fit the correct rollers. Was a great engin. Indestructible as I had a 16 year old son who tried.
You're right about just buying new pistons. Go ahead and get a set of pistons and jugs, they are actually kinda cheap by comparison to other HD parts.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:41 pm

Cylinders should be fine, so long as they haven't been bored past standered oversize pistons that are available. Any automotice or motorcycle machine shop should be able ti inside mic them and see what the diameter is now. They'll be bored slightly undersize and honed to fit exactly the pistons you'll use (each piston will be fitted to an exact cylinder, mark them when bored and honed!. I think the fit is about one and a half thousandths. The piston will just slide into the bore when finish honed. Rings will have to be fitted (end gapped) also. None of it is hard to do, just needs to be done correctly. Any custom or factory authorized Harley shop should be able to bore and hone the cylinders, or any automotive machine shop should also be able to. We did it in shop at the place I worked.

You'll need to mic the cylinder bores to see if they are within spec of easily available pistons, and if they'll clean up at the next size. Once ina while, a cylinder can ahve bad ring wear and need two steps up to clean up. They usually come in .010 increments. .040 was the largest that was available in ovesize when I messed with them.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:00 am

Well I went out to the garage this morning thinking I knew more than last night so I'll see if I can say this correctly. I looked at the jugs and I don't think they were run much. Not much of a mark inside. I have two pistons marked 70 and one marked 40 and none will go in. I have two maked with a C and they mic to stock. They go into the bottom of the jugs with a close running fit. These may be the pistons that came with the jugs. Just guessing. Now I don't know this for sure, but if I'm correct that the two digit number at the end of the mold number inside the case halves are the year the mold was made, my left half is from a 1970 mold and the right half is from a 1948 mold. The jugs are marked 66. How does this affect things now? The oil holes seem to line up through the jugs.
I am going to a swap meet tomorrow morning with two who can advise me.
Gobbler

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:20 pm

Are you 100% sure they are cylinders for the shovel heads? All 5 head bolts need to line up for each head, they wont interchange between front/rear.

You may have a set of cylinders that havent been rebored yet, good for you!

Yes, there's a year code in the case boring numbers (they will be stamped numbers, not cast in. Cast in will be a mould number of the year that the part was first used). The Panheads had a different oiling arrangement for the top end. I dont recall the details, but the info isn't hard to come by. You may need to drill and tap an oil line hole to feed the top end, I don't recall. It isnt hard to do. I think the early Panheads had internal oiling of the top end. Just need to tap that oil galley.

The shovel cylinders have oil drain holes, but the feed is external.

The numbers on the cylinders are likely a mould number, and used for all of them after that point. '66 was the first year the shovel heads were used, and they had different cylinders than previous years to match the new style heads.

Looked at some pictures, your cam cover may have an oil port, or there may be a simple way to get oil to the top end. Later panhead motors had an external oil feed, but the early ones didnt. Check your manual and see if they mention the difference. You could also do a google image search for panhead oil lines, or shovel head on pan lower, etc.

If you can get a decent picture of the right side of the motor, from slightly above angel instead of straight on from the side, I can see if the cam cover has the oil port,or there's one on the motor.

What did you decide to do about the transmission case? The one you have is for an earlier motor. You need one with the brackets that mount the inner primary cover to. I'd be wary of trading straight across until you know if yours needs any work, or the one you may trade for does also. The mainshafts are different lengths also, the one you have wont line up correctly with the type left case you have. Trading a shop that's honest may be a good way to go, if there is one. They may need or want an earlier case and be wiling to amke a good swap for the one you need. You just need one for an electric start era motor, they should be the same from '65 up til the evolution motors came along.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 6:41 am

Thanks Malamute. I hear ya on the oiling. There are a few options we have at this point but my plan right now is to run maybe a split line to the two shovel heads, oiling both equally. After much more scrutiny we found that the case halves have already been machined so that the jug ports are smooth and concentric. I talked with the guy that remembered machining them for Ratly some two decades ago. The bores are in fact almost new with some light rust. They will be honed. Both of the shafts that came with the crank are correct, it seems, to fit the case halves as the sit. Now for the pistons. I was incorrect before. I have three sets of lightly and I mean lightly used pistons. There is a set of 70 over, a set of 20 over and a set of stock. There is also one 40 over. Next time I'm at pauls I'm gonna look for another 40. It seems his dad had put away more parts for future rework.
Yesterday we went to a swap meet. I took the transmission but no trade was made. I still have a few months to come up with another transmission or do what it takes to make this one work. I want to ride and if that meens I have to kick start for a while then kick I will do. We purchased a primarry drive complete. All I have to come up with is the clutch rod. I got two front turn signals and the inner headlight bucket. I need a headlight and the thin ring that holds the glass in. I am also still in the hunt for a circuit breaker and drive gear for a pan bottom. Then yesterday afternoon while working on the bike, Jimmy calls and says he is coming over with the front wheel I was expecting. I never touched it. The guys took over and before I new it it was on. Now I'm just a swing arm away from rolling this thing around the garage. Hooray. This is as she sits right now. Now to the rest of the world it might look a lttle ragged but to me? Beautiful.
Gobbler

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:08 am

Looking good. I'll bet you're getting excited to get it all put together and running. I know I'am.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 5:49 am

I've been doing a little work on the front end and this is how it's looking. There is a swap meet this Saturday and I have a parts list that will go a long way in getting this thing running. It's close.
Gobbler

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 7:44 am

Lookin good bro, gonna be a dandy.

KCSO · Post by **KCSO** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:39 am

Having ridden across the state on a hardtail I will bet you like this much more. Kinda a fat bob style and a good riding machine. Do guns and motorcycles go together? Most of my gun friends are bike people too, seems like. I currently have a couple Yamaha's but have run the gamut in the last 40 years from a Mo-ped to a Harley to a BWM. You are doing good and I look forward to seeing you riding it next.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:13 am

The wife and I went to another swap meet yesterday and the Gods were smiling. I made an even up swap with a gentleman of my kick only transmission for one that will bolt up to the aluminum primary. I really didn't think I would find someone to trade like that but I am very happy. Now the FL will have electric start and be somewhat stock looking. I already made a deal for a belt drive and tin primary for the early transmission that I was mentaly ready to use but not to worry as the chopper will want these. I also picked up a points breaker for the pan bottom. There were several there but three of them were priced for what I could have bought a brand new one. Crazy. I found an axle for the swing arm as well as the axle adjusters. Now to go pick up a tire and rim that a bud of mine said I could have if I can get there to pick it up. He's an hour and a half away, that's all. I will be getting my crank built soon I hope and then the build starts.
Happy days.

Gobbler

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 6:23 am

Hooray, the crank went to the shop to get assembled yesterday. I should be getting that back next week. They have a guy there who has a basement full of parts, they say, so I left a short list of items there for him to check on. The cylinders are going to NAPA to get fresh cross hatches and then I will get a coat of paint on them. Hmmmmmmm, red or black? I have a pan circuit breaker that is missing the manual advance mechanism under the plate. Does anyone know if I can put an automatic advance in there? If not, does anyone know where I can find this part? I am just learning about the handlebar advance and I don't think I want to go that route. I would rather have a small lever down by the advance to do it manually if I can. I picked up the rear tire and rim from a pal of mine, just a little road trip yesterday, and I can fix the problem he said it had. The holes where the rotor and sprocket bolt on must have had the bolts loosened up a little for they are just a little wobbled out. I don't see this as a difficult fix.

Now I need a 51 tooth sprocket and I'm about ready to put this rim on. I'm going to get the bearings and seals today if I can.
Gobbler

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 12:56 pm

Regarding the distributor on a generator motor, all I ever saw (other than the automatic advance ones used on electric start motors, which you DO want if you use electric start), you just manually turned the distributor to retard it to start, then turned it back manually. I never saw a lever. Some were set up loose enough they'd turn back by themselves when the motor started. You put a spring, similar to a screen door spring to hold it in the advanced postion on the manual ones.

Not having the automatic advance on an electric start, you'll knock out the starter drive gear (called a bendix).

Do you have a disc brake rear wheel, or the drum brake wheel you had in the pictures? The swingarm you have (square shape) is for a disc brake.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:46 pm

Next time I visit family in Columbus, I'd like to try and see it...maybe a ride.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:53 am

BlaineG wrote:Next time I visit family in Columbus, I'd like to try and see it...maybe a ride.

I openly invite all Levergunners but you Sir are certainly welcome. I'm only about an hour and a half away from Columbus.
Malamute. I used the drum brake wheel for the picture. Good catch. As of two days ago I have a disk brake wheel and tire. I have new bearings for it but no seals yet. I also need a 51 tooth gear for it. I will have it on in a week or so and then I'll get a pic of the update. It amazes me how much folks like you pick out in an instant. I am learning something almost every day and since this build covers four decades I'm learning about both pans and shovels.

I wish I would have gotten one of these thirty years ago.
Gobbler

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:06 am

What sprocket are you putting on the transmission? I always ran one a tooth or two taller gearing than standard (think I used 24's), makes for a little lower rpms on the highway, and in theory, more top end if you have the horsepower to pull it.

I enjoyed fooling with them back when I did. I mostly liked the knuckleheads ('36-'47), but worked on everything that was out at the time. They are sort of like old guns, you get to where you know what works with what, what's correct for a year or period, etc. One old time dealer where I used to live still had some new old stock from back in the 40's.

Your friends will likely let you know this, but when messing with Harley's, always use a new key (keyed shafts/gears) if you can when reassembling anything, especially the oil pump, and clutch hub. Would be a shame to lunch a motor or get stuck on a ride over a few cents worth of keys. Save the old ones, they may never come in handy, but they dont take up much space in the tools. My stuff generally always ran. I built them carefully, and rewired from the ground up (and totally wrapped the wiring in tape, carefully applied) when building a bike. Many guys didn't pay much attention to small details when building or working on them. If working on a bike on the side of the road, it was generally someone elses. I rode mine cross country many times and never gave it a second thought.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 4:45 pm

Malamute. I have two 23s, a 24 and a 25 right now. Do you know if the speedometer can be set for the different ratios or do you just have to adjust in your head? I plan on buying a new dash kit so the odometer will be 00000 for this new motor.

Gobbler

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:34 pm

I dont know if they can be adjusted by average guys, tho it used to be possible to send them off and be recalibrated. I never did. It doesnt seem to affect the speedometer too much in my recollection, tho I may have just figured out how much difference there was and fly by the seat of my pants after that point.

I think all the FLH types ran off the transmission. Sportys and FX's ran off the front wheel.

Another thought. You could get the FX type setup for bob tanks, then it would run off the front wheel, and you'd have a tach also. I liked that setup. May have to adapt the front wheel speedo drive widget, but it likely could be done without too much trouble. I don't know how they worked out the difference between 16", 19" and 21" front rims as far as speedo rate, tho they may not be as different as they first appear, as each larger rim size uses a skinnier tire.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 6:16 am

Here is a flyer a buddy sent me that has a swap meet aimed at older bikes. He thought I might need it. This sounds like a hoot.
Gobbler

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:51 am

If nothin else bro sounds like your havin fun and learnen somethin at the same time.
Hope it comes together and ya get to take a road trip this summer.
I used to know a lot of the stuff Malumute says but the ole memory seems to be slipping.
Malumute must be nice to stay so young and smart , not sure about good lookin though

It ain`t to bad, wife says she likes me dumb but good looking that she don`t like a good looking smart hind end.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 8:49 am

Pitchy wrote:...I used to know a lot of the stuff Malumute says but the ole memory seems to be slipping.
Malumute must be nice to stay so young and smart , not sure about good lookin though
...

I haven't thought about this stuff in ages, it seems to just percolate up when the topic came up.

I sure don't feel young in the morning. Well, not really in the evening either. Not really so much in the middle of the day come to think of it.

Cant say about the good looking part. I get lots of cute girls smiling at me when driving around town, then I realize they are looking at my dog, not me.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 9:34 am

I think your on to something bro.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 5:32 pm

I went and picked up the cylinders this week and they look real good. I washed them with good hot soapy water then used compressed air to dry. The hot cast dried nice and clean. I put a thin coat of oil on the fresh crosshatch and painted th outside black engine enamle. Purty. I did the tappet guides as well while I had the paint out. I still need a front rocker and a points breaker. I'm leaning towards a new unit with electronic ignition and automatic advance. The back tire and wheel is mounted now. We put in new bearings and races and seal. Then I got a lesson on setting the wheel bearings with a spacer. Interesting. I never saw such a thing before but it all makes sence now. I need some more bushings and I can do the front wheel next. That's about it for this week folks. Tune in next week for "As the wheel Turns"

Gobbler

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 1:22 pm

I got involved over on a shovelhead forum and got a great I idea from another member there. There were a few variations of a simple bike lift. Giving it a little twist of my own, I used the empty center stand hole to lift the bike. It's strong and light and works up or down to keep the bike from tipping right or left.
Gobbler

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:55 pm

Made a few of those in the past but none that go through the frame like that, good idea.

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Sun May 06, 2012 7:23 am

Interesting day yesterday. Two Bros show up, Mike and Doug with another walking manual, Fish. Her's a guy that has a lot of builds under his belt. Well he proceeded to tell us several details that will help big with the build. I was enjoying myself to no end. I had three old school bikers, sitting at my shop table with brews, just detail brainstorming my bike. Fish then told me that my right case half is not a first year pan as we thought but is instead a last knuckle. Very, very cool. He told us what he would do to make my pinion shaft work in this rig and with a little machining, we are golden. I also found that my cicuit breaker will in fact work as that the only part that we really need is the adjusting lever. Ordered. The rest we have or can make. He also gave me one of his old pan head manuals.

My heart twitched. The brotherhood I am experiancing is still amazing me. Here's to all of you from me. Thanks. So anyway, it seems now I am building a Knuck-Shovel. I wonder if they make a lapel pin for that?

Gobbler