Tranny plate! Parkerized, cad or painted

[Robert Luland]

What covering was you'd on the Tranny mounting plate, the tranny adjustment screw plate, clutch release lever and motor skid plate. I trid doing that search thing here and came up empty handed. Opps almost forgot. The stove bolts that hold the regulator plate to the front of the case. Cad or park. Thanks, Bob L

[T. Cotten]

Bob!

I think the 'stove' bolts varied, but nearly all of the rest that I have witnessed were a light gray parkerizing.

(Matching parkerizing on a machine should be a fault.)

....Cotten

[Rooster]

Isn't it clearly listed in one of the appendixes in Bruce's book?

[bmh]

The mouting bolts appear to be parkerized for 48 &49, they seem to be cadmium after that.

[Robert Luland]

The problem with old cad is just that it looks light grey. Tom I did look in the back of the book but couldn't find it. I know it's there because I've read it. There was a thread here about the tranny and skid plates a while back but I can't find it ether. Bob L

[Rooster]

Tom I did look in the back of the book but couldn't find it. I know it's there because I've read it.

Appendix C begins on page 519. I find it one of the most valuable sections of the book, and I refer to it often. Beginning on page 519 you will find a paragraph heading "1938-64 Standard Finishes". The following paragraphs pretty clearly identify which items should be cad plated, parkerized, black painted, or natural finish. Following those lists, you will find each year's model with additional information which is specific to that year.
I've not been restoring motorcycles for 30 years, but I certainly know where to look for accurate information. I've even gone so far as to scan and print the section on 'finishes' on separate sheets and have them tucked in my Spare Parts Catalog and other places for quick and easy reference.
But what do I know, I'm the guy that is "quickest to reply, and has the least knowledge".

[Chris Haynes]

[QUOTE=Robert Luland;78900]What covering was you'd on the Tranny mounting plate, It is Parkerized.

the tranny adjustment screw plate, Also Parkerized

clutch release lever Parkerized

and motor skid plate. Painted black.

I trid doing that search thing here and came up empty handed. Opps almost forgot. The stove bolts that hold the regulator plate to the front of the case. Cad or park. Also Parkerized.

This information pertains to a 1950. You didn't state what year you were inquiring about.

[T. Cotten]

The problem with old cad is just that it looks light grey. Tom I did look in the back of the book but couldn't find it. I know it's there because I've read it. There was a thread here about the tranny and skid plates a while back but I can't find it ether. Bob L

Bob!

Get a cheap eye loupe from harborfreight and the difference becomes dramatic: Parkerizing has a grainy "crystal" texture that disappears in abraded spots.

Mr. Palmer did a landmark job with his refences, but he only alludes to the many textures and hues of Parkerizing. Face it, describing such things gets subjective.
And cad can age in many ways itself.

Add more confusion resulting from hardware that was Parkerized as a primer for paint. Knuck cylinders and some years of footboards are a prime example, and apparently so were skid plates according to Chris.
Most of the chassis hardware in question resembled the hub star in my attachment.

....Cotten

[Robert Luland]

Mr. Cotten, I went on a fishing trip though the shop today. You are right. There is nothing standard about anything Harley parkerized. First item I took off the shelf was a oem nos clutch bracket. It's charcoal black. The second item was a oem nos lower springer spring. This was lighter than the clutch braket but has a greenish tint to it. I dug a little deeper and came up with a couple of clutch arms. One was Charcoal black and the other dark grey (Now I really started getting into this!). The more stuff I pulled out the more I saw that greenish tint and charcoal black or should I say dark grey. No light grey. I agree with you Tom. No bike that harley ever made had parkerization that was uniformed. It was a comglumeration of what ever was in the pot that week. I can't beleave a judge could knock you for parker color unless it was pink. Don't get me wrong. I'm sure they shot for a certian color range but the range was wide. I will be assembling my springer for my 48 this month. After putting all the springs together on the table. I decided to glassbead them and park'em in the same pot. Every one of them is a differant shade. Call it vain but I think it will look a lot better. I included a picture of our new parkerizing contraption. We got this off fleese-bay a couple of weeks ago for ten bucks. It was in New Rochell NY. It's a 1988 demo model and is new. This suckers even self cleaning(The deluxe model!). What a great item for baking parts. Even got a timer and a oven light. Bob L

[exeric]

Bob, what's that thing next to your Easy-Bake oven?

[Robert Luland]

Eric, That my friend is a Milford riveter I set up for metal persing rivets. I'm a heavy mechanical contractor. A few years back we were on a job and it needed four hundred flexable ductwork collars. I went out onto the shop floor and saw one of my employees drill four holes and pop rivet them. I walked back into my cubby hole and said there has to be a better way. That machine punches the rivet though the top layer and grips the lower. What used to take a man tweanty minutes now takes one. Eric you would love it here in Santas workshop south. Your only limitation is your imagination. Bob L

[exeric]

I forgot why I first responded to your post Bob. I've been in my shop all day parkerizing springer parts. I'm suppose to be working on my '16 J but I got sidetracked by this '36-'37 springer that I've used as a door stop for a bunch of years. I got it out of a real dirty chopper shop and it was a mess. Bad, pealing chrome, and spike nuts on the rockers and spring rods. I had the thing sandblasted last week and it's not so bad. Anyways, I've been getting everything preped for parkerizing and finally put everything into the bubbling brew this afternoon. As you stated Bob, the parts come out in different shades. I should mention that with the exception of the rocker nuts and spring rod acorn nuts, everything else is genuine H-D. Obviously, different alloys of steel were used throughout the assembly of a H-D springer so the parkerizing process is going to affect those item differently. I agree with you, that the different shades of parkerizing give the whole assembly a very pleasing variety of shades and texture. I don't think there is anything more satisfying than cooking up a bunch of Harley Davidson motorcycle parts and then putting everything together. I'll be painting the ridgid and spring fork tomorrow so by Thursday I'll be ready to assemble.

[Robert Luland]

Eric a bad day of cook'en and wrench'en is still better than five good days of work!

[Paps]

Parkerizing varies with metal composition. Paps

[D.Mac]

Parkerizing colors

Mr. Cotten, I went on a fishing trip though the shop today. You are right. There is nothing standard about anything Harley parkerized. First item I took off the shelf was a oem nos clutch bracket. It's charcoal black. The second item was a oem nos lower springer spring. This was lighter than the clutch braket but has a greenish tint to it. I dug a little deeper and came up with a couple of clutch arms. One was Charcoal black and the other dark grey (Now I really started getting into this!). The more stuff I pulled out the more I saw that greenish tint and charcoal black or should I say dark grey. No light grey. I agree with you Tom. No bike that harley ever made had parkerization that was uniformed. It was a comglumeration of what ever was in the pot that week. I can't beleave a judge could knock you for parker color unless it was pink. Don't get me wrong. I'm sure they shot for a certian color range but the range was wide.

Here's another thing to consider on old or NOS parts: in the instruction booklet that Brownells includes with thier parkerizing solution, they state that the color of old parkerized parts is a product of every thing that has touched these parts over the years. Due to the porous nature of parkerizing (which makes it hold oil so well) all oil, dirt even sweat on items that have been handled such as weapons, will influence the color of the parkerize.
Doug.