"original"

[portagepan]

Has anyone else had much trouble with this? Buying nuts, bolts, hdwre., etc. listed as original, but when you compare it to something you know is original, they are not the same? The problem I am having is with Harley replacement parts for the Panheads in particular, that were still sold into the 70's, and even later. Harley listed them as replacement parts under the original part #, but made changes, ie. slotted to philips screw heads, different bolts and different markings, etc. Are these bolts, etc. that I am now paying high dollar for worth it? How about judging on this. Personally, I feel a little cheated when I get this stuff. Especially from well known vendors, and parts people. Any thoughts or input on this? Anyone else running into this?

[Paps]

Needed some parts for a 91 sporty. Got them from HD. My local dealer said the parts were obsolete but he did find a dealer elswhere who still had a stock of them. All the parts were in sealed factory HD bags marked "Made in Japan". Purchased a sealed factory boxed 2 cnd gear for a 45" recently. Looked to be a 60's style box. Bushing had no grease groove in it. Picked up another 2 cnd gear from military surplus. It had the grease groove in it. Ever notice how the earlier transmission shifter shaft assembly on 45"s were peened on where the lever meets the shaft ? Later style was welded. Look at some of the factory replacement tank bages for early models. The paint scheme is incorrect on most of them, yet.........they were sold by HD and are in factory wrapping. "Made in Japan" also. I'm not knocking Japan by no means. I'm just making a point about so called replacement parts. Replacement parts is exactly what they are. They are not exactly like the originals. Many aftermarket parts come much closer to the originals than some of the factory replacement ones do. Who Da Thought ??? Paps

[motorhead1]

A prime example of this is early rocker cover screws.(Panhead) When the factory started using D-rings they went from phillips to 1/4" hex. When buying NOS parts I will ask the vendor point blank if it is exactly what I want. Even go as far as to ask them to open the package or envelope and confirm so. As far as judging, I can't say. But if it is not what came from the factory on the machine, it's not original IMHO.

[Magic]

Hello, I'm not a Judge first off....However have been showing different M/C over 25yrs in the Club. H-D Dealerships in general are not selling the original style bolts anymore, or anything worth putting on your Vintage M/C to say the least. For Bolts and Hardware lookup www.oldude.com They are the best at what they do for us in High restoration quality hardware of many types. Their parts pass all judging, It's going to cost a bit more to be right. Keep riding em, Merlin in Pa.

[portagepan]

I'm not talking about the new junk. I mean the actual old replacement parts that Harley used, probably into the 70's.

[Paps]

That is what I meant by the oem 45" replacement parts comparison. Just mentioned the 91 parts to show a continued trent. Paps

[Limey_Dave]

If you got into a time machine and went back to 1939 and walked into a dealer and asked for a set of front forks for a 1930 74" twin,you would get 2001-30.

They would be black not olive green,have grease points at the back not front and have lugs at the front for the spring shield.

They would in fact be 1936 forks.As the Moco changed the details they kept the same part number because they would fit all.

They only changed the number if the part wasn't interchangable.

2001-36 = 1936 61" and 1937-39 61",74" and 80"

If you got back in the time machine,went home and fitted the forks you would be judged as having the wrong forks.

I've got a 31 with 36 forks which would be "period correct" if it had been crashed in 36.
I don't really care,I'm not going to show it,and the forks are the least of my problems.

[AdminGuy]

Now that is interesting and explains alot for me. Thanks.

Your right, our judges would require "as came from the factory". Or maybe that would fall into the period modified class? Still -nice bike.

[fabercycle]

Portagepan,

You have to ask yourself, What is it that I want??

Do you want genuine HD parts on your bike, ..... or, what judges recognize as something that came from the factory in the year your bike was made?

I don't think you should feel "cheated" when you buy parts that are genuine Harley Davidson, and there is no dispute of their authenticity. I seriously doubt that, the "well known dealers" are trying to pull some kind of scam....

I sell lots of genuine HD hardware, and, I've seen sealed packages from the 40s contain bolts with "CP-1035" on the head, "nothing" on the head, and ""CP-1018" or "LT-1035", all in the same package.............why???........because the factory didn't CARE if the head had the markings that Bruce Palmer said it's supposed to have!

Also, parts made over several decades were subject to the tooling that produced them, wearing out. Many of the 60s era pipes, no longer looked the same as the late 40s ones, made, when the bike was a new model.

I've had countless customers claim a genuine part was not genuine.........because they had "one at home" and it didn't look the same. News flash......... just because a guy has seen one part, doesn't mean they all look the same.


I can totally understand not wanting to use a phillips head screw when it should be a straight slot, but that is all the more reason to "do your homework" and know what you need before you buy.

Personally, I'd rather have a scratched up original part on my bike, than a shiny repop.......but the repop will pass judging, and the scratched part will cost you points. Something basic is wrong with that rule, but that's the rule.

You find out, that......the longer you do this stuff...there's more exceptions, than "the rule".

Good luck in your parts hunting.

Tom Faber @
Faber Cycle & Machine

[VPH-D]

Faber Cycle,
Good post, having opened many sealed parts bags from the factory, I confirm your assertion that the contents were not always identical. Probably nothing the factory sells nowadays is suitable for restoration work. Bolts and hardware are zinc plated instead of cadmium. The factory hardware does, however, have the advantage over hardware store bolts, in that specialized lengths are sometimes still available.

As you stated, you need to know what you want prior to purchase.
VPH-D

[portagepan]

Thanks for the replies. Sometimes, when working on a project, it is easy to get tunnel vision. I am just learning a lot of this stuff, even though I have always suspected that there were many variations on some of these parts. I have a question on a pair of fishtails I got for my 65 FLH. I got them as "new old stock" from someone reputable, so I suppose they are. They have the proper seems and welding, etc. No numbers though. My other Harley mufflers all have numbers. So, is there a problem with these? Or is that just the way they were made? Any input would be appreciated.