Pretending to know what I am doing - 1947 FL

[D.A.Bagin]

I would be ecstatic if I got a project as complete and correct as that. Nice find.

[govmule84]

Well, it doesn't look like much got done, but I did.

I ran the engine up to Paul and Joel at American Cycle Fab. I have early heads (small port), but everything else is 74", so I have this weird homemade manifold. Front head has a big ol' crack from exhaust port to guide, which is apparently common and fixable. (Whew!)

I started stripping the bike so I can get the frame repairs underway. Man, it's slow going. I understand why guys chopped these bikes; there is all sorts of stuff bolted to them and the whole damn bike is a jigsaw puzzle that has to go together in order! I also have no idea how the hell a factory fender gets installed (front especially) without nineteen hands and banged-up paint. I'm glad mine's a bit crusty.



I'm going to find a refrigerator box this week so I can line it and start scrubbing larger items in kerosene. (If I find a kiddie-pool, that would be best, but beggars cannot be choosers. Methinks all the seasonal summer items at Wal*Mart have been put away.)

Now for the "please help me" portion. My damper rod is stuck in place. I tapped at it, and it didn't seem to budge. I don't like to be a roughneck if I don't have to, so I mixed up ATF and kero, and filled 'er up.

Does anyone have any advice for me moving forward?

[Jerry Wieland]

Nice bike - hope you took a ton of pictures. Getting that dampner rod out can be a challenge. You probably will not be able to save it. Stat soaking and them I use heat and a hammer. Worst case you might have to drill the center out of it from the bottom. Only the bottom 1 1/2" is a tight fit.

Jerry

[govmule84]

Nice bike - hope you took a ton of pictures. Getting that dampner rod out can be a challenge. You probably will not be able to save it. Stat soaking and them I use heat and a hammer. Worst case you might have to drill the center out of it from the bottom. Only the bottom 1 1/2" is a tight fit.

Jerry

You guys are getting all the pictures as I take 'em.

I'm going to let that damper set and marinate in the brew for a while. Ideally, I am imagining I tap the top a bit and it falls right out, yes? Is there a penalty for beating from the top as opposed to drilling from the bottom?

I counted 32 balls that fell out when I pulled the springer. Is that the right number? Sixteen top and bottom?

[Rubone]

Study this and you'll understand where it is stuck...

[govmule84]

I counted 32 balls that fell out when I pulled the springer. Is that the right number? Sixteen top and bottom?

OK, research leads me to believe there are 17 top and bottom, so I am missing one of each. Neck cup kits are kind of pricy, so can anyone tell me what size these balls are before I go bring one down to the bearing supply house?

[BigLakeBob]

The ball size should be 5/16 (.3125). Hopefully you can reuse your original neck cups. A friend of mine just did a bike build where alot of the major components came from a major aftermarket company based in NY. The neck cups are not machined correctly resulting in the fork stem not sticking out as far as it should on the top side, about 3/16" short. Also, I tested the cups in the race area on a hardness tester. Not even close to original. The original are about 65Rc and these were in the 40's Rc. They will not last, I cut them on the lathe where originals are so hard they would need to be ground. This is just not one set, I had 5 sets here (some from another friend) and they were all the same. Just a heads up, OEM is much better.

[1950Panhead]

I'm going to find a refrigerator box this week so I can line it and start scrubbing larger items in kerosene. (If I find a kiddie-pool, that would be best, but beggars cannot be choosers. Methinks all the seasonal summer items at Wal*Mart have been put away.)

It is easier to scrape crud with a putty knife then use kerosine on a rag.

Now for the "please help me" portion. My damper rod is stuck in place. I tapped at it, and it didn't seem to budge. I don't like to be a roughneck if I don't have to, so I mixed up ATF and kero, and filled 'er up. Does anyone have any advice for me moving forward?

The rod rusts to the fork in the lower part of the neck.
1. penetrating oil
2. heat rod on bottom.
3. pound on both ends with hammer.
If you can get it to move back and forth it will free up, usually cannot be saved, don't worry about it.
4. I have freed some with steps 1-3. I've had to drill some out from bottom that I could not loosen.

[1950Panhead]

[govmule84]

BigLakeBob, I'm not a fan of that company's stuff either, but often it's all I can get. It beats nothing. That said, my cups look peachy; they'll be put back into service.

1950 Panhead, thanks for the advice. Hopefully I can save mine. I do have time on my side. I pitched some acetone into the brew today, hopefully that helps it creep.

[len dowe]

Welcome mule and a nice project you have. Vintage iron is the way to go.. No matter what make.

[len dowe]

Indian, eh? I was confused when I looked at it, because the bucket doesn't say doodly-squat. It has a sealed beam in it now, but it came with a reflector and a lens that says "Guide" and "Cycle Ray" on it, like I woulda expected on a Knuckle.

Thanks for the help! I got a long way to go, but it's a good start. I have a lot of pieces I need.

Is the headlamp stamped on the bucket on the top of it "Motolamp"?

[govmule84]

Is the headlamp stamped on the bucket on the top of it "Motolamp"?

Not that I can see. Looks like a garden variety bucket someone threw in an H-D bracket. Guess the lens is worth something to someone. I'll probably put it on the shelf and run a sealed beam, like the previous owner did.

[govmule84]

Here we go again. I been letting my witch's brew set (acetone, transmission fluid, and kerosene) in the springer, trying to free up that damper rod. Each night I come give it some whacks with the rubber mallet. Tonight, I thought to warm it up a little. A buddy told me it was no big deal, the solution would just boil if I got it hot. So I gave it a whirl. It boiled, and I figured it probably got a chance to creep in. I felt the springer with my bare hand, though, and thought she could take a little more heat.

So out comes the torch again. My buddy was half-right. Sort of. It just boiled... until it boiled over. Then it ran over and into the flame. Fortunately, I had an old bath towel laying around to kneel on so my knees don't get beat. Everything got put out alright, but I doubt I try that trick again. I know better!



The frame is all stripped down now for repair.



And the seatpost tube is pretty fouled up; the pogo itself was holding everything in place. Worse still, I wrecked the pogo rod pulling it apart. The threads were all boogered up from running over something and I couldn't get the rod to keep from spinning, even with an impact gun. Excuse my shitty focus... I used a little pocket-rocket camera I have, I didn't drag out my whole picture rig.




Finally, and most importantly, can anyone tell me what the hell this is? Is this scabbed onto my frame for an exhaust or something, or is this a legitimate factory addition? The oldtimer seemed to think it was for a fire extinguisher, but I can't seem to confirm that. Any help appreciated!

[Rubone]

That scabbed on bit isn't factory, for any application. Clean it off.