Pa's 42WLA Build

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I did however, at a later date in the bike build, have to replace the right front cylinder head bolt with the correct head bolt for the wla fording tube.

Earlier in this topic I mentioned how bad the original frame was and how the repairs to bring her up to par were extensive. Before I decided in excepting the deal with Bruce on another frame, I did an extensive inspection on the actual alignment of the complete frame down to every location of every single mounting tab, boss, motor mounts, axle slots, neck bearing positions, etc.. I turned a 4 ft. rod to fit the neck bearing cups so I could use it as a true path for a straight edge to the seat post tube and beyond. Using the service manuals to take inspection measurements, I found the neck tweaked at a severe angle which meant the springer and front wheel assembly would lean drastically. I also found the frame was twisted off inline centerline, front to rear, by 17/32”. It was this inspection that made my final decision to replace the frame. The frame damages you see in the pics below also helped me decide.

Note the missing tab on the lower right frame leg and how the outer skin is missing in that area as well.

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Note weld repair in trans adjusting hole of rear lower frame fitting. I did not consider this repair a real issue since 45 frames are known for cracking at this location.

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Look at how non-uniform in diameters the lower rear frame legs were. I did consider this as very troublesome.

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The extensive weld repairs on the neck fitting was a real issue for me.

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One of the axle slots in the rear axle fittings was opened up as well and would need replaced. I can't remember whether it was the left one or the right one.
I still have not found my pics of my replacement frame as I hauled it home from Florida. However you will see it freshly painted as I mounted the engine and transmission into the frame. I supported the frame on jack stands at the front sidebar rod and rear axle slots. This would due for a spell until I got a bit further along with the bike assembly when the need to create space to add additional parts became necessary.

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I then needed different support for the front of the frame for mockup tasks and my jack stands under the front footboard sidebar rod were in my way. I have an overhead lift but did not want to move it down here into the basement. I kept the rear jack stands with a 5/8" all thread rod to support the back end of the frame and came up with this plumber type solution for supporting the neck end of the frame. I used a combination of 3/4" black and galvanized pipe to put a front frame support together. Since I had not installed the bearing cups into the neck forging yet, I was able to turn part of the long section of galvanized pipe to fit. The frame head rests on a collar I found lying on the side of the road which apparently broke off of a snow plow. I leveled the frame so it would sit pretty close to where it would sit if being ridden. I then marked the length of pipe below the collar for the grade 5 bolt shown. With the black pipe T's, end caps, and 6" lengths of pipe assembled, the frame stands solid and permits me to work on the mockup assembly tasks. The pipe end caps were added to increase the pipe end diameters to match the T's. The idea can be improved but as for now and for my needs, the improvised stand is just the ticket. Just thought I would share the idea. Total cost to put the stand together ??? Less than 20 bucks.

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I would restore my nos dash base while I waited on my speedometer to return from John Bordas. Here is what my dash base looked like before restoring it. I haven’t found my pics of it as restored but you will see it mounted on the frame coming up.

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Before I forget, Below are the specifications on my engine rebuild. Crankcase
Rod roller bearings on crankpin clearance, all three sets = .0008" Rod side play between flywheel halves, = .008"
Gear shaft main roller bearing clearance in case half bushing, = .0009"
Sprocket shaft main roller bearing clearance in case half bushing, both sets, = .0007" Flywheel assembly endplay clearance in cases = .009"
Gear shaft clearance in cam cover bushing = .0008"
Rear Cylinder
Exhaust valve stem to valve guide clearance = .0042"
Intake valve stem to valve guide clearance = .0035"
Piston clearance to standard cylinder bore = .0015"
Piston ring gap clearance in cylinder bore, all three = .011" Front Cylinder
Exhaust valve stem to valve guide clearance = .0041" Intake valve stem to valve guide clearance = .0035"
Piston clearance to standard cylinder bore = .002"
Piston ring gap clearance in cylinder bore, all three, = .010" Tappet to Tappet Block Clearances
Front exhaust tappet to guide = .0006"
Front intake tappet to guide = .0006"
Rear intake tappet to guide = .0006"
Rear exhaust tappet to guide = .0006"

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At about this time I decided to refurbish my nos keyed ignition switch. I figured I best disassemble the switch and clean it up. It had been stored many years and was coated in cosmoline. I had to prep it for a fresh coat of paint to boot. I noticed the contact terminals were all corroded dark black. Not wanting any issues with continuity, I set out to clean all of the contact points. I was impressed with how well this formula works on removing tarnish from brass terminals. The terminals on my nos 42wla keyed ignition switch were tarnished dark black, not just the external wire screw terminals but also the contact terminals inside the switch. Not liking the external the wire screw terminals to be tarnished, fearing poor contact which might cause failure, I decided to disassemble the entire switch. I am glad I did disassemble it. The internal button contact terminals were just as tarnished. My wife provided me with the following solution from her home made cleanser recipes.

You need 1/2 cup white vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt
flour
Mix the salt with the vinegar
Mix flour into the vinegar and salt solution and continue to add flour until mix becomes pasty.
Apply paste to brass terminals. Cover with paste well. Let stand for 10 minutes
rinse off paste thoroughly
Dry with cloth
The only pic I have is when I reassembled the switch but you can plainly see the results of brass cleaning formula.

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While I had the ignition switch disassembled, I noticed the contact roller had a tit on one end of it. This caught my curiosity so I researched as to why on the web and asked on another bike forum. I got lazy machinist leaving excess material while parting off to several what not answers. The answers were based on comparisons to other switches folks had disassembled. Seems those other switches did not have the tit on the contact rollers. Not being satisfied yet, I purchased another nos roller contact.

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This contact roller also had the tit on it. My thought was what are the chances this contact roller and the nos contact roller in my nos switch were made by the same lazy machinist ? Then I studies my switch verses a civilian switch while just searching for a better answer for the tit. My conclusion was based on my findings. Turns out, the military blackout switch has a different floating internal contact plate containing an additional pair of contact buttons. The civilian switch does not. The tit helps level the longer path travel of the different floating contact plate, thus keeping equal pressure on the contact buttons when they are inline in the blackout light position.

At about this time, I received my restored speedometer back for John Bordas. What a skilled professional John Is !! I sent him my beat up original speedo, along with a bunch of nos oem Stewart Warner and excellent conditioned oem Stewart Warner speedo parts. Fred Warr of Warr Harley Davidson in England donated an nos lens to use in my speedometer. Warr Harley Davidson is the oldest still existing Harley Davidson dealership in Europe. The two pics below show the results of his skills in restoring my speedo. I highly recommend John for all speedo restorations. Price was extremely fair and turn around was quick. John possesses every tool needed in a quick accurate restoration. From dies to calibration equipment, John has them all. Initially, I was going to attempt the restro work myself. After a lengthy converstaion with John, I am really glad I sent the restoration work to John.


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With the speedometer back in my possession, my keyed ignition switch ready, and my dash base restored, I mounted them onto the frame along with several other dash base components. The wiring is not permanent in the photo. I was just getting acquainted with the routing of the wires.

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I then decided to install the inner primary cover, clutch cable and housing, clutch hub, clutch hub bearings, bearing gage, clutch shell, clutches, clutch steel discs, pressure plate, clutch springs, primary chain, ect.. Every single part being nos.

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Ohio-rider
I’ve been waiting years for you to do this Paul. Great post and great photos. Thanks for taking the time to organize it all.

Steve....was my bike upstairs or down in the basement when you stopped by that day ? Forgive me Bro but you know my mind and memory. :wink: I'll finish this topic this time around as long as the Lord wills it.

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I decided to get some wheel work out of the way. I started with the rear wheel. After careful inspection of my hub, it was obvious my races were way oversize. They were so far oversize I would not be able to fit oversize roller bearings to them. This is how the rear hub looked before I restored it.

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Luckily, I met this Bro here in Ohio who Grinds the old bearing journals and then he hard chromes the journal areas and regrinds them to standard size. He has been doing hubs this way for 20 years or so now and he has never had one wear. He and many people who had him do their hubs, told me only the rollers wear, not the hub races. My close friend had a hub done by him serveral months ago and I got an opportunity to inspect it. The workmanship was outstanding and the sizes were right on. I would rather change out rollers than change out hubs any day. Initially I was going to repair my hub races with the Sporster/45 rod race procedure. When I heard valid and trusting testimony to the hard chroming this Dude does, and when I actually got to inspect his work, I had to go that route instead. It just made sense. Below is my hub as received after the bearing race hard chroming and grinding.

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The grinds were right on standard sizes which made it simple to fit rollers to the races and inner bearing sleeve. Below is how my hub looked after fitting endplay, roller bearings, the rest of the hub components together. Finish specs are noted as well.

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Here are the nos and oem rear hub parts which went into my rear hub.

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Here are the nos and oem rear hub parts which went into my rear hub.

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And here are the restored hub fitting specs.

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Ohio-rider

It was down in the basement when I stopped by. You have sure come a long way with the assembly since then. It wasn’t much more than a frame with an engine in it when I saw it last. It’s
looking really good right now though. Not to get to far ahead but what’s your plan when finished? Is it going to be judged or ridden?

Pa
It will definitely be ridden. As far as judging goes, I initially had plans to build it and to have it judged as an "as from the factory built bike" but when the AMCA decided to not stand by their judging and also require a signed disclaimer to the effect one cannot use a judgment by the AMCA to help promote their bike, if one were to sell their bike, I decided to go the build route as the bike would have "returned from war duty theme".

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With the rear hub now restored I could now lace it up to my restored oem rim and my nos spokes and nos nipples and true the wheel. I had to re-parkerize the spokes and nipples and I also had to beat a bunch of dents out of the rim. You don’t see the dual dial indicators I used mounted on my home made truing stand that I used to fine tune the truing specs in the pics. I got the wheel trued in below .015” all over.


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I figured I might as well assemble my restored brake drum, restored brake backing plate and its’ all nos components, the reproduced tire, inner tube, and rim strip, to the trued rear wheel. The oem wheel lugs you see in the pics are later wheel lugs. I replaced them with the correct earlier grooved wheel lugs at a later date. Our forum member “Robbie” donated those to me. Thank you Robbie ! The tire tube valve stem was later cloaked with a real nice Schrader valve copy covering I picked up from “Old Dude” in Georgia.

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I then restored my nos front brake drum and hub assembly and laced it up to my nos front wheel rim, nos spokes, and nos nipples. As with the rear nos spokes and nipples I re-parkerized them. The front nos brake drum and assembly was a piece of cake to restore. I had to clean out globs of cosmoline and repaint but I had to do absolutely nothing to the bearings and internals except for adjust the free play. As for lacing and truing the wheel I re-parkerized the nos spokes and nos nipples and the nos rim trued easily. Also as with the rear wheel I installed all the other components. I Installed my restored nos front brake backing plate and assembled all nos components inside and outside. The wheel trued to within .009” all over. I completed the front wheel with a reproduced tire, inner tube, and rim strip. I also installed one of those Schrader valve stem covers at a later date. Sorry....no pics of the front wheel lacing and truing during this period. Nor will you see the completed front wheel pics. I cannot locate them. You will see the front wheel later in this topic.
Restored front brake hub assembly. Nope....that is not rust you see on the lining surface of the drum.

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Knucklebolt
Wow, you been busy! Loving the detail. Longing for another 45. Keep up the good good work.
ken.

Thanks Ken. The busy has been stretched over several years Bro. What used to take me hours to do now takes me months. I am bummed out that I cannot find much of my documentation pics though. I feel what pics and documentation I will show, will fill in any gaps from the lack of those missing pics etc.. I know you guys, especially with your knowledge and expertise on Harley Davidson 45 models, will understand the tasks involved in a full restoration of any motorcycle. I had saved day by day and week by week pics of progression in the build but as I said, many of those pics are lost or mis-located. Three pc crashes due to Microsoft not supporting XP correctly did much of that documentation in. Heck....even
before Microsoft quit complete support of the xp operating system, their last few dozen updates were corrupt. XP is now about worthless online but it still works efficiently off line. Every month I would burn a new disc of the build progression but those 3 crashes came in between disc burns. I used recovery software to extract what was not burnt to a disc but that software did not recover everything. Technology....???? I guess that is why I love old technology like there bikes.


Knucklebolt
That's true, old-tech was at least straight forward and logical. Much like, old bikes and new bikes. Working on my son's mid 2000 Sporter right now, it's not sparking. Old school, just check the points, condenser, coil, and is the circuit breaker turning. This sporter, like three or four pages in the manual devoted to testing in order to figure it out. !!!
Anyhow, you are doing a fine job in spite of the bumps in the road. I sure love those engine pics.
k.