1946 Indian Chief Preservation

[D.A.Bagin]

As far as the batteries made in India go, I have been using them in my 48 Chief and 40-4 for many years. What I do to help reduce, not cure, the leaking issue is before adding any acid I use clear 5 minute epoxy where the posts come out of the body. Seal them neatly and let that harden overnight and then fill to proper level with acid. Charge them up and I usually will get anywhere from 3-5 years out of them. After a ride I always unplug them as I use a slide plug on the wire. If anyone has any that have never had acid in them, I would be interested in purchasing them.

[T. Cotten]

If anyone has any that have never had acid in them, I would be interested in purchasing them.

How many you want, D.A.?

They'd be a lot cheaper to pick up at Davenport!

...Cotten
PS: I see a VL unit on the shelf as well.

[T. Cotten]

... I am considering hollowing out the internals of this case to drop in a modern battery, what's the easiest method to do that?...

Good question, Jim!

I've a dead Dixie waiting to be butchered; The ebonite case is actually flexible, so I must build a wooden support case before I attempt to mill it out.

Unless there's a better way... .. . .

....Cotten

[PaulCDF]

All GREAT stuff Jim;

(I need to try and make me one of them C2K dipsticks.)

IMO I would take your time; get your Chief running and see what you
have. Then you can rebuild your oil pump if needed.

Full disclosure:
Once I got my 46 up and running I purchased a core iron pump and had it rebuilt as detailed by DEEBS above and then installed it after riding season.
Actually I have a second rebuilt pump stored in a water-tight metal ammo can immersed in AFT against the day, (but then mental illness runs in my family) LOL.
ENJOY the process. All the Best.

[jlammers]

Finally got back to working on the bike. I got both fuel tanks and the oil tank cleaned, de-rusted, and flushed out - they turned out very nice. The primary tank had quite a bit of crud in the bottom, it took about 20 flush cycles to get it running clean, but now good to go. Oil tank has been re-filled with fresh oil. With the tanks and fuel lines flushed, I turned my attention to the M344 carb. Ammorest sent me some detailed instructions for disassembly (thank you!) and they were perfectly accurate.
My plan for now is to keep all the exterior crud on the bike but get it running, driving, with everything working. It's impossible to disassemble a carb without removing some of the dirt. Some of the screw heads/slots were completely covered up! Any way, with most of the carb apart, everything looks pretty good. I'm confident that I'm the first person to take this thing apart since it was new. Have some parts soaking to make sure all the internal passages are clear, then we'll get to re-assembly.

[jlammers]

More pics of the disassembled carb for you to look at

[PaulCDF]

Looking good Jim!

[jlammers]

Spent a little more time cleaning the internals and starting re-assembly. I'm guessing someone on here knows a trick for getting the choke detent ball pushed down when putting the choke shaft back in? I chased that detent ball across the garage floor twice and decided I better seek some advice before I lose that thing!

[PaulCDF]

I work over on top of a big towel as things won't bounce and be lost this way (ask me how I know) a razor knife of THIN blade of a pocket knife has worked for me in the past along with some grease. Hopefully Cotten will reply and he likely knows the Best way.

[jim d]

I have been known to work inside of a plastic bag at times if I thought that pieces might be flying around.

[T. Cotten]

I work over on top of a big towel as things won't bounce and be lost this way (ask me how I know) a razor knife of THIN blade of a pocket knife has worked for me in the past along with some grease. Hopefully Cotten will reply and he likely knows the Best way.

I dumpster-carpet everything, Paul,..

And I stake the detente balls (...was five bucks flat-rate, but if I get back in business it will have to double.)

Can't stake brittle potmetal Scheblers, so I used a dedicated feeler gauge, and generous grease.

There's always a better way.

...Cotten
PS: Are you sure that was all ready for final assembly, Jim?

You can still re-cut your manifold flange if you stuff it with paper towels,
flangcut.jpg
They are all warped at the gallery. Fact o' life.

[FLFD7]

Take the set screw out of the detent (choke shaft stop), install spring and ball, press ball down in a notch, slide in choke shaft through detent and carb body, reinstall set screw….works for me….

[T. Cotten]

A staked detente, Folks,.

Limits the spring pressure, ultimately limiting wear upon the choke cam, shaft, and body.

And won't escape the next time you disassemble.

....Cotten

[jlammers]

Take the set screw out of the detent (choke shaft stop), install spring and ball, press ball down in a notch, slide in choke shaft through detent and carb body, reinstall set screw….works for me….

That sounds like it's worth a try (and in a plastic bag!) - thank you!

Cotten, thanks for the heads up on the manifold flange, I'll at least check it for flatness to see if I am going to have a problem before re-assembly.

[T. Cotten]

That sounds like it's worth a try (and in a plastic bag!) - thank you!

Cotten, thanks for the heads up on the manifold flange, I'll at least check it for flatness to see if I am going to have a problem before re-assembly.

How are you going to do that, Jim?

Except to just chuck it up and cut it clean?

The only way to exorcize all problems is to make it perfect.

And that includes grinding the manifold flange to 'flat' as well.

....Cotten