Finishes for j/jd tranny

[46CHF]

I am currently restoring a 1915 tranny would like to know what the proper finishes would be for the case side and top covers and hardware. Can anyone help here.

[duffeycycles]

look & ask here maybe Terry will chime in

http://www.caimag.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?75-1915-Harley-Motorcycles

[MMasa]

All painted gray.
Mark

[46CHF]

Thanks mark for the info , do u have any info regarding valve stem clearances

[duffeycycles]

The hardware was my question,do you consider nuts as all the hardware or the other pieces as well?

[MMasa]

Bright Nickle plate on everything else.

[46CHF]

Thanks mark, how about the clutch shaft finish that goes across the top cover of 15 tranny parkerized ??? Matt Walksler also said you may be able to help with bearing numbers for the left and right side mainshaft. Cannot seen to cross reference the ones I have. They are the ball bearing caged type

[Robert Luland]

The clutch activation lever would be a dull nickle. the bearing is SKF 6304-2RS. Bob L

[Steve Slocombe]

I would guess the gearbox nuts were flat nickel. All the early nickel plating came out as flat nickel, then was polished where necessary, say on the twist grip spirals. Today we can get bright nickel in one process using chemical brighteners, which is why a lot of restorations of early bikes look 'too shiny'. A lot of the early nickel was for rust proofing rather than show, so 'flash nickel' was used up to about 1930 on Harleys, then mostly replaced with cadmium, then mostly replaced again with parkerizing.

[MMasa]

I don't know about that Steve. I have quite a few transmission cases, like 60 or so, and the studs, nuts, and washers are still shiny Nickel under the grime on many of them. With regard to my statement about "bright" Nickel, I should add that I'm really just referring to its appearance (flat verses shiny) as opposed to the specific plating process.
Mark

[Steve Slocombe]

OK Mark, I have no problem in agreeing that flat nickel can come out looking pretty shiny on nuts and studs. My problem is for instance seeing modern bright nickel on restored carburettor bodies, cylinders, manifolds, sprockets, control rods etc that would have originally been duller. Having said that, 'wrong shade of nickel' on the judging form usually means you are scraping the barrel for comments, but I have been there...