1942 WLA bobber

[DCoul]

I've got a new project that looks like I'm going to be at for awhile. I apoligize ahead of time for the number of questions I'll be asking everyone.

1942 WLA engine. Nice frame, not positive of the year. How do I tell?

The stock bike has 18" wheels. This one has front: Goodyear 4.25-18T, rear is Continental MT90-16T

Question, for riding one up, what engine sprocket should I be running. It has none right now. With the different size wheels, seems like I might need a different amount of teeth on the engine sprocket. I weight 175 and will only be solo riding.

What is a good service/repair manual for this bike?

Tranny is a 3 speed with reverse. Do I use the 3 speed shift gate, or the servicar one? I guess if I park nose downhill, I get get back up. Reverse on a foot clutch, should be fun!

Cylinders are cast iron so I believe not original. Numbers on cylinders say 12036. 1936 year model maybe. I believe this bike should have aluminum heads.

[DCoul]

Found this on the 45 Restoration catalog:
Solo 45ʼs came stock with a 27-31 tooth front motor sprocket requiring a 100 link primary chain. Servi-Carʼs came stock with a 22 tooth front motor sprocket requiring
a 96 link primary chain. If your motor in your solo has the G digit in its motor number, it might have a 22 tooth motor sprocket. What size sprocket should I run on my
bike?You need to determine a few things before you make your choice. How much do I weigh?, are there steep hills in my area of riding? If its a servi-car, am I
running original 16” rear wheels or FAT car tire rims (1951-73) ?
SOLO: What we recommend is to go with the largest you can get a-way with, the more teeth the less your motor turns over at higher speeds. If your under 200 lbʼs
and theirs not many steep hills you expect to go up, order the 33 tooth motor sprocket, transmission must be adjusted all they way forward.

[Rubone]

Keep in mind that taller gears (higher tooth number sprockets) require much more clutch slip to smoothly take off. I took the 33 off of my 47WL and put a 31 on it. It is easier to ride and is just as fast. 45s like to rev more than Big Twins and mine regularly sees 70-75 MPH. I also live at 7000 feet and am surrounded by mountains.

You mention cast iron cylinders and give a number. ALL 45s have cast iron cylinders. Only heads were different, with WLAs having Aluminum heads with low compression, while civilian models had higher compression. The carburetor you use affects things as well.

If you really want your 45 to handle well get rid of the 16 and run two 18s. But don't worry about the different sizes you have now as far as gearing. From '40 up civilian 45s had 16" wheels. The actual overall diameter of a 500-16 and a 400-18 are almost the same.

Frames are identifiable by features and casting codes. A picture of your frame would help. There are too many minor differences to list all of them.
In fact pictures of the whole project will help.

Use the 3 speed gate unless you have a death wish..

[DCoul]

I'll post some photos when I can get it out in the sun.
Sorry Rubone, yes the cylinders are cast of course but on this bike the heads are cast iron.
I think I'll go with the 31 per your recommendation. I don't plan to see the freeway much. 70-75 is plenty.
Thanks for the tire info.
Where would the casting codes be?
The gates differ in shifting all 3 forward, or, one back and two forward it looks like. 45 restoration literature says the gates are not interchangeable between pre 1947 and 1947-1950.Of course my tanks are 47-50. Don't know the tranny year yet. Numbers must be on the bottom.

[Rubone]

You say your tranny is a reverse type. Shift it into reverse (you can tell when the shafts move in opposite directions) and determine the orientation of the shift lever. That will tell you which tanks and gate will work, or if you need to switch the shift drum.

[DCoul]

No shift linkage yet. But moving the arm on the tranny, front to back is 3,2,N,1,R.

[DCoul]

I think I'm going to need to retrofit my 40-46 servicar tranny and 3 speed shift gate, to my 47 and up tank.

[DCoul]

What is a good book for service/repair on these 45's?

[frichie68]

What is a good book for service/repair on these 45's?

Check out the "Virtual Library" on this website: "Riders Hand Book 45" Twin Models", "1943 The Armored School" and others. Free.

[DCoul]

Thanks Rich. I think those will do perfectly. I also ordered the "45 Performance" book from The Victory Library by Jeffrey Diamond. These should work for me. Thanks for your help.
I saw a frame number on the neck and it seems to be correct to the bike. ZE 35T 17.

[DCoul]

right.pngHere's a couple phtos.42WLAbobber.jpgbars.pngrighttankside.pngtank.png

I need to get a 1942 hand shift and gate to fit on a 1947 and up tank. Anyone done that?

[Rubone]

Why not just fix it right and change the shift drum??

[DCoul]

I'm new to vintage bikes. This tranny has 3 speed and reverse, with first being forward on the tank. So it's not the correct tranny to begin with. The tranny has opposite gear selection that my current tank shift gate would be. I'm not knowledgeable enough yet to know what to do with it. I have some work to do just to get it running.
Is what you're saying Robbie is that with a different drum, I could match the gate on the 47 and up tanks. Would it also leave out the reverse gear option?

[Rubone]

That is correct, changing the drum will reverse the pattern and match the gate. That is how H-D did it in the first place. And if you use a 3 speed specific gate it will eliminate the reverse gear without having to actually remove the gears from the gearbox.

As far as Vintage goes, that has nothing to do with anything. All mechanical devices operate on the same principals which are basically dictated by the laws of physics. No magic mumbo-jumbo because something was made a century ago. The more you educate yourself before tearing into and modifying parts the better off you will be. Most sold as unfinished projects are a result of overzealous owners trying to change things with no basic mechanical understanding of what they are trying to achieve and finally reaching a frustration level they cannot deal with. The only way to bypass the education is to have enough money to pay others to do it for you. And what is the fun in that!
A copy of Palmer's H-D restoration and a copy of the Fort Knox Mechanic training book will go a long way towards that education.

[DCoul]

Sounds like a good plan changing the drum. I'm assuming the rest of the linkage will work.
Thanks Robbie. That, I believe is exactly what I have. A project that's missing parts here and there. Nice frame, matching numbers engine, stock carb, but some is just off. It's 1942 engine, but with cast heads, primary cover not bolted on, servi-car tranny, 47-52 tanks.
Yeah, I like knowing how everything works. I'll be inside this engine, transmission, and everything else myself. I don't want it to be too funky though. Like a backward shift gate. I'd just swap out the tanks but they have a funkiness that I like.
I didn't get Palmers book because I'm not really restoring this bike. I have the "Military Operations Manual. I have the Victory Library "45 Performance Book". Probably should have got the Linkert one too after reading some the 45 Performance.
My buddies have already commented that they wouldn't have the patience for a project like this. They don't mind checking it out. Bringing it home in the P.U. and I could see people stopping and taking photos of it. It looks like a bike Marlon Brando would ride. (I think he was on a Triumph wasn't he?)
I rebuilt a couple Triumphs back in the day, dirt bikes a lot, a few old cars, a salvage 2004 Ultra Classic. It's therapeutic working on this stuff.