My 46 Knuckle

[Jim M]

Sometimes a man must toot his own horn. This is a pic of my 1946 FL that I just finished. I had to crop it to make it the right size for this site. I spent over a year restoring this bike starting with an original horn cover and knuckle engine acquired in Davenport in 2001. Thanks Brad! Anyway, I did the paint in my backyard after reading up on how to paint. I had never attempted a paint job before but like most things, if you have the right tools and patience you can do most anything. I even used Kirk Perry's book a few times. Thanks Kirk. This is the second bike that I have restored and I am hooked. Thanks also goes to Colin for his friendship and parts support and the use of his shop on several occassions. Thanks also to Butch for sending me pics of his 45 restos which kept me motivated to get it on the road as soon as possible.

Lets see some other Knuckleheads out there!

Jim

[k.perry]

What a great old horse. You know?...you don't have to ride something like that very often... My Pan stays covered in the shop, with the wheels off the ground..and when I have worked hard all week or sometimes more than a month...and need some "throttle therapy"...that pony is there waiting. A family member. Nice work. Painting it in your backyard touches a bare wire. Did the phone ring, or a neighbor drift dirt around with his leafblower (immediately after you mixed the chemicals)? Nice full round-house journey. Highly recommended as a family project.
I'm building a '46/50-Glide by myself now, at this stage, except for the oil feed-to-primary-engine case-plugging and sprocket shaft oil sealing, from Stett, then I will install a belt-drive under the OE tin. But, my next-next Knuckle, is going to be a "for re-sale" (licensed, broken-in with 2,000 "Kirk Perry" driven miles, and sold as "used") USA/Taiwan Replica Knuckle (model: '46/50-Glide). In addition to your 1946 look, we will be required to use turn signal bullet blinkers front and rear (under the seat attached to the cross-bar) and on each side of the front forks; but we CAN build them 6 volt "special construction" and suffer the attachment of a "blue plate" riveted to the front frame tube. Keep what you have, it can't be replaced.
And, as for tooting your own horn...building a machine like your '46 gives you the license to hook-slide your Olds 88 into the parking lot at anytime, with your ham-hock fists bending the horn-ring back and forth (like [big] Al Lateri did in "The Getaway"), until you separate it from the steering column.

[Jim M]

Just one more....

Left side. I am in the process of rust removal, painting and installing the rear stand.

Thank goodness for the battery tender. It snowed here and now all I can do is wait for drier weather. She's got 100 miles on the clock now.

Kirk, Yes as a matter of fact one quiet morning after I had spent hours preparing everything, my neighbor decided to mow his lawn which has so many bare spots in it and kicked up a lot of dirt it looked like a dust storm. Needless to say, I didn't end up painting that day. Then there was the time the wire holding the fender broke and the freshly painted fender landed in the grass. Had to wipe the tears from my face and start all over again.. Obviously you have been there and done that since you asked.

Jim

[k.perry]

Indeed. Painting seems like it's 95% preparation and 5% execution. I like spraying out PPG's DP-90 black primer. You can really load that paint up on a surface before it ever runs. I got "lost" in the painting process and had a big run down the seat post, but had a piece of (lint free) cotton bed sheet damp with reducer nearby and just wiped the run (along with the paint) off, then tack-sprayed that spot and moved along to another place on the frame until the seat post dried a little, then went back and re-sprayed it. When it's all done, you can rub the frame and any dirt flecks out with an ultra-fine scuff pad. Painting outside is just great. I'm painting my '46/50 Vivid Black [PPG Deltron] (H-D # 9850), which requires the DP-90 primer be seal coated with DP-90 reduced as a sealer. "Black" will otherwise bleed through. I have '52 tanks, which have the H-D script with the bar running under the name. No scalloped paint panel necessary. Just black and stainless steel. Those '59 fork cups will be here Jan 7-9th. I ordered that lower tree bearing remover tool, just to make life a little easier; but dread having to knock those '60 cups out with broomsticks and a hammer.
What brand and wt. oil are you using? Detergent? Non-detergent? I've read that since the intake lower tins have vent holes and aspirate dirt into the motor that non-detergent oil is advised. I'm running an OE hornets nest oil filter on the Knuckle. Oil changes on my filtered '59 showed up a few tiny bits of grey metal at the 100 mile oil change and for a couple of more oil changes and then a little bronze material after that, until 26,000 miles and now I don't collect hardly any metal at the bottom of the cannister.

[Jim M]

Oil

I'm running 50 weight harley oil with no filter right now. I used Harley 60 weight for the first 100 miles and then drained it. Both of course had detergent. I ran the 60 weight because we were having a warm late fall. Then the cold weather hit. I have been riding it for just a few more miles in 30-50 degree weather with the 50 weight.

[k.perry]

Harley oil seems to have more cling than other oil. Since they don't make a non-detergent, I'm going to use their 20W50. My theory is that the lighter viscosity 20W50 will drain faster from the lower covers (when the motor is cold); and more easily returned through the push rod tubes. Have you ever had any problem with excess oil (overfilling the cans) entering the top of the valve guides on the exhaust lower covers when it's cold, and then runs smokeless and OK when the motor heats up? You've put a 100 miles on it?.... then I don't reckon so. It's more of a problem with S&S pumps on a Knuckle. A Knuckle owner with an S&S pump had a .06250 reducing orifice inside the oil supply fitting on the cam cover, and was still over-filling his exhaust lower covers. I didn't ask him what oil he was using, but most probably straight grade. He said his motor would smoke a little cold, but not after it heated up. I guess I'll wait and see how my motor performs with that S&S pump. You can make a reducing orifice by filling the cam cover fitting with solder and then drilling a 1/16th hole through it.

[lesliewhit]

knucklehead 46

Yes,I was wondering if you had any pics of your 46 that I could get from you?I'm fixing to start on one.

[Jim M]

Pics

I will be glad to take pics and send them to your e-mail if you would like. What areas are you looking for. Also I can tell you where to look in Palmers book for certain detail items.

Jim

[Pete Gagan]

Nice piece of work, Jim.
Pete Gagan

[Jim M]

Thanks Pete,

It sure would be nice if we had an area that we could all post pics of our bikes. I always enjoy seeing other bikes and what people have done.