Stainless Rocker Cover

[exeric]

You wouldn't want to bet on that would you? If so then you name your own amount, I'll go as far as you want to go.
I just told you that I bought the bike from the original owner, and he only rode it for four years. I've owned it for 35 yrs. I'ts won every award it can win, and the pans have never been questioned. So now the question is....how much are you willing to lose. I'll be waiting.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I agree with Bob. I have a '48 as well, and everything I have ever heard about '48s says chrome plated steel pans. It's not like they are that hard to change.

[T. Cotten]

Damn the Factory for not obeying our rules.

.....Cotten
PS: Just where are you folks testing with a magnet? Let us please do it upon the pressed surfaces, and not the flats.
PPS: I regret I cannot remember whom to credit, but I learned of the magnetism at http://www.hydra-glide.com/phpBB3/index.php.
I think I did anyway.... at least I remembered the important part.

[upsrod]

Bob, mine are on a bike and they look identical!

[BigLakeBob]

Damn the Factory for not obeying our rules.

.....Cotten
PS: Just where are you folks testing with a magnet? Let us please do it upon the pressed surfaces, and not the flats.
PPS: I regret I cannot remember whom to credit, but I learned of the magnetism at http://www.hydra-glide.com/phpBB3/index.php.
I think I did anyway.... at least I remembered the important part.

The four I have that I said are magnetic very strongly pull the magnet in at any area. The one that I said was non-magnetic, does NOT pull the magnet in along the flats or the curved/ pressed area along the screw holes, but DOES pull the magnet slightly, (not near as strong as the other four in this same area), but along the curves that make the shape of the head it does want to attract the magnet some.

[MMasa]

low carbon steel cutting speed= 90---316L =40[did a lot of that!]

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I agree with Bob. I have a '48 as well, and everything I have ever heard about '48s says chrome plated steel pans. It's not like they are that hard to change.

I agree with what Bob and Eric wrote. The pans on my very low VIN 1948 are chrome plated steel. I would also say that it's generally accepted that 48 pans were chrome plated steel. Perhaps they switched to the SS pans in late 48. Is your 48 a high serial number?
Mark

[T. Cotten]

Irrelevant notes perhaps, Folks:

I passed both of the small scraps in my previous post by a WW2 wrist compass, and only the die-pressed sample deflected the needle, and displayed polarity.
So I passed it through one of my de-magnetizers.. (attached), and it lost all polarity, but maintained an affinity for the speaker magnet.

I'm fascinated.

....Cotten

[Runnlo]

I agree with what Bob and Eric wrote. The pans on my very low VIN 1948 are chrome plated steel. I would also say that it's generally accepted that 48 pans were chrome plated steel. Perhaps they switched to the SS pans in late 48. Is your 48 a high serial number?
Mark

Thank you for asking an intellegent question, instead of just saying "THE'RE WRONG"
Yes my bike was one of the last 700 to 800 made. I believe they made 12924 1948 panheads, and what you said is exactly what I believe. So if it came from the factory with the SS pans in 48...which I know it did...that dosen't make it 'WRONG"

[Chris Haynes]

Stainless Steel was announced for 1949. Is it possible some later 1948's had stainless? Certainly. Ways of making parts and materials used often change during the model year of any product. Like the crankcase breather screen that disappeared then reappeared during 1965 production.
Unless it is a major new item, like a foot shift, it isn't unusual to see different parts appear late in production.

[T. Cotten]

I agree completely, Chris!

(Except that I have encountered an early '66 with the welch plug.)

The bottom line is 'never say never', because those that produced these machines wrote their own rules.

....Cotten

[cdndewey]

Thanks for everyone's responses. I was hoping for a cut and dried answer, but it seems like maybe HD went with either material depending on vendor or what was cheapest at the time? Maybe they started off non-magnetic then switched? I think I am opting to go with the non-magnetic.

UPSROD, do you want to trade your non for a magnetic one, sell or other trade for something you need? Assuming the two you have are not on a bike.

CDNDEWEY, let's see how things turn out and maybe we can do some trading, do you want the non or the magnetic type?

Whatever is available works for me.