'65 Triple Trees

[Chips Place]

Thanks Eric, I figured it was paint, just wondering.

I will take some pictures and send then to you. I am trying to get some things straight here. I want to make the Davenport show in Iowa.

The triple tree I have is incorrect so I will be needing one for a swing arm. I saw one for the rigid frame and it is in great shape, but that is not the right one for the swingarm. Just my luck.

Trying to gt this fame right before I tackle the engine and transmission. It seems the tripe is very important down the line. There a "finishing parts", "tin", what ever, if you will, that need to be screwed to it. I would hate to put the wrong one in and when it comes to putting the other parts on and then finding, "hey where's the hole for the screw" to hold this thing on!

[Chips Place]

Robbie,
Thanks for the information.
My frame looking pretty solid but I am sure many have said that before. Time to make a trip to Home Depot to get some painter remover. Will probably do the places that are suppose to have some markings and casting numbers first. The frame was black powder coated so I am sure a lot of details are covered up. Besides that is the wrong paint any where. From my understanding they used a black chromium paint of some sort. One article I rad said they may not have used a primer, just painted it black.

Chip

[Rubone]

Most broken frames never had a hack attached to them.

[T. Cotten]

Sidehacks broke the frames, Folks.

....Cotten

[Speeding Big Twin]

You're welcome Chip. As Robbie mentioned, the gusset was added to stop the frame breaking. My 61–71 catalog lists it as #47261-68 which is the same as on the packet I posted above. However, apparently a gusset was available as a repair part from the factory in the early-60s although #47261-68 is the only part number I have. My 58–68 catalog doesn’t show a gusset.

Re the coloured squares and arrow, my PC has a program called ‘Paint’ which looks something like this.



It can be found via Google but there would be a lot of better programs available by now.

BTW, what type of swingarm do you have? Below is a link to a thread I started on the Panhead and Flathead forum with info and photos for 58–72 BT swingarms.
Eric


http://www.hydra-glide.com/phpBB3/vi...hp?f=5&t=15801

[Rubone]

Chip, the frames were always a bit weak in that area, however with the advent of electric start the extra weight and torque reaction caused them to break far more frequently in that are where the vertical tube meets the lower casting. The gusset stopped the breakage.

[Chips Place]

Eric,
Thanks for the information.
What is the purpose of the gusset in that location? Support? Did they find they were having failures with the frame?

Also, changing the subject if I may, what software app are you using for the addition of the colored squares and the added pointer in the picture?

Thanks,

Chip

[Speeding Big Twin]

Chip, a gusset plate was fitted to frames as original as of about mid-68 models. The example below is on a 69 model frame.



As a repair part it was also available for frames back through 1958 models.




Dave mentioned checking the date code and that’s a good place to start. It may be in the blue square in your photo below.



In the orange square the frame is missing a steering head lock but they can be found via eBay and elsewhere.
Below the red arrow is a forging die number. Is it 39? If so, it is consistent with a 65 model frame.

On the other side of the steering head you may find forging number 47591-35. Please notice the suffix is -35, not -35A.
Also on the left side, but lower down, you may find an additional original component identifying number, aka security code, aka anti-theft number. It is stamped on and consists of one letter followed by either three or four numbers—for example, D1234. The characters are small however and they may be hard to see.
Eric

[Rubone]

No, we are talking about the lower left side of the frame near the swingarm pivot. Hopefully your frame doesn't have any welding in the head casting!

[Chips Place]

Dave, Keep in mind that the gusset was supplied as a retro fit kit to dealers and many earlier frames including Duo-Glide have them installed. The gusset in itself is a clue but not gospel.

All transition years have many ongoing changes, '48, '49, '58, '65, '70, are all tough years to get right and often years on either side of them have lots of changes as well. That is what keeps it interesting as we learn more and more.

Dave,
When you refer to gusset, are you talking about the space behind the steering stem, neck?

65 Panhead Frame.jpg

[Rubone]

And I've seen a lot of really cobbely welded ones, too.

Yup, lots of owners did their own too!

[ammorest]

Yeah, Robbie, I knew that. I have a friend who worked for Tramontin Harley in New Jersey back then and he could weld so they gave him all the gusset jobs. And I've seen a lot of really cobbely welded ones, too.
Dave

[Rubone]

The first thing I spotted was a gusset on the left rear frame rail that didn't come out until 1968

Dave, Keep in mind that the gusset was supplied as a retro fit kit to dealers and many earlier frames including Duo-Glide have them installed. The gusset in itself is a clue but not gospel.

All transition years have many ongoing changes, '48, '49, '58, '65, '70, are all tough years to get right and often years on either side of them have lots of changes as well. That is what keeps it interesting as we learn more and more.

[ammorest]

Bruce is working on another edition of his "How To Restore Your Harley-Davidson". It will include the 1965 models. He is working diligently to try to document all those changes. Chip, probably one of the first things you could do is check the date code on the frame. It is on the backbone tube at the top motor mount on the right side. It will be a letter and a number. The letter designates the month A=January etc.) The number designates the year. (5=65) I believe production started for the 1965 in August 1964 so the number in the date code could be a 4. Recently someone asked me to look at a 1965 FLH he bought on ebay. The first thing I spotted was a gusset on the left rear frame rail that didn't come out until 1968. Checked the date code and sure enough, F8. June 1968. Good luck and keep up posted on your progress.
Dave

[Chips Place]

That is probably why Palmer stopped where he did. If he didn't, his book would have been published.

If one were to attempt a '65 publication, I am sure it would be full of disclaimers.

But I feel something is always worth wild. Even if things are wrong and noted, it would give the next guy a fighting chance.

Chip