Palmer and star hubs.

[jwl]

Volume 3 says a 55 should not have grease zerks in the star cover. Previous volumes say 55 should have zerks. He must have come up with some new info that led him to make that change. I am working on 55FL159X. It has one of each style. Bike is a 10,000 mile original. Seems like the bike might have come with one of each but idk for sure. Who could possibly know what happened in the last 65 years. I plan to leave it that way unless something happens to change my mind. Thoughts please? Thank you. John Lindemann

[Jerry Wieland]

John I do not have any information for you but if it was my bike I would do the same. Leave it as is. 30 years ago I helped restore a 1939 Harley Knucklehead. It had one step wheel hub and one wheel hub of what is accepted to be 1940 to 1943 style plus a seamed oil tank. To this day it is the highest serial number 1939 EL I have seen. I believe it came that way.

Jerry

Volume 3 says a 55 should not have grease zerks in the star cover. Previous volumes say 55 should have zerks. He must have come up with some new info that led him to make that change. I am working on 55FL159X. It has one of each style. Bike is a 10,000 mile original. Seems like the bike might have come with one of each but idk for sure. Who could possibly know what happened in the last 65 years. I plan to leave it that way unless something happens to change my mind. Thoughts please? Thank you. John Lindemann

[Rubone]

The 1955 parts supplement published in December 1954 lists all the new parts as for '55 Big Twins. I would expect early season bikes to have any combination of parts as there was likely a stock of assembled wheels on the racks ready for assembly on the new production. By late season I suspect they would all be used up. Looking at other service info there isn't a shop dope on them. And looking at those shop dopes where VIN #s are listed as supplied with new parts due to a design change they are always out of sequence.

[Chris Haynes]

Non year model specific parts are often started before the first of a new year model machine was assembled. The new part may/may-not be mentioned in sales brochures.

[vph-d]

I thought the extra zerk was added in 56...
VPH-D

[Rubone]

The 1955 parts supplement published in December 1954 lists all the new parts as for '55 Big Twins. I would expect early season bikes to have any combination of parts as there was likely a stock of assembled wheels on the racks ready for assembly on the new production. By late season I suspect they would all be used up. Looking at other service info there isn't a shop dope on them. And looking at those shop dopes where VIN #s are listed as supplied with new parts due to a design change they are always out of sequence.

All the -55 part number updated hub parts for the zerk are in this list if that wasn't clear to some. They are all listed for '55 FL series bikes.