it is alive

[Glenn]

well started to dissemble and decided to rebuild the carb (with cottons float) and do all the fluids and give it a start before it is totally taken apart
this is a 50 pan that was a garage find after sitting for 44 years under a tarp

primed it up and about a couple of kicks later belched a lot of black smoke and started running kicked enough to get oil in everywhere, started up kinda quiet.

now the fun begins

moose

[T. Cotten]

Moose!

Belching of smoke can often be eliminated if the exhaust pipes and muffler are purged ahead of time. A cheap heat gun stuck into the header ends may fill your alley with fog for an hour or more, but at least then you know any further smoking is actually the motor.

....Cotten

[Chris Haynes]

well started to dissemble and decided to rebuild the carb (with cottons float) and do all the fluids and give it a start before it is totally taken apart
this is a 50 pan that was a garage find after sitting for 44 years under a tarp

44 years with used oil that is full of acid can do a lot of bearing damage.

[exeric]

I love that bike Moose. What are your plans for it ? Full restoration, or mechanical restoration. That bike just perfectly captures that 1950's roadhouse look. You can just picture it sitting outside of a bar.

[Glenn]

chris I changed all the oils before starting

I plan on a full restoration as close to totally originial as possible including step by step cad and pakerizing etc. it appears all parts are original except for seat the fun starts here

moose aka glenn

[Chris Haynes]

Glenn,
The damage was done during the 44 years it was sitting. Acid, like rust, never sleeps.

[Chris Haynes]

chris I changed all the oils before starting

I plan on a full restoration as close to totally originial as possible including step by step cad and pakerizing etc. it appears all parts are original except for seat the fun starts here

moose aka glenn

You can restore your bike 50 times. It is only original once. Fix what needs fixin' and detailing and you have a piece of history.

Years ago a friend got in a bind and sold his original paint 1947 Knuck with 13,000 miles on it. The new owner immediately tore it down for restoration because it had scratches and grime on it. Now he has a restored Knuck just like everybody else. It took a while for him to realize his mistake. But it was too late then.

[kval]

chris I changed all the oils before starting

I plan on a full restoration as close to totally originial as possible including step by step cad and pakerizing etc. it appears all parts are original except for seat the fun starts here

moose aka glenn

Moose
if that bike is all original, just do the mechanical and talk to Dan Henke about how to bring original paint back to looking good. IT IS ORIGINAL ONLY ONCE!!!
Kevin

[exeric]

Moose, I want to hear more about your bike. You say it sat for 44 years. . . . What's the story there ? As for restoration, the original owner could have screwed things up long before you got to it so there aren't that many original finish parts to preserve. Personally, I feel that if a bike has been too personalized, you have no choice but to do a historically correct restoration. I agree with Chris and Kevin when you're talking about nice, unmolested original bikes and that would apply to perior correct customs too. It's a tough call sometimes but if the bike has been too messed with, you have no choice.

[Lonnie]

2 thoughts:

No doubt it should get a mechanical rebuild - the '50FL I had was built back from a true basketcase which had sat for many years. When the motor was disassembled, we observed that the crankpin and sprocket and pinion shafts had black marks where the rollers had sat those years. Closer inspection revealed that the marks were fine etching from the corrosion of the old oil> I don't doubt that it could have been just started as it sat but it would not have lasted.
And while a personalized motorcycle may not be truly considered, provided that it did not have some sloppy amateur restoration, why not clean it up? After all, the changes over time reflect the history of that particular motorcycle. One can do a "rustoration" instead of a "restoration".
Third thought (I lied): I personally am not a big fan of "crustorations" - they truy serve no purpose and have no history to back up their appearance - no "provenance" as they say.
Lonnie C. from SC

[Glenn]

the frame has been painted a burgandy color and most of the paint was chipped off the tanks so much for original. thats why i would paint it. as for running the other night I started it for about a minute. today i heated the exhaust up change the oil again added some oil to the trans (main seal leaking pretty good or bad depending how you look at it.
Had a 1 quart plastic bottle strapped to the handle bars with a hose to the carb. Started up again ran about 2 minutes backed out of the garage put it in gear and went around the block. No motor noises actually it was quieter than my 02 fatboy. the smile on my face I think every bug in the neighborhood got in my teeth. Pulled back into the garage turned it off and just sat there for about an hour till i got the smile off my face.

the Happy Moose

[Glenn]

i'll try a couple more prior to disassembly pics if anyone sees any thing wrong let me know thank
you

moose

[Glenn]

a couple more

[Magic]

Trade places ?

Looks like alot of fun to me ( considering I have no project right now ) Even though you're going to restore it, many of the items you may want to replace such as wiring, hardware, even wear items such as cables, pedals, etc are much sought after by others and could help pay for the restored replacement, Keep showing progress pics overtime, I know I like looking at them. Thanks and good luck, good things take time. Merlin in Pa.

[Glenn]

merlin

most of the things on the bike I am going to recoat to original cadium or pakerized most nuts and bolts look original so that is why I'll just get to the right coating. as for wires I bought a set at oley last year looks like the right coating and colors. I do have 2 buddy seats one is worn and the other is new I think they are from around a 65 and am looking for a solo seat for this one even if it has to be redone I would trade

moose

i'll try and put some pictures of the seats this weekend on the site if anyone has a trade