65 FLH King of the Highway fit and finish

[Rubone]

JSB55
Pushrod tubes; all parts are chrome except for the upper inner tube which is cad.
Exhaust pipes are high heat silver paint.
Your intake manifold should be raw aluminum
Robbie

[JSB55]

Thanks, Robbie. I would *never* have guessed that the pipes should be painted.

So the pipes, pushrod tubes, and intake manifold are off the list above.

Can anybody help me with the other items marked "?????"

[Chris Haynes]

[QUOTE=JSB55;80661]

clutch arm Cad
clutch rod Cad
shifter rod Cad

foot shift lever Cad
shock studs and related nuts and washers CAD
rear brake pedal CAD
front brake crossover tube CAD
fuel line CAD
exhaust pipes Painted silver
upper motor mount Cad
intake manifold bare
push rod tubes Chrome tube outer with Cad inner.
Most every nut, bolt, screw, and washer. Cad.
Spokes and nipples Cad
When taking things apart you can usually spot the original finish in areas that have not been exposed to weather. Under nuts and washers, on threads, ETC. A magnifying glass helps.

[JSB55]

Thanks so much, Chris and Rub!

Pleased that I had guessed right on most of it, but still amazed at the painted pipes. That one I would have totally missed for sure.

Determining the original finish isn't as easy as it might seem, Chris, as the previous owner of the bike had chromed a few things or replaced originals with aftermarket parts, and had liberally applied an ugly metallic blue paint to quite a few parts it did not belong on.

I know Colony sells a complete fastener kit that's available through V-Twin. Are the fasteners they provide CAD and clearly marked as to what goes where? If so, that might be easier than sending all my stuff out and then having to match everything up again via the diagrams and specs in the parts book.

[Rubone]

JSB55,
One thing on the pipes. Lots of '65s have chrome pipes. And lots of factory replacement pipes are chrome. It seems as the lower priced packages and police were painted and top end packages may have come chrome. The pipe covers and heatshields were always chrome ans so were the mufflers.
Robbie

[JSB55]

Yeah, my pipes are chrome, and look like they've been on the bike for years, if not from day one.

Best I can tell, it was a King of the Highway originally, or one of the two previous owners bought all the stuff aftermarket to deck it out as KOH.

Thanks again for all the input... you guys are guiding me to a finished project I know I will be delighted with.

John

[flat-happy]

replate your fasteners----better than using colony. i know a guy that cad plated his exhaust and he had a very hard time putting it back together and after about 30 miles it turned an ugly gold color. i was only 16 at the time-----

[JSB55]

Interesting about the pipes turning gold... the pushrod tubes that came on the motor were gold, and I thought it was some kind of "custom" thing to go with the blue cylinders, but maybe, after all, the guy had tried to cad plate them.

[exeric]

JSB55 brought up a good point. Do any of the Colony fastener kits have CP1035, CP1038, or circle F marked bolts? Just curious since I haven't bought any of their fastener kits. I know Chandler Products is still in business and making nuts and bolts. It would seem logical for Colony to buy in quantity from CP.

[Rooster]

Yes, the Colony Machine fasteners are marked with 1038 CP, but the markings are not quite exactly as the original OEM fasteners. Overall, Colony offers high quality replacement parts and fasteners.

[Chris Haynes]

Old Dude has the correct CP fasteners. I don't know of a source for the circle F other than getting lucky at an old H-D dealership. I have been told that circle F is trademark for Foster.

[rbenash]

JSB55,
One thing on the pipes. Lots of '65s have chrome pipes. And lots of factory replacement pipes are chrome. It seems as the lower priced packages and police were painted and top end packages may have come chrome. The pipe covers and heatshields were always chrome ans so were the mufflers.
Robbie

My 65 FLH always had chrome pipes. If they were changed from painted it must have been very early or at the dealer. Another '65 FLH (had the chrome groups and KOTH package) I saw with my father when the original owner brought it by the house just after picking it from Wentzel's in Pottstown PA had chrome pipes and pipe covers. So that was either special ordered that way or changed out at the dealer.

I have all HD NOS chrome pipes on mine now (kept the originals), not planning on painting them silver I'll just take the point hit if I ever have it judged. If I ever get anal about points hits I'll paint the old ones silver.

[Rubone]

Ray,
Like I said , lots of '65s appear to have chrome pipes and most likely always were. The dual exhaust system was always all chrome. The single system as fitted to police and utility units had painted header pipes with chrome flex covers. But there are known exceptions to both configurations!
Robbie

[Chris Haynes]

Ray,
Like I said , lots of '65s appear to have chrome pipes and most likely always were. The dual exhaust system was always all chrome. The single system as fitted to police and utility units had painted header pipes with chrome flex covers. But there are known exceptions to both configurations!
Robbie

Robbie,
I have gone over the 1965 sales and order blank information several times. I can find no listing for chrome pipes. Only painted pipes with chrome covers. The 1965 parts books does list chrome pipes for 1958-*, but that doesn't mean they came on a stock machine. I know then as today owners wanted to dress their bikes with chrome parts. I can find no written factory documentation of any kind of 1965's being sold with chrome pipes from the factory.
I do see information of chrome pipes being available on pre 1965 models.

However to further add to the confusion I find one factory photo of a 1965 with chrome pipes. Go figure.

[JSB55]

See page 5 I-1 of the Service Manual.

The photo upper left is kind of small and black and white, but those pipes sure look like shiny chrome to me.

No comment on the fact that the factory technician wears a long white lab coat when working on the bikes.