59 sportster seat post bushings

[Rod K]

Working on a 59 Sportster. Bought a seat post kit from V-Twin. Question is the seat post bushings #18 in the drawing.
When pressed into the frame all the way, they stick up above the top of the frame 1/8 inch. The plate #12 bolts down to hold them in. Seems to me they should be flush. However I never put one of these together before....Thanks for any instruction you can offer....RodSEAT.jpg

[Sportster Jerry]

yes, they should be flush. did you check to see if there is anything inside the tubes? a lot of sportster frames were repaired or reinforced in that area.

[Rod K]

Hi Jerry...Thanks for the reply. The tubes are clean. The bushings are stepped down on the bottom and fit into a smaller
diameter tube inside the frame tube. The shoulder on the bush prevents it from going in any farther.
The diagram shows another set of bushings #17 on the drawing. These were not with the kit and I'm wondering if the were for the earlier frames. Worst case, I'll just use these bushings and turn them down a bit on top.

[murph]

There are alot of things wrong with the vtwin set you are dealing with. The uprights are also higher than the roller that the seat tee rests on causing the tee to rest on the uprights not the roller, I would mill them down as well. As Jerry said you need to make sure the frame tubes are sqeeky clean. I just had an issue with this project with cleaning the tubes out. This is an original set in the pic for a referance.

[Rod K]

Hi Murph... Thanks for the heads up. That what I need to know. Info from someone who has delt with repro stuff before.

[billpedalino]

Murph,
I know it doesn't make sense, nut the parts book shows the parkerized top plate installed backward with the bent lip facing up and towards the front. What's that about?

[Sportster Jerry]

That has to be a mistake in the book. I have never seen one installed that way on any original bike or in any period/factory photos.

[billpedalino]

I know - it doesn't make any sense. The graphic artist probably placed the piece upside down when he copied it to paper and H-D missed it.

[Rubone]

There are many incorrect assemblies shown in parts books for all models. Using a parts book as an assembly manual is a crap shoot and has caused much grief over the years. It is only one piece of information that should be verified by other sources.