344 Carby

[hairynob24]

I am working on a 45 Chief which has not run in awhile ,so pulled the carby off a check it and clean it ,the numbers on it are M344 PD , i am fimiliar with 344 but the PD has got me stumped ,even the chock disc has 1 3/4 P stamped on it ???? cheers Rob

[T. Cotten]

Rob!

Can you take pictures for us?

Thanks,

....Cotten

[45OZ]

Hi Rob,
My 45 Chief was an ex NYPD bike, the carb on it reads M344 below that is NYPD, could the NY have worn off? BTW I have an extra Taillight for that model if ya need one let me know they are VERY hard to find
Oz

[hairynob24]

Sorry Cotten still ,trying to get my son to take a photo and load it for me ,and chock disc is 1 1/4 i did not have my glasses on when i typed it in . 45oz thanks for the offer is the tail light the same as a 44 army bike ? i noticed this bike has a 37 to 39 front brake on it ? skirted fenders good vin numbers ,i will get my boy to get a photo of the bike too ,cheers Rob.

[hairynob24]

Sorry Cotten still ,trying to get my son to take a photo and load it for me ,and chock disc is 1 1/4 i did not have my glasses on when i typed it in . 45oz thanks for the offer is the tail light the same as a 44 army bike ? i noticed this bike has a 37 to 39 front brake on it ? skirted fenders good vin numbers ,i will get my boy to get a photo of the bike too ,cheers Rob.

[45OZ]

Rob The Tail light on a Military Chief would be the Black out lights, the 44 & 45 Civilian use & Police bike would be a "YANKEE DEE" Taillight

Sorry Cotten still ,trying to get my son to take a photo and load it for me ,and chock disc is 1 1/4 i did not have my glasses on when i typed it in . 45oz thanks for the offer is the tail light the same as a 44 army bike ? i noticed this bike has a 37 to 39 front brake on it ? skirted fenders good vin numbers ,i will get my boy to get a photo of the bike too ,cheers Rob.

[T. Cotten]

Rob!

Apparently the NYPD stamps were erratic.
A decent enamelling may even fill a weak stamp.

....Cotten

[fizz]

I have a 45 civilian cheif that was purchased new by the Chicago Tribune, and personally know the other 2 owners since 48. It has a brass finish 344 carb(no paint). I will check to see if it has a pd on it. I would really like to see a picture of a stock tailight, I had a guy who should know tell me it is incorrect. I have a hard time believing this bike has been changed at all, it has seen very little use since the trib got rid of it in 48, with one top end and 2 paint jobs since new, almost perfect sheetmetal. And thanks for the float, cotton.

[T. Cotten]

You are welcome Fizz!

Beware however, that a bare bronze carb body doesn't show up in surviving L&L prints.

The first Indian specs say "lacquer", which obviously did not survive vintage fuels any better than modern finishes survive in modern fuels.

....Cotten

[hairynob24]

IMG_2351.jpgIMG_2349.jpg I IMG_2345.jpghave some photos of the carby ,i ended up joining photobucket to do this 3 x rums later i think i have sorted ,Rob.

[fizz]

You are welcome Fizz!

Beware however, that a bare bronze carb body doesn't show up in surviving L&L prints.

The first Indian specs say "lacquer", which obviously did not survive vintage fuels any better than modern finishes survive in modern fuels.

....Cotten

I have read that no bare bronze carb bodies were produced. I wonder, since so many things associated with normal production were eliminated because of the war, and the lack of documentation, even including civilian bike production, if we can nail down exactly what a 1945 cheif was. Since this bike was owned by the tribune for 3 years, it would have been utiliarian and unlikely to be changed. A farm kid from mn bought it next, who rode it little till he traded for a snowmobile in 71. The next guy had small bike/snowmobile shop that lasted a few years, who kept it a backyard shed and rode it little. I bought it from him in 2011. When I went ove it I found a repaint and changed fender and tank mounting bolts, and a farm engineered battery mount. Every thing else looks as factory installed. I am not an expert at all, since this is my first antique bike, but the wiring lookes over 60 years old, nut, bolts and screws have corrosion like a piece of machinery that has been stored inside 60 years. My bike has the perforated military floorboards, I have not seen this on many 45 civilians. When I cleaned the carb last winter I specifically looked for signs of paint anywhere and could not find any. I believe Indian was assembling bikes out of what they had on the shelves to get them out, with little regard to accuracy from one to another. In an old Jerry Hatfeild book, he claimed no civilian production in 45, which he changed in later editions. I have heard civilian production from 200-2000 bikes in 45. My sn is CDE922, The card is M344, no PD, and only a 1 1/4 on choke plate. Although I would probobly never go to the trouble to have this bike judged, any info to keep this bike original would be appreciated. By the way, it came with a sidecar, which was left in Chicago in 48. I sure would like to find one for it,

[T. Cotten]

I have read that no bare bronze carb bodies were produced. I wonder, since so many things associated with normal production were eliminated because of the war, and the lack of documentation, even including civilian bike production, if we can nail down exactly what a 1945 cheif was. Since this bike was owned by the tribune for 3 years, it would have been utiliarian and unlikely to be changed. A farm kid from mn bought it next, who rode it little till he traded for a snowmobile in 71. The next guy had small bike/snowmobile shop that lasted a few years, who kept it a backyard shed and rode it little. I bought it from him in 2011. When I went ove it I found a repaint and changed fender and tank mounting bolts, and a farm engineered battery mount. Every thing else looks as factory installed. I am not an expert at all, since this is my first antique bike, but the wiring lookes over 60 years old, nut, bolts and screws have corrosion like a piece of machinery that has been stored inside 60 years. My bike has the perforated military floorboards, I have not seen this on many 45 civilians. When I cleaned the carb last winter I specifically looked for signs of paint anywhere and could not find any. I believe Indian was assembling bikes out of what they had on the shelves to get them out, with little regard to accuracy from one to another. In an old Jerry Hatfeild book, he claimed no civilian production in 45, which he changed in later editions. I have heard civilian production from 200-2000 bikes in 45. My sn is CDE922, The card is M344, no PD, and only a 1 1/4 on choke plate. Although I would probobly never go to the trouble to have this bike judged, any info to keep this bike original would be appreciated. By the way, it came with a sidecar, which was left in Chicago in 48. I sure would like to find one for it,

Fizz!

Indian did not assemble the carburetors, they came from L&L under contract.
It is hard to imagine the company would short-cut their paint department.

There are still finish questions, of course.

Modern sources insist that by the end of WW2, all external small hardware was cadmium plated.
Here is an example from an original paint '46 Chief, where some of the cad must have washed off!

....Cotten

[Steve Slocombe]

The 1945 Harleys were also Plain-Jane models with very little plating, so I'd be sympathetic to Indian/Linkert having no cad or nickel carburettor bodies at this time. Again on the Harleys, a lot of Police Bikes had fixed main jets to stop the officers tinkering with them, and with model numbers like M41F. I'm assuming the F stands for fixed jet. Do you think the Indian PD carb/bike might have had a fixed main jet too?

[T. Cotten]

Steve!

The last nickel-wash Linkert bodies were for H-D's 1939 production year, while Indian was still using potmetal Scheblers.
Indian's first production Linkerts were spec'd in 1941 to have "aluminum lacquer" bodies, and I have seen evidence of the same finish upon the bowls, and for '41 H-Ds as well.

Bright nickel external small parts were mixed through the war years (and I suspect H-D's OHV choke cams remained nickel for many years. Cadmium has often darkened to nearly black, and some NOS pieces indicate the plating was not thorough.

I have no experience with any NYPD carbs, and the few Fs that crossed my benches sensibly had civvy HS needles.

....Cotten

[45OZ]

This is my Original 1945 NYPD Chief Carb Stamp