'15 Hedstrom cases

[panthersteve]

Hi
I have been looking at a couple of '15 Hedstrom crankcases and was wondering if anyone can explain some differences I see.

15 crankcase a.jpg15 crankcase b.jpg

As you can see these 2 crankcases have different script styles/layouts cast into them, was this different models, different times (early "15 compared to late '15 or is there another explanation ?

Cheers
Steve

[Andrew Gauld]

Steve, the painted case is 15 with the clutch bush housing, unpainted one is earlier maybe 14. Andrew

[panthersteve]

Thanks Andrew

I had ended up answering my question but it is nice to get confirmation

Cheers
Steve

[bbinns]

I saw a photo of a 78G**** motor the other day without the clutch bush housing. Interesting as "G" should be 15. They most likely cataloged the previous year model in the 1915 offering.

[Andrew Gauld]

Or could be a single speed pedal type crankcase? maybe which i had not thought about before.

[Shaky Jake]

Interesting question, interesting model year. Looking at the 1915 brochures, it looks like all of the Big Twin models except the Speedway model had a dual acting clutch with a left foot lever that would have required the bushing in the crankcase. The Speedway Model could be ordered with either a clutch or a compensating sprocket, but if it had a clutch there was no pedal, just a lever, so it might not have needed the clutch bushing in the crankcase. It appears that the Big Twins all had the new heavy duty (type H) clutch, even the Big Twin single speeds which had a neutral countershaft in '15 rather than pedals. The only model they show with pedals in 1915 had the old type A clutch and a the single cylinder motor and it was called the Service Model. It had pedals and only the right side hand clutch lever, no foot control for the clutch, so it would not have needed a clutch bushing in the engine cases. I think the Service Model motor may have been based on a Big Twin crankcase with the front cylinder hole blanked off with a plate.

1915 was a bit of a transition year. There was a three speed transmission that year, but you could still get a two speed. The single speed models lost their pedals and gained a neutral countershaft, except for the single cylinder Service Model that still had pedals. The new Type H heavy duty clutch came out, but the old type A clutch was still available and used on the Service Model.

There were a ton of options available in 1915, maybe even some that weren't depicted in the brochures, so it could have been anything, but I'm thinking that the 1915 crankcase without the clutch bushing may have been from either a 1915 Service Model or a 1915 Speedway Model. This is just from looking at the brochures, I'm no expert on these Hedstrom Indians.




Kevin


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[Spacke2speed]

On the ’15 non-scripted Indian case issue, it would be interesting to know if any of the case bolt holes is stepped or are they all straight through hole. The stepped holes are needed for the stepped pivot stud used on the foot clutch on the ’14s, and the lower rear hole for the stepped brake pedal pivot stud.
One possibility is using the “14” cases marked as ’15 for use on the ’15 racers as they would not need the clutch bushing, or the two stepped case bolt holes. Plus, that would use up some of the “extra” ’14 cases left over.

Another possibility explanation for the “early” case is they may be a leftover motor from late ’14 that was offered in real early ’15. Differences early in the year especially after the induction of a new model may be related to using up the old inventory or a delay in the new models deliveries.

If you look at a real early 1912 Excelsior literature, in the back they show leftover ’11 belt drive twins bikes that have been updated with an Eclipse motor clutch. While the later 1912 Excelsior literature does not show the “leftovers”.

Sometimes it is just a change as the real early new models coming out, such as the 1915 Harley Davidson literature shows the three-speed shift gate as an open gate type, and the “mud” clutch hand lever is off the top of the foot clutch lever. While the later 1915 Harley Davidson literature shows the three-speed shift gate as a closed gate type, and the “mud” clutch hand lever is off the top of the transmission.

Spacke2speed