Panhead Motor Check 1950E

 

 

 

We've got plenty of customer's engine work on at the moment but as were getting ready to sell our next bike we thought we had better go through the motor so the next owner doesn't get any unwanted suprises!

 

Everything looked okay but when we were inspecting the primary chain we noted an excess of end play on the motor sprocket. B*ll*cks.

 

Anyway, motor out, take apart, clean, all the usual stuff.  The thing is that someone has recently rebuilt this motor and with some high quality parts, they just didn't measure correctly or in sufficient detail ... which is why we have so much measuring kit to cover dimensions, weights, etc.

 

Harley cases, races, flywheels, con rods, new +60 pistons, Jims crank pin, sprocket shaft

 

 

 

Assemble the bottom end, measure the end float (movement) check the spec (12 thou) take apart, fit new spacers, reasemble, measure, repeat, etc until it's perfect.

 

 

 

Finished, 12 thou.  Too much is too loose. Too much movement, shake rattle and roll (to bits).

Too little is too tight, when the motor runs, heats up and expands there needs to be sufficient clearance. 

 

 

 

Jims parts and Harley parts; a winning combination.

 

 

 

Matching number 1950 Harley cases.

 

 

Remember, anyone can buy the parts and bolt them together and then sell you a 'rebuilt motor'. But have they got £000's of tooling to measure and do the job correctly.

 

We may sell this bike as is for a customer to modify, or we may do it ourselves, but either way whovever gets it knows it will run.  I'd run this bike for 50 or so miles after we had MOT'd it and it ran great .... but the job still needed doing.

 

 

gordo again

Barrels back from coaters, off to be bored to take there new keith black pistons. Time to thoroughly clean everything within an inch of its life for reassembly. This engine is running a j grind andrews cam for a little bit more get  up and go, velva touch lifters, black diamond valves, keith black pistons, jims sprocket and pinion, S+S crank pin. Really the best of everthing. The build is a renovation, restoration and refurbishment of a really good looking generator shovel.     

There she goes.

Tacoma on her way to a loving home.

Took her out for a quick spin before she went ... never a good idea, but she ran great.

gordo continued freshly powdered off for boring

more gordo

The next job was to replace cam cover bushes and ream and lap to size. All these jobs take specialist tools, time and continual measuring , all necessary for a quiet running, longevity and SWEET motor. Time to press bearings onto sprocket shaft/ case

gordo continued......

more gordo

gordo continued

The contraption around flywheels is to line up flywheel as accurately as possible , to stop them pulling as you torque the nuts, as it varies the torque between different year groups, upto 450lbs you are trying save on time when you come to do the run out. Once all back together time check side float on rod to flywheel clearance and then put into centres. This wasnt to far out and a couple of taps brought it well within factory spec. Left hand case had new timpkin races pressed in. New pinion race in right pressed in and measured.   The pinion shaft was measured and right hand case was lapped bringing it back to standard size.   

more gordo

gordo continued

gordo's engine continued

s

Starting to put crank back together and glyptoling (is there such a word) the crankcase

Tacoma £13k or best offer.

SOLD ON THE FIRST DAY

She is fully up and running, MOT’d and taxed until July next year.

1950 FL motor, rebuilt and internally inspected by us. The left case is by the Cleveland Casting Corporation with a big later style bearing, perfectly matched. The cam cover is polished not chromed, as are the valve covers, lovely finish. Cycle Electrics regulator, 12 volt, points ignition, new coil, Linkert M74B rebuilt carb. Robben Speed Shop air cover (or Roth style).

1949 HD original wishbone frame with most all original tabs. Springer forks. Flanders 4” risers, Faber Cycle Flanders ‘O’ pattern bars, internal controls and  shortened CMC grips. HD 3.5 gallon tanks with original fuel shut off and period caps.  Knucklehead ribbed rear fender, cool hard to find BTE rear light and tough HD silencer.

19” front and 16” rear recently built wheels, re-built star hubs and brand new Firestone Z pattern tyres.  Original HD brakes on front and rear.

Foot clutch, hand shift. New Primo primary belt drive setup inside old tins. HD footboards, CMC kicker pedal. Perfect WR seat (may change).

If you want any work doing on her or changes made then let us know. You may want foot gear change instead of hand shift, a wheel cover, a different this or that, it’s up to you.

 

 

Tacoma for sale.

Tacoma is up for sale. She's running great but we haven't ever looked inside the motor. It was bought in as being 'rebuilt' and as we knew the builder we never bothered to check. But as we're selling her we thought it best to make sure before she moves on.

We took the heads off and everything looks like new! Still got the honing marks on the cyls, pistons and valves are new, great.

We've put James' gaskets in with fire rings and she's good to go but she'll still need a few careful miles before she's breaking records.