41 FL TT Shorty's

While settin' up the Shorty Flanders for the 41 FL TT I dropped a spiral on my scalloped primary cover...fuck.... but the handle bar set up is coming along! I also put a clutch hub together and finally tightened up the oil tank, rear fender combo for good. Next will be turning down a pair of NOS spirals to fit the Flanders bars...ouch!

O-Ringed

I have another project (47 FL) under way and after cleaning up the cylinder it turns out it had been "O -Ringed". I have heard about this technique but have never seen it.

Indian Flat Tracker - Reading 2011

Took a ride over to Frank Westfall's Super Swap in Reading PA today.

Frank moved the show from Harrisburg PA where it had been held for about 25 years over to Reading PA. Had a good time and picked up a few parts. I saw this Indian Flat Tracker and thought about takin' it home. Cool machine!

51 Buick Road Test

First time back on the road in about 30 years.

Door handles? What door handles?

Business up front...Party in the back. Mullet style...

I just got my 51 Buick back from Mark at Twisted Customs. He did some brake work, a fuel pump and stuff for me. I also had him take off the rear door handles and weld up the holes. I am on my way to "Nosed and Decked"...I'll do the rest myself.

We found that the gas tank was rotted pretty bad. He had a fuel tank off an old hod rod in the shop and after a bit of bracketry and some questionable leather studded belting ...problem solved. There's a Rat Rod surprise in the trunk! There is zero exhaust on this this thing so it looks like a trip to Pep Boys is in order to pick up a $27 Cherry Bomb (I love the Cherry Bomb slogan...Disturbing the Peace since 1968).

I took the Buick up to the tavern for an adult beverage on it's maiden voyage and it did draw a crowd...a lot of head scratching. She ran pretty good but was over heating when I got back...oops forgot to check a few things. I added water and that fixed that. Now to get the lights straightened out. 6 Volts just like my bikes.

Foam Don't Get You Home...

...But it helps to get a shitty winter's worth of salt of the bike!

I picked up this pterodactyl back in August on my trip to Brookfield NY. He hung on through the worst winter on record and I wouldn't even consider peelin' him off...let's see how much longer he can hold out. I'm hoping he makes it back to Brookfield this year!

Fancy Wheel Cover

...wish the picture was better

Shocking!

First Day of Spring!!!!!

It really does work!!!!

Unfriendly Version?

Worn
Bearings riding low...

Almost looks like it was made that way

After I cleaned up the parts and began inspecting the internals of my step hub I noticed something was not quite right. I remembered a post last month on Matt Olsen's Blog regarding 35-37 wheel hub parts and why they are "not your friend". Apparently I have the unfriendly version.

Hey Matt, any recommendations?

Dinner and a Movie????

Fuck no! Step Hub service while Joe Pesci is poppin' a guys eyeball out with his head in a vise! Casino...great flick.

The hub internals were in better shape then I thought...a little massaging and it will go back together. I think I'll run the old tire too...dry rot never scared me!

39 EL Front Wheel and Brake Cable

Lever hooked up and working well

Funky early cable adjustment set up

Found a red step hub



Needs some disassembly and inspection

Got the front brake cable worked out and connected. That old style adjuster set up has a lot going on with it compared to the later one but it works. I had to drill the old rusted cable coil out of the lever bracket. The front brake is now complete and it's time to concentrate on the front wheel. Got me a red one! Need to take the hub apart and check it out.

39 EL Front Brake Cleaned and Installed

Hhhmm...Let's see..I need hot soapy water and something to scrub the 39 brake drum with...Bingo! The kitchen sink!

Nice


The backing plate looks a bit shinny from the WD-40 wipe down. shit...that'll fade soon enough.

Internals are in good shape


More progress. Now that the fender's on permanently I can mount the front brake backing plate to the fork. I cleaned up all the parts and reworked the grease fittings so that everything works the way it should. The pressed-steel brake drum took a bath in the kitchen sink and is ready for the wheel...the wheel...hhhmmm...let me go find a red step hub wheel....

39 EL Front Fender Blender

Tape off the old

Gun Coat ...coat

done...ish


Not a perfect match but time will tell

Time to blend the 39 EL front fender that Mark fixed. Tape off the old paint, hit the bare metal with Gun Coat, a product I used in the eighties instead of parkerizing, then hit it with flat black engine paint and then Ford red (whatever red was in the garage), dab with a paper towel while wet, sand the edges, rub with dirt and kitty litter.

I'm very inpatient so the whole process from tape to mount took 30 minutes tops. I don't wait for anything to dry.
The camera makes it look a bit more obvious then it does in person, nothing a few seasons on the road can't fix....done...next...

Factory Rule...1936 revised

Notice the revision date 2-36. That's not spit on the floor...that's drool as the first production Knuckleheads rolled off the assembly line!!!!!

1950 Pan...All Business...

39 Fender Fix!

Before

That's the fender mounting reinforcement with the fender "skin" rotted right off the top

After

I wasn't quite sure how to deal with the fender rot on my 39 EL front fender. The skin of the fender was rotted right off where the reinforcement for the fender mount is. I've never seen one quite like it (see the top pic). I brought it over to Mark from Twisted Customs to work his metal magic and it's all better now! Mark had to piece in a new skin over top of the reinforcement.

What a great fuckin' job! I am leaving this bike with the old paint so I'll have to blend it in but man did this fix come out great.

Back Roads PA

...was out taking a ride through the back roads of Eastern Pennsylvania today and came upon this place.