1939 Knucklehead Maintenance...Like I said...Never ending

Running Shitty, Trans Leaking Badly, Broken Buddy Peg Bracket...time to go to work...

Start with the Running Shitty part...

Hhhhmmm caked with goo....

A sparkling new Champion D 21 which is hotter than a D 16.  I read about it on a tractor web site and started using them last year to help burn off the crud...it doesn't seem to be putting a dent in the "Dirty Nine"'s cruddiness...oh well just like a baby...Clean and Change oftener...

Now to the Trans Leaking Badly section...the only clean spot on the "Dirty Nine" due to 25 years of adding 50W to the trans almost daily...at least every time I ride it...

Rather than fixing the leak I'm gonna try Gear oil...

Topped off nicely...I'm guessing it will have drained out onto the shop floor by morning but we'll see...

OK, time to fix / replace the broken Buddy Peg Bracket...

It's an early one with no holes...need to find a suitable replacement...

Found one!

Found a matching peg as well....I didn't want to disturb the crustiness around the peg nut on the one I removed...I'll get that one welded up at some point...

...and that's all for now...

I took it out for the afternoon and it ran like a dream!

1946 Knucklehead Maintenance...this shit never stops...

Oil Change

Brake adjustment...

Uh Oh...clutches are stuck together...

Hold on...my grease gun started working...

hit 'em all...

Back to the clutch...oops the primary is loose as a goose 

My favorite washer (tool) back in use...

Burnt Offerings...

Left over burning clutch action from TROG in October...she was doing OK until I let it sit for a month...then it decided to fuse together...

Smelled like fire...

Fused...

Peeled 'em apart now it's time to clean 'em up...

Cleaned out the basket of cheer...

Steels are ready...

Fibers are soaking in petrol...

Back together with a primary chain adjustment...which of course means another rear chain adjustment, a rear brake adjustment, a shift linkage adjustment, etc.

All adjusted and buttoned up...

Ready for hole shots!!!!

Richie Pan Memorial August 2, 2015

From Cindy...
I want to thank everyone for your patience with our need for privacy these past 2 weeks. Your outpouring of support has been overwhelming and is appreciated.
Many have asked if Dark Star Tattoos is open. I want to assure you the shop is still running. Joseph Fessman is doing an amazing job of managing the business and is tattooing. Please stop in, make an appointment, and support DST.

A public memorial is planned for Sunday, August 2nd from 1pm-5pm at the AmVets on Rte 571 in Jackson, NJ. 

There will be live music, a cash bar, and some food for purchase. We would like as many of you to ride as possible. Get together with friends and fill the back roads of New Jersey with motorcycles, then stop by, pay your respects, and celebrate Rich’s life.
Please Tag and share.
Thank you,
Friends and Family of Richie Pan
Cindy,

1947 Knucklehead Maintenance - Intake leakage and Carb bolt fix

Was feeling like I had an intake leak on the 47 FL

So I dropped the carb...

Found that, although the nuts were tight, the intake was loose...it moved freely when the carb support bracket was removed indicating that the brass bushings were not tightening up and sealing around the manifold

I popped off the manifold...you can also see in this picture an old intake nipple replacement fix using allen head set screws...hey it works...

The bushings slid on and off with ease. I tried other bushings and had the same issue with this manifold...pretty obvious as to where it was leaking...

The only other manifold I had that was the proper length was a chrome one. I have found that a quick trip to the glass bead cabinet textures chrome pretty well and gives it a cad type finish...

Looks OK to me...yeah I know I shoulda sent away for the new improved bushing/Peek seals or had my manifold reworked by the pros or whatever such stuff restorers do these days...but I didn't. I found two bushings that slid on tight and looked OK and used them...

Everything was going just fine until I began tightening the screw/bolts that hold the carb to the manifold...the last one (lower right) gave me that sickening feeling of stripage just I was carefully tightening it up...FUCK!

I went to the "well" and found three different size carb mounting screw/bolts

I took the longest one and ran some more threads down it so that it would screw through what was left of the carb threads and poke out the other side long enough to put a lock washer and nut on it 

I love house wire! I used my patented wire wrap technique to sneak the nut into the tight spot and get it started...worked like a charm!

I really hated to do this but I did not have a choice if I wanted to ride yesterday...maybe I'll fix it right when I pull the carb off in another 20 years...maybe not...It's tucked away down there...

...and from the other side looks perfect!

Oh yeah... she's running great now with no leakage...was out all day "test driving"...the only thing leaking is me from all the Lager intake...

1947 Knuckle Maintenance...Clutch and Timing

Pulling the clutch apart to check it out...

seemed a little slippy to me at the top of the gears

I can't even count the times I've pulled one of these things apart...

My special washer for these many occasions...

...and yes, I know the inside of my inner is red...

Out it all comes...

Oh yeah, I'm fixing my boot too...

Plates out, soak in gas, dry, resurface...back in...

I also tightened up the rivets on the spring plate

Side Note: See the holes in this pressure plate. They tell me that this was once used with a B&H hand clutch set up. In the Instructions for installing a B&H it tells you to drill holes and rivet a friction disc on the pressure plate and get rid of the spring plate.

All back together, spring tension adjusted 31/32 and ready to roll.

Now to check the timing...

The points are shitty...better start there...

N.O.S. Dixi points in stock...

Installed and gap set at .22...

The way I check my timing...a VOM (Volt / Ohm Meter) with a continuity tester that gives off a tone when it senses continuity. The manual tells you to use a test light but I like to hear it instead of look for it and I don't want to leave my ignition on during the process...

I attach it to ground and the points terminal..

I disconnect the wire from the points to the coil to avoid the false reading...then I pull the front plug, stick my thumb over the plug hole and slowly kick it over and wait to feel the compression stroke on the front cylinder. When I feel it start to blow my thumb off I stop kicking and turn on the VOM (the tone should be sounding because the points are not opened yet which produces continuity to the VOM and hence, sounds the tone). I move over to the timing hole and slowly rotate the engine in the direction it runs. I usually do this by having the rear wheel off the ground and the bike in gear. I grab the rear wheel and move it so that it turns the motor over a little at a time kind of like tapping it forward (this works well because if you pass the hole you can just turn the wheel backwards to get it back)...When the timing mark just begins to appear at the rear of the hole the points should break, silencing the tone coming from the VOM. If it doesn't then the fun begins! Time to loosen the stud nut on the dist head and start messing with the timing until you get it perfecto... The Knuckle has felt like the timing was a bit retarded. It started too easily, without retarding and just seemed a bit off on power...I was correct and now it is FIXED!

Everything back together and ready for Wing Night!