its ALIVE....!~

[-CB-]

No pic at the moment, but .... the all encompassing summer project of an engine top end overhaul on the Harley is complete, since I turned on the fuel supply, gave it one twist to prime the dry bowl, two more to get some fuel in the throat of the manifold, and hit the switch.  Instant catch, no hiccup, no nothin... just like it never got torn down, except for a little smoke from all the assembly lube I used (lots).  Four short run heat cycles later... and I noticed the choke cable plastic connector split.  Other than that, she's ready to ride once I get the tank bolted down.

Thats a $1300 job, that cost me about $350, including all the special tools for headwork and cylinder work.  I can see the thou' for labor at a shop.  Its time intensive if done with care.

Now I can get back to guitars..... Guitar-Electronics sent me an email, the parts I've had on backorder since March are finally in.  Just in time!

 

[Graffiti62]

Good for you man!  I'm not sure what part of the country you're in, but at least you may get some riding time in. Up here along the coast of Lake Superior, if the sun ever decides to pop out again, a guy may have one or two good riding days left before it gets just damp and cold enough to not make it fun til spring.

 

[Alfang]

I thought those kinda projects were winter projects , so that it's ready for summer ride'n ?

 

[whitebison66]

So the $1,000 you saved will go to a new Warmoth, right???

 

[pabloman]

I thought those kinda projects were winter projects , so that it's ready for summer ride'n ?

It's a Harley, It didn't make it through the summer. Besides if he waited for the winter more things would go wrong by then :icon_jokercolor:

 

[mayfly]

Cool.  A top end job is something that I never attempted, although I've had stuff seriously apart at times on the various bikes that I had. Once  I had to  replace a couple of cam-chain tensioners on a honda V-twin. From that experience I learned that there is a really good analogy between tube amps and bikes:

Harleys - like working on an old fender or marshall tag board amp (i.e. a pleasure to work on).
Modern Jap bikes - like working on PCB tube amps with solid state stuff in there (i.e. a big pain in the ass)
Ducatis - like working on an original VOX AC30  :doh:

:icon_jokercolor:

 

[BigBeard]

Cool man glad to hear you are up and running again!  I was having trouble with my bike here for most of the summer.  I went to park it one night and it just quit.  Mine is fuel injected, so I called around and asked a couple questions on a Harley forum I belong to and all signs pointed to a bad crank position sensor.  Well after swapping out the sensor, still nothing (my sister in law has an '08 883 low, so I just borrowed her sensor) so a buddy of mine suggested that I disconnect my Vance & Hines Fuelpak and see if it starts.  I did that and it fired right up!  Well thats good and all, but the bike was running like garbage, way too lean and just generally bad.  So I figured that since the Fuelpak was 2 years old I was screwed.  Well I called V&H and they told me to send it back and they would either fix or replace it, free of charge!!!!  They also told me to include info on my pipes and they put a new map into it for me and now the bike is almost scary fast.  I had a paperwork run yesterday (I work as an independent courier for a day job) so I took the bike.  Best 90 miles that I have been paid to run in a long time!  I normally can't use my bike for runs, because I don't know how much or what I am picking up, but I know the receptionist where I was picking up and all I had was 5 envelopes yesterday, which fit in my sissy bar bag quite easily.  Hopefully I can get a few more of those till the weather gets cold, because I make more money using the bike instead of my truck, it only costs me like six bucks to buy the gas for the bike!

Knowing how to do that kind of stuff is really great.  I have a Honda 400 EX quad that I have totally rebuilt myself.  Well originally I had some joker attempt to rebuild it and all he did was end up costing me a ton of money for his work, and a ton more to fix what he messed up by not using a torque wrench.  I rebuilt the top end of the motor and put a big bore kit in it with a stage 2 Hot Cam, she is a 440 now.  The quad runs great, but it's somewhat of a bitch to get started because there is no compression release on the Hot Cam like there was on the stock cam, and I upped the compression ratio to 11:1, so sometimes the starter can't spin it.  It runs like a fat kid to a buffet, especially with 110 octane VP racing fuel!

Trev, that is a good analogy, but the new fuel injected HDs are really a pain when there is something wrong with them computer wise.  My bike reminds me of my Polytone solid state jazz amp..... one day it just quit working!

 

[Mor Paul]

Finally finished?

And those parts are finally shipped? Can't wait to see the result.

 

[-CB-]

Yah Max!  I got a whole 4 miles on the new top end tonite!  Riding at last.

And the summer rain, which didn't happen, is finally starting, now that the bike is running again.  Figures.

Vendor sent me ship confirmation on the tele parts... so we're gonna be ok on that in a few days.

 

[OzziePete]

Cool.  A top end job is something that I never attempted, although I've had stuff seriously apart at times on the various bikes that I had. Once  I had to  replace a couple of cam-chain tensioners on a honda V-twin. From that experience I learned that there is a really good analogy between tube amps and bikes:

Harleys - like working on an old fender or marshall tag board amp (i.e. a pleasure to work on).
Modern Jap bikes - like working on PCB tube amps with solid state stuff in there (i.e. a big pain in the ass)
Ducatis - like working on an original VOX AC30  :doh:

:icon_jokercolor:

Hey Trevor

That is a good analogy!  :headbang:  :icon_thumright:

I don't ride bikes but have had many friends and workmates over the years who do.
They make similar comments about the brands that you have made here, though some make the comment about never wearing new pants when riding an old Harley, as you tend to get a fair bit of grease on your legs!

I also relate the struggle that Harley Davidson had in re establishing it's marque name in the bike industry after being part of a globalised company and suffering QC issues in the late 70s etc., to what both Fender and Gibson suffered during that same time.

 

[pabloman]

Harley Davidson is the Gibson or PRS of the motorcycle world!!! Ha ha. I love it. arty07:

 

[OzziePete]

Harley Davidson is the Gibson or PRS of the motorcycle world!!! Ha ha. I love it. arty07:

I dunno that some guitar playing Harley owners would appreciate being compared to Gibson.....but both brand names were owned by global corporates that raped their good will in the 70s.

 

[pabloman]

I dunnooooo, Overpriced status symbol with instant membership to the upper eschelon vs. better built, better performing asian import at a lower price....sounds spot on to me.