the garage

a shot of where it's all happening. i don't have a lot of space but, it's better than nothing. stripped the oil tank. all these painted parts will be stripped and when I've got a bunch for the painter, I'll bring them to a local guy.
the skid guard (pictured with some chrome: the "beer cans" and the oil filter) mounts to the frame under the engine, was stripped and will need painting.

fenders

...or the fancy old fashioned term is mudguards. front and back. front is a mess. lots of corrosion, body filler and cracks in the edges. probably needs to be replaced. these old rear fenders were hinged to aid in the event you would need to remove or work on the rear wheel. this one is in good shape but, the hinge is broken. it appears easily fixed with a quick little weld.

brake drums

still cleaning the wheels but, thought i'd show the progress on the brake drums.

Wheel identification

Back to the bike. I haven't done any work on this project for some time.
First, here are some more facts to dispute the claim that the bike is an "all original" 1958. The part number on both wheels is 43006-62. These are 16" wheels used from 1962 on. After some cleaning was able to locate the foundry date stamps. The front wheel is from 1962 and the rear is from 1970. Again, I'm not too concerned about the "all original" as much as I'm concerned about "all usable" condition of the parts. These wheels are original HD parts which is cool but, I'll never win any contests with this hode-podge of parts.
The 62 wheel is a freakin' mess. I'm gonna clean as much as I can and bring them over to a local garage to see if they're usable. If so, tubes, tires and balance.

filthy rusty wheels

the wheels are a mess. the tires for these wheels require and inner tube. there is a 1 inch wide rubber band which protects the tube from the spokes. the rubber band is so corroded and is now fused with the wheel itself from years of neglect and rust. I'm using paint stripper, naval jelly-anything i can think of. yesterday i was scraping it off with a standard screwdriver. i'm a long way from clean and ready to use on these.

forks

Hydra-Glide forks. 1949-1968 Glides used sliders that mount the brake drum on left side. I did my best with these. New seals and gaskets but, I haven't put the fork oil in yet so i can't tell if they leak. They're 40 to 50 years old. I'm pretty sure they leak. I'm going to fix up and clean all of the bits and pieces I have and after I get it together, I may start upgrading parts.

handlebar and risers

One piece black handlebar on two black risers solid mounted to the fork top triple clamp. This is consistent with 1949 to 1959 Hydra-Glide steering assembly. 1958? Maybe.

Identification

When I bought this pile of parts, I hoped to learn about how motorcycles are built and run, learn some history about Harley and enjoy a hobby totally unrelated to how I earn a living. So far, I'm happy to report, the project is living up to expectations. When I bought what was advertised as an all original 1958, I was skeptical. As I clean and catalog these parts, I'm researching as well and have revealed much of this bike to be from years other than 1958. Again, no big deal-it was expected and the investigation is what is teaching me the most about it.
The engine is a 1958 as it is stamped with a number which proves it to be so. The frame is consistent with the frames first used in 1958 but, Harley used this frame on it's Duo-Glides until 1964. 1958 was the first year of the Duo-Glide. In previous years the rear wheel attached directly to the frame. The Duo-Glide frame introduced the swingarm to the back end of the motorcycle which allowed the bumps in the road to be absorbed by the shock absorbers attached to either side rather than the lower back of the rider. The frame is known as a "step down" frame.
While the swingarm has all the markings consistent with a 1958 -1961 swingarm, it also has a zerk fitting (for greasing the swingarm pivot bolt) which places it squarely in 1962. As the components were seperate when purchased and knowing that most of the parts are interchangeable for years and years, I can not be sure if the entire frame is a 1962 or if it's just the swingarm.

Fender

the rear fender (or mudguard) is hinged to ease in the removal of rear wheel. top image shows the front and rear fender in condition when i bought them. bottom image is the stripped rear fender in two pieces.

Brake drums

How about them brake drums? Clean huh? Naval Jelly kicks ass.

clean clutch

an investigation of the transmission revealed some numbers stamped into the bottom of the case. 121 35, 6 59 and 2E. I'm guessing the 121 35 is the part number (as in this transmission case is the same style 4 speed kick start case used on harley's since 1935) and the 6 59 is the casting date making this transmission a 59 or 60 and certainly not original to the bike. Anybody got any ideas what 2E might be? Maybe the foundry? Anyway, the clutch. When I took it apart it had 4 steel plates and 5 double sided friction plates. Everything I read indicates it should be, what is commonly referred to as a 3 and a half plate clutch. I bought a replacement set of friction plates and it has 4 double sided plates.

can i use 4 double sided friction plates in my clutch or do i need the 4th plate to be a half plate? Anybody?

compensator sprocket

clean compensator. part of the primary drive.

the beginning

THE PROJECT.
a couple months back, I drove up to Sacremento to buy an old "basket case" harley. the first image is what i saw on e-bay. as you can see, "basket case" means it's in pieces and you have to carry it away in baskets.

I am slowly taking every component apart, removing paint, rust and grease, and trying to either repair or evaluate whether or not i can salvage. it's going to take me a very long time to get this thing on the road. With patience, hard work, a little luck and some cooperation from the department of motor vehicles, this old panhead will ride again.

This is where I'm going

I was posting this stuff on my sketchbook blog but decided to give it it's own space. I'm a complete novice at bike building and if anyone out there has found this blog by search, please feel free to leave a comment and help me get this thing on the road.