I have a 1974 harley davidson had to fix the magneto .... my question is the spark plug wiring not sure witch wire goes to what cylinder or does it make a difference??? thank you
Hey Paul, thank you so much for making these videos! They really are priceless. What are your thoughts on side to side play in the connecting rods? I have the Jugs off and I'm hoping that I don't have to go this far with my motor, but that's why I'm watching all of these videos. The front rod has much more play than the back one. Thanks in advance.
The back rod is the split one and always has less play than the front. I see forum posts: xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1683014 I don't know what year you have, my 1970-78 manual says end-play should be between 0.005" and 0.015". But that is the clearance of the female (rear) rod to the flywheels. I can see no spec on the male (front) rod to the female rod. My buddy was a machinist at the United Airlines main maintenance hub in San Francisco airport. They had a saying, "Well, it flew in, didn't it?" So I suspect your clearance is OK. The downside is such a huge tear-up, most guys would just hope for the best. Splitting the flywheels is the tough job most guys just can't do at home. My one pal does have the truing stand and the other uses his lathe to true the flywheels after putting them together. Thing is, if the clearance is not even stated, for the male rod, so what would you do, just buy new rod sets hoping for a tighter one? I can't tell you what to do, but it is more important to make sure the piston pin is square and flat to the case deck, now there I have seen mechanics bend on the con rods with a 5-foot cheater bar, but then, you don't need to split the cases to do that.
Your videos are awesome! Living in NZ , its hard to get any local advice so I live by these videos!. Do you have a video that shows dealing with the left side sprocket race and bearings? Getting them out and new ones in? Thanks
For pulling the sprocket bearing check out: Iron Sportster bead blast LH case th-cam.com/video/ZcmgwY9aEAY/w-d-xo.html Getting the seal and races out was easier than I thought it would be. The thing I did not show is getting the race off the flywheel sprocket shaft. That requires a special tool, though I once worked the race off with screwdrivers or chisels or some other stupid thing. Some guys just break the bearings out and cut the race off, then pressing on the new one is not too hard, as long as you support the actual wheel the shaft goes into. In other words, don't press or hammer on the sprocket shaft bearing while the wheels are sitting on the pinion shaft side. If I remember right, you can just use the nut and pull the thing together, but I forgot how. Like always, you try to press against the outer race as you pull things together. And remember to put that little spacer between the inner races or you will weld up the whole bearing when it seizes in a few miles.
Oh dang, this year did not have one-- let me go look at the parts book.... OK, yeah, no compensator sprocket on 1977 and later. Also, no compensator on XLCH kick-start only bikes, even 76 and before. If you take the compensator off an electric start bike, the Bendix usually cracks after a while. I think not having any "cush" in the primary drive is too hard on the electric starter, though the compensator does make the bike smoother as well. I bought a tool-box from a broke Harley mechanic, and he had made a tool to remove the compensator. He took a junk compensator nut, that big goofy plate with the shaft (40387-57) and he welded a 1/2" square drive to where the narrow shaft where the threads are. Then he went to flat plate with the four holes and welded in some cap-head screws from behind, so they would fit into that same place on the compensator you are trying to remove. It works pretty good, despite being ugly, and it works with a torque wrench or an impact. That is one thread that I might put a little blue Loctite, though you can see the primary cover is made to keep the compensator from unscrewing all the way. Colony makes a real tool, SKU 010974, #3506-1 Compensator Sprocket Nut Tool 1955-70 Harley-Davidson FL FLH 57-76 Sportster
No compensator on some XLCH models or all bikes 1977 and later. If you took the compensator off an electric-start bike, the Bendix would crack after a while, I guess it needs some "cush" in the primary drive to protect the electric starter. I do think bikes with a compensator are smoother and easier on the tranny and drive-train, though people with a good ear can hear the compensator working, at least some times. I bought a tool box from a broke Harley mechanic and he had taken a junk compensator nut (40386-57) and welded a 1/2" square drive to the narrow part where the threads are. Then he welded in some cap-head bolts from behind on the plate. The bolts would then fit the real compensator plate in your bike and allow you to take it off. It works with a torque wrench or an impact, though it is butt-ugly. Hang around a bike shop and they may have one in the junk pile you could have. The real colony tool is SKU 010974, #3506-1 Compensator Sprocket Nut Tool 1955-70 Harley-Davidson FL FLH 57-76 Sportster , but it's over 50 bucks, ouch. If I was in a shade-tree mood, and had nothing else, I would drill an angle iron at the spacing of those holes in the plate, put some bolts through the holes, and try to use that as a spanner to get that dang compensator off.
I have a 1979 harley sportster it runs for about 10 minutes or less and it seems to freeze and shut down, and won't start. After sitting for about an hour it will do the same thing start and stop. I opened the oil cap on side when engine was running and oil seem to overflow on it. When its shut down the level is good. I am assuming the pump is reversed or not tubed correctly causing oil to collect more in oil tank vs engine causing it to lock up? based on your experience, any thoughts on engine kind of freezing? Thanks
What does "freeze" mean? Are you saying the motor just seizes up and won't turn or crank? What did you touch last? Did you work on the bike or just buy it or what? If the oil lines are reversed, it will blow the engine up and cost 5 grand to rebuild. It happens a lot when guys work on the oil system. My mechanic buddies always verify the lines twice, and make sure oil is coming out the return line into the tank. That will be hard to do on a '79, but at least check the hose routing. This might help: sportsterpedia.com/doku.php/techtalk:ih:oil04 Oil systems don't reverse on their own. Many times oil slowly weeps from the tank and fills up the engine. Then people add oil and when the bike runs, the oil that was in the engine goes into the tank and blows the cap off. You should check oil after the engine has run for a while. Running for ten minutes might mean the gas cap has a plugged vent. It could also be something in the ignition getting hot and then failing. You have to figure out if the engine is losing spark or losing gas. It might be a bad check valve in the oil pump letting the oil in the tank to seep into the engine when the bike sits for a few days. But even too much oil would not "freeze" an engine, it usually just pumps the extra oil to the tank where it flows out the fill hole. Get the oil problem fixed. Start the bike and make sure that the oil level in the tank never gets above the "Fill" level on the dipstick. If it does, start sucking the oil out with a turkey baster or a hose or something. Once you get the oil level right, then you can see if the engine is running out of gas or if the spark is dying. I doubt the oil problem is related, but you never know with a Harley.
@@Open-Sport Thank you sir, yes the bike has been worked on by local mechanic changed wiring harness, new electronic ignition and coil. And your correct based on your information its not the oil pump, my bad. The routing of the oil hose is correct. I also meant it seems like is seizes, like if the brakes were engaged and shuts down engine. Don't even have chance to engage to 2nd gear. I checked the brakes fluid and pads and they engage properly and are not rubbing. Thanks again for your reply.
@@sevati6167 Sometimes it is the new parts that fail. It's called a "bathtub curve" since parts often fail right away, but once they work for a while, they last a long time until they wear out. I have had brand new condensers be bad, and some points that failed. It might be the electronic ignition has a defect where it warms up then makes the engine lose power, so it acts like you describe. One thing you could try is put an old mechanical points ignition on the bike and see how it runs. Good luck, these problems can be very frustrating, keep the faith!
I left Silicon Valley as it became so costly, there was no hope I could ever stop working for big corporations until the day I died. Now I make TH-cam videos and do projects that I want to do, on my own schedule. No income tax in Florida, much cheaper housing and food and gasoline, and a lot of nice people.
Rather than weld a nut onto the stand. I would just make a plate to weld onto it and drill and tap holes for the bolts storage. I think your tubing could be used too, but I can't see the dimensions well enough to recommend that simple approach. Different ships, different long splices.
Thanks for making these videos. Working on an 81 right now and they’ve been enormously helpful.
Found you just in time, am about to embark on a 1981 ironhead in a box. Thanks for the knowledge!
Glad to help!
I have a 1974 harley davidson had to fix the magneto .... my question is the spark plug wiring not sure witch wire goes to what cylinder or does it make a difference??? thank you
Hey Paul, thank you so much for making these videos! They really are priceless. What are your thoughts on side to side play in the connecting rods? I have the Jugs off and I'm hoping that I don't have to go this far with my motor, but that's why I'm watching all of these videos. The front rod has much more play than the back one. Thanks in advance.
The back rod is the split one and always has less play than the front. I see forum posts:
xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1683014
I don't know what year you have, my 1970-78 manual says end-play should be between 0.005" and 0.015". But that is the clearance of the female (rear) rod to the flywheels. I can see no spec on the male (front) rod to the female rod.
My buddy was a machinist at the United Airlines main maintenance hub in San Francisco airport. They had a saying, "Well, it flew in, didn't it?" So I suspect your clearance is OK. The downside is such a huge tear-up, most guys would just hope for the best.
Splitting the flywheels is the tough job most guys just can't do at home. My one pal does have the truing stand and the other uses his lathe to true the flywheels after putting them together. Thing is, if the clearance is not even stated, for the male rod, so what would you do, just buy new rod sets hoping for a tighter one? I can't tell you what to do, but it is more important to make sure the piston pin is square and flat to the case deck, now there I have seen mechanics bend on the con rods with a 5-foot cheater bar, but then, you don't need to split the cases to do that.
Your videos are awesome! Living in NZ , its hard to get any local advice so I live by these videos!. Do you have a video that shows dealing with the left side sprocket race and bearings? Getting them out and new ones in? Thanks
For pulling the sprocket bearing check out:
Iron Sportster bead blast LH case
th-cam.com/video/ZcmgwY9aEAY/w-d-xo.html
Getting the seal and races out was easier than I thought it would be. The thing I did not show is getting the race off the flywheel sprocket shaft. That requires a special tool, though I once worked the race off with screwdrivers or chisels or some other stupid thing. Some guys just break the bearings out and cut the race off, then pressing on the new one is not too hard, as long as you support the actual wheel the shaft goes into. In other words, don't press or hammer on the sprocket shaft bearing while the wheels are sitting on the pinion shaft side. If I remember right, you can just use the nut and pull the thing together, but I forgot how. Like always, you try to press against the outer race as you pull things together. And remember to put that little spacer between the inner races or you will weld up the whole bearing when it seizes in a few miles.
Nice vid, would have liked to see you removing the compensating sprocket extension.
Oh dang, this year did not have one-- let me go look at the parts book.... OK, yeah, no compensator sprocket on 1977 and later. Also, no compensator on XLCH kick-start only bikes, even 76 and before. If you take the compensator off an electric start bike, the Bendix usually cracks after a while. I think not having any "cush" in the primary drive is too hard on the electric starter, though the compensator does make the bike smoother as well.
I bought a tool-box from a broke Harley mechanic, and he had made a tool to remove the compensator. He took a junk compensator nut, that big goofy plate with the shaft (40387-57) and he welded a 1/2" square drive to where the narrow shaft where the threads are. Then he went to flat plate with the four holes and welded in some cap-head screws from behind, so they would fit into that same place on the compensator you are trying to remove. It works pretty good, despite being ugly, and it works with a torque wrench or an impact. That is one thread that I might put a little blue Loctite, though you can see the primary cover is made to keep the compensator from unscrewing all the way.
Colony makes a real tool, SKU 010974, #3506-1 Compensator Sprocket Nut Tool 1955-70 Harley-Davidson FL FLH 57-76 Sportster
No compensator on some XLCH models or all bikes 1977 and later. If you took the compensator off an electric-start bike, the Bendix would crack after a while, I guess it needs some "cush" in the primary drive to protect the electric starter. I do think bikes with a compensator are smoother and easier on the tranny and drive-train, though people with a good ear can hear the compensator working, at least some times.
I bought a tool box from a broke Harley mechanic and he had taken a junk compensator nut (40386-57) and welded a 1/2" square drive to the narrow part where the threads are. Then he welded in some cap-head bolts from behind on the plate. The bolts would then fit the real compensator plate in your bike and allow you to take it off. It works with a torque wrench or an impact, though it is butt-ugly. Hang around a bike shop and they may have one in the junk pile you could have.
The real colony tool is SKU 010974, #3506-1 Compensator Sprocket Nut Tool 1955-70 Harley-Davidson FL FLH 57-76 Sportster , but it's over 50 bucks, ouch. If I was in a shade-tree mood, and had nothing else, I would drill an angle iron at the spacing of those holes in the plate, put some bolts through the holes, and try to use that as a spanner to get that dang compensator off.
I have a 1979 harley sportster it runs for about 10 minutes or less and it seems to freeze and shut down, and won't start. After sitting for about an hour it will do the same thing start and stop. I opened the oil cap on side when engine was running and oil seem to overflow on it. When its shut down the level is good. I am assuming the pump is reversed or not tubed correctly causing oil to collect more in oil tank vs engine causing it to lock up? based on your experience, any thoughts on engine kind of freezing? Thanks
What does "freeze" mean? Are you saying the motor just seizes up and won't turn or crank? What did you touch last? Did you work on the bike or just buy it or what? If the oil lines are reversed, it will blow the engine up and cost 5 grand to rebuild. It happens a lot when guys work on the oil system. My mechanic buddies always verify the lines twice, and make sure oil is coming out the return line into the tank. That will be hard to do on a '79, but at least check the hose routing. This might help:
sportsterpedia.com/doku.php/techtalk:ih:oil04
Oil systems don't reverse on their own. Many times oil slowly weeps from the tank and fills up the engine. Then people add oil and when the bike runs, the oil that was in the engine goes into the tank and blows the cap off. You should check oil after the engine has run for a while.
Running for ten minutes might mean the gas cap has a plugged vent. It could also be something in the ignition getting hot and then failing. You have to figure out if the engine is losing spark or losing gas.
It might be a bad check valve in the oil pump letting the oil in the tank to seep into the engine when the bike sits for a few days. But even too much oil would not "freeze" an engine, it usually just pumps the extra oil to the tank where it flows out the fill hole. Get the oil problem fixed. Start the bike and make sure that the oil level in the tank never gets above the "Fill" level on the dipstick. If it does, start sucking the oil out with a turkey baster or a hose or something. Once you get the oil level right, then you can see if the engine is running out of gas or if the spark is dying. I doubt the oil problem is related, but you never know with a Harley.
@@Open-Sport Thank you sir, yes the bike has been worked on by local mechanic changed wiring harness, new electronic ignition and coil. And your correct based on your information its not the oil pump, my bad. The routing of the oil hose is correct. I also meant it seems like is seizes, like if the brakes were engaged and shuts down engine. Don't even have chance to engage to 2nd gear. I checked the brakes fluid and pads and they engage properly and are not rubbing. Thanks again for your reply.
@@sevati6167 Sometimes it is the new parts that fail. It's called a "bathtub curve" since parts often fail right away, but once they work for a while, they last a long time until they wear out. I have had brand new condensers be bad, and some points that failed. It might be the electronic ignition has a defect where it warms up then makes the engine lose power, so it acts like you describe. One thing you could try is put an old mechanical points ignition on the bike and see how it runs. Good luck, these problems can be very frustrating, keep the faith!
@@Open-Sport Thank you Sir, will try your options
Why leave CA to FL?
I left Silicon Valley as it became so costly, there was no hope I could ever stop working for big corporations until the day I died. Now I make TH-cam videos and do projects that I want to do, on my own schedule. No income tax in Florida, much cheaper housing and food and gasoline, and a lot of nice people.
👍👍
Great videos--thank you.
Thanks, knowing it helps out will keep me making them!
Rather than weld a nut onto the stand. I would just make a plate to weld onto it and drill and tap holes for the bolts storage. I think your tubing could be used too, but I can't see the dimensions well enough to recommend that simple approach. Different ships, different long splices.
Good idea, yup, lots of ways to make it work. Thanks for the comment.