Motorman55's Garage...The Beginning

[Motorman55]

Hooked up the two new Battery Tenders the other day. Can't believe how fast they charged up the batteries on the bikes. Makes me think my old regular type battery charger is not working correctly.

Your suppose to be able to leave these Battery Tenders on 24/7 and they'll self regulate to keep the batteries charged, but I don't like leaving anything in the garage hooked up when I'm not around. I'll probably just monitor the battery voltage levels at rest and hook them up to the Tenders if I see they need it.

Can't wait to Spring and warmer temps.

 

[bj383ss]

Hooked up the two new Battery Tenders the other day. Can't believe how fast they charged up the batteries on the bikes. Makes me think my old regular type battery charger is not working correctly.

Your suppose to be able to leave these Battery Tenders on 24/7 and they'll self regulate to keep the batteries charged, but I don't like leaving anything in the garage hooked up when I'm not around. I'll probably just monitor the battery voltage levels at rest and hook them up to the Tenders if I see they need it.

Can't wait to Spring and warmer temps.

I have had one each car in my garage for the last 3 years non stop with no problems. Just FYI. Occasionally I will just hit the key so they get a bigger charge.

Bret

 

[Motorman55]

Worked on one of my office display cabinets.
Stuck on a new ESSO 'Drip and Drop' characters decal to the left front door of the cabinet. Now to find a nice plain oval ESSO decal for the other door.

 

[Motorman55]

The oval ESSO decals came in the mail and since there wasn't much to do here, what with the snow falling outside and the garage too damn cold to work in, my big accomplishment for the day was carefully measuring where I wanted to place it and then sticking it on.


Back to watching TV.

 

[Matias]

The oval ESSO decals came in the mail and since there wasn't much to do here, what with the snow falling outside and the garage too damn cold to work in, my big accomplishment for the day was carefully measuring where I wanted to place it and then sticking it on.

That's a very good thing to work on during winter

I also leave the battery chargers on my bikes for the whole winter, unless I'm working on the bike. I understand the feeling though. Used to just charge them up once in a while. Those are the only things I leave on, all other charging (powertools, flashlights etc) I charge during the day or when I'm in the garage.

Spring will be here quicker than we think.

 

[Motorman55]

The weather here in South Jersey warmed up enough to do some work in the garage. Also a good time to start up both the Harley's.


Found the '74 XLCH Sportster would start and idle, but would spit and backfire when giving it more throttle. I pulled the S&S 'E' carb's bottom bowl and found the cause. Clogged jets from bad fuel over the winter.

1st time this ever happened since I built the motor in 2005. Time to rebuild the carb. Just waiting for a rebuild kit from J&P Cycle to finish.

 

[Matias]

The weather here in South Jersey warmed up enough to do some work in the garage. Also a good time to start up both the Harley's.

Found the '74 XLCH Sportster would start and idle, but would spit and backfire when giving it more throttle. I pulled the S&S 'E' carb's bottom bowl and found the cause. Clogged jets from bad fuel over the winter.
1st time this ever happened since I built the motor in 2005. Time to rebuild the carb. Just waiting for a rebuild kit from J&P Cycle to finish.

Was wondering what the temperatures like over there at this time of year?

Do you have much ethanol in the gas? I fill up with the least ethanol content as possible, even if it's more expensive. I also put a stabilizer in the fuel during the last fill up, but not sure it helps regarding the gunk you get at the bottom, or just helps with fuel working when used in spring.

Well, rebuilding the carbs will probably make for a season with hopefully no carb issues then!

 

[Motorman55]

Was wondering what the temperatures like over there at this time of year?

Do you have much ethanol in the gas? I fill up with the least ethanol content as possible, even if it's more expensive. I also put a stabilizer in the fuel during the last fill up, but not sure it helps regarding the gunk you get at the bottom, or just helps with fuel working when used in spring.

Well, rebuilding the carbs will probably make for a season with hopefully no carb issues then!

Right now in the southern New Jersey area its in the low 40's and going up to the mid 60's by next week.

I don't know what amount of ethanol is in our gas. I always use Shell, Mobil or Sunoco High Test only and ad a little bit of Marvel Mystery to it.

This is the first year that I had any clogging of the jets in the carb. Made the mistake of not filling the tank up and the little bit that was in it went bad. Also I didn't start it for several weeks which didn't help either. My bad.

 

[Matias]

Right now in the southern New Jersey area its in the low 40's and going up to the mid 60's by next week.

I don't know what amount of ethanol is in our gas. I always use Shell, Mobil or Sunoco High Test only and ad a little bit of Marvel Mystery to it.

This is the first year that I had any clogging of the jets in the carb. Made the mistake of not filling the tank up and the little bit that was in it went bad. Also I didn't start it for several weeks which didn't help either. My bad.

Surprisingly cold, but luckily it's warming up everywhere. It will be a couple of months before we get 60 as were at 20 now, but the sun is already nice and warm.

I also have the habit of filling up completely, to avoid rust. I still do it now, but as I have plastic tanks, one of them started bubling. Probably will need to fill up half way.

Do you start up often? I startup before I do the oil change in the spring, but I've heard that starting up will make for condensation if done regularly and the engine not run hot (like a drive).

Hope you get the kit soon so you'll get the bike in order for those nice temps.

 

[Motorman55]

Today I added a couple vintage Shriner Motor Patrol items to my New Jersey Shriner Crescent Motorcycle Patrol collection.


The first pic is the large multi-colored jewel encrusted costume brooch. Its in really nice condition with all the jewels intact. It'll need a little cleaning to really make the colored jewels sparkle. .


The second pin is a cool set of wings with multi colored enamel inlay of the Shriner logo and wording.

 

[Motorman55]

I rebuilt the 74 XLCH's carb. Reinstalled and started up the bike. Got a nice idle, but it has a little blip/popping just off idle, then nice steady roll on from there. Ran out of time to take the bike for a test ride, so tomorrow I'll start it up again and let it idle a little longer and then take it for a spin. If I still have the blip just off idle then I suspect its the inter-mediate jet.


The motor ran great when I parked it before the winter so likely it still has some crud in it and will require me to just take off the bottom bowl and blow out the jet again. I've got other jets should I need to replace it.

 

[Motorman55]

Well I started up the 74 XLCH Sportster and let it warm up a little longer then I usually do before a ride. Only took three kicks to start it...a good sign. The blip/popping just off idle is gone making for a nice roll on from stop. Running great again. Except for a few small adjustments that's about all I plan to do with the Sportster this season.


Meanwhile, my 74 FLH Shovelhead BT will be getting its new front tire and tube. But first I'll need to clean up the front wheel. After that its just a matter of reinstalling all the front brake components and bleeding the system. The 74 Shovelhead is electric start and starts right up with the push of the button. The motor is running great also and I'm looking forward to getting it out on the road this season too.

 

[Motorman55]

Finally got around to scraping off all the old rubber seals from the 74 FLH's fiberglass saddle bag lids. Also had to scrape some melted seal residue from the bottom bag's edges. Finished removing the glue residue by wiping down the edges with a rag and some brake cleaner.


I purchased 5/16" rubber thick replacement seals for them, but after test fitting a couple strips, they turned out to be to thin. The lids were too loose after locking them down. They need to fit tightly to the bottom bags otherwise they could fly off while riding down the road. I'll need to go with 3/8" thick ones.

 

[Motorman55]

Removed the original 2-up white 'Buddy' seat and installed a black leather solo seat. Also took the chrome rail off the 'buddy' seat and installed it on the solo using a custom mounting plates made just for that.

 

[Motorman55]

Put my new motorcycle lift/jack to work today to remove the 74 FLH's front wheel. Have to replace the old worn tire and tube. Once I got them off, I started cleaning up the wheel. Tomorrow I'll mount the new tire and tube with the HF tire changer. Then its just a matter of balancing the tire and painting the new Avon's raised lettering white before re-installing it on the 74 FLH front forks. If everything goes well and I have no interruptions I should have it done by dinner time.

 

[Motorman55]

I spoke too soon...interruptions for the next two days.

 

[Motorman55]

Got it done. New Avon 5.00-16 tire mounted and installed on the 74 FLH. Nice matching tires front and rear now. Had a little trouble mounting the tire towards the end as I applied too much leverage while using the HF tire changer and pulled out 3 of the four bolts along their lead anchors holding it down to the floor. Looks like I'll have to go with different anchors and maybe cement them in. Finished mounting the tire the old fashion way, on the floor using a few tire irons.

 

[Motorman55]

Really hot yesterday in the garage. Anyway I assembled and installed the front brake caliper on the 74 FLH. Connected the brake hose and bled the system. Checked for correct operation. Good to go.

 

[Motorman55]

Way behind in posting the progress of the 74 FLH.

After finishing the front brake installation and the bike having sat on the floor on its kick stand for a week or so. I noticed a puddle of oil forming under the transmission/primary side.

So back up on the lift table it went and after inspecting further, I felt it was likely originating from transmission's main shaft seal area which is located behind the trans sprocket.

Unfortunately in order to get to that seal you have to remove the left exhaust pipe and muffler, floorboard, chrome outer primary cover, clutch assembly, compensating sprocket and primary chain, inner primary cover, starter solenoid and starter gear, which gets you down to the rear chain and trans sprocket as shown in the last pic.

....to be continued.

 

[Motorman55]

It's been a long time since my last post on the 74 FLH. Suffice to say after checking the old clutch hub and parts, I cleaned up everything I wanted to re-use and replaced the whole clutch assembly with all USA Made parts. Here's a few random pics of the process and parts used.

 

[Motorman55]

Finally found a place to mount the brass AMCA (Antique motorcycle Club of America) badge on the 74 FLH. I used a rubber coated gas/oil line clamp to accomplish the task.

 

[Motorman55]

Last pic of the 74 FLH on the lift getting ready to see the sunlight after a year of working on it.

 

[Motorman55]

The old small security box, now modified for use as a tool/first aid box mounted on the carrier rack with a lock assembly. The box comes off by simply unlocking and turning the tab, then pushing the box forward and lifting the front up at the same time. Same process as the original luggage box. This has worked out well for what I intended it for.

 

[Motorman55]

And here's a couple pics of the 74 FLH as it sits now. I've only put about 135 break in miles on it since finishing it in September. Sits in the garage right now because of the salt on the road.

 

[Kevkx125]

Good to see you back motorman55!! I agree put nothing but USA made parts in the Sportster.

 

[Motorman55]

Good to see you back motorman55!! I agree put nothing but USA made parts in the Sportster.

Thanks, this is my 74 FLH Shovelhead and yes, I do try to use only US Made Harley parts, new and NOS in my 74 XLCH Ironhead Sporters also.

 

[Motorman55]

I want to put a vintage OEM style beaded windshield on the 74 FLH. To this end, I've started to purchase the parts separately rather them buying a new reproduction windshield. My starting point is this incomplete chrome windshield frame and side brackets.

I've ordered a set of OEM chrome screw/nut kit, stainless end clips (that connect the upper and lower plastic windshield outer beaded edges together) and rubber bushings for the clips to complete the frame. Should have those parts in by Monday or Tuesday.

 

[Motorman55]

I may have to convert the room I use for my garage office/collectibles display back to a bedroom for my elderly MIL.

This would entail me having to build an office in the garage to replace it. Not my first choice, but short of buying a larger house with more rooms and a bigger garage (not happening) I'm pretty much left with one option.

So, with that in mind, I've been drawing up different layouts as to how I can rearrange the garage to accommodate most of the office and shop equipment and furnishings and still have enough room to store and work on my bikes.

Regardless of how many times I've laid out these plans, my best option is to come out from the shared kitchen/garage wall about 8' into the garage space, adding a new wall with a door and window (just so I can look out into the remaining garage space) in creating a new office.

The current kitchen/garage entry door sits up about 5" from the garage floor. So, I will have to decide whether to build up the office floor so its level with the kitchen floor or leave the drop down into the new office space and just use Home Depot's 2x2' DRICORE panels as a subfloor and top off with a wall to wall indoor/outdoor rug.

I made a post under 'FLOORING' asking for recommendations as to how to insulate the floor from cold, moisture and mold.

One thing's for sure, it's going to be tight and will require some thought.

 

[Motorman55]

Here are the latest drawings showing the new proposed layout of the shop and office.

Most the stationary cabinets and shelving will remain in their current positions. Exceptions will be the moving of the large tool cabinet, stacked toolboxes, electrical cabinet and 4' electrical bench to their new locations shown in the drawings.

The black HF locker will go into the right-side corner of the office next to the drafting table/desk.

Some of the shop equipment like the MC Lift, Hydraulic Press, Blast Cabinet and a few others not shown in the drawings are already on wheels, so they can be moved around as needed.

The 3' red Craftsman workbench can be rolled and stored under the 4' stationary bench until needed. The 30-drawer parts cabinet currently under the 4 ft bench will be moved over to the left front corner of the shop next to the new wall/door.

I'm thinking of getting one of those metal office supply cabinets and place it in the left front corner of the garage where the blast cabinet resides now. A 3'W x 6'T x 18"D cabinet would fit perfect there. Either a gray, black or even a red one would go with the color scheme of the shop. Keeping my eyes open for a decent used one.

Of course, a little downsizing is going to be in order. Some of my office cabinets will be sold or given away. A few smaller shop cabinets may have to go. Possibly the large blast cabinet may end up being sold. I don't really use it much anymore. I may be able to set-it up in an outside shed (which is yet to be purchased). We'll see how that one goes.

If and when this project starts, I'll be taking lots of pictures as I go along.

 

[Motorman55]

The new office wall divider will be comprised of the following new and repurposed/old elements.

1) 2x4 framed walls.
2) Sheet rock or combination of sheet rock and paneling. (Maybe a couple sheets of faux brick on one side to add a little interest.)
3) Large viewing window (located over the large Tool Cabinet) (a large 4'(+-) wide size old multi-pane window or large single pane)
4) 32" wide door (either an old multi-pane glass or large single glass pane door)
5) Insulation

Flooring:

1) H Depot's 2'x2' DRICORE floor panels or frame out floor and top with 3/4" ply.
2) Indoor/Outdoor wall to wall rug.
3) Runner mat between the doors.


1) The HF Black Locker
2) Drafting Table (which doubles as my desk and light box).
3) Large chrome four drawer art/poster storage cabinet (sits under the drafting table)
4) Tall Display Case
5) 4 Stack Legal Bookcase (one of which will likely go over the drafting table) (see drawings)
6) 2 metal bookshelf towers
7) Metal stool/chair
8) Art Box
9) Other (yet to be decided)

Built Ins

1) Display 3 to 3-1/2' long with front and top glass.
2) Shelving per drawing or as needed.

 

[Motorman55]

Back to some work on the 74 FLH.

The correct rubber seals I ordered earlier this week for the fiberglass saddle bags lids came in today. After a final wipe of the contact surfaces of the lid with alcohol the installation of the self-stick seals went smoothly requiring just a snip of the excess where the ends **** up against each other.

After attaching and locking them down to the saddle bags the lids are now firmly in place. No more rattling when riding.

 

[Motorman55]

Also, today I fitted a new custom metal tube style license plate frame to the Harley 74 FLH.

This is no lightweight frame. It's a continuous round stainless tube. Looks like you can either mount the license plate in front or behind the mounting tabs. I have it mounted in front with a couple of vintage red glass reflector bolts.

I had to space it a bit to clear the tube of the stock Harley license plate lower mount. If you know how the old stock Harley mounts work, there's also an adjustable hooked tab that locks the top of the license plate to the mount which I can't use due to the thickness of the tube.

Even though the frame is solidly bolted to the bottom portion of the mount, I would like to lock the top of the stainless frame. I'm going to make a small horizontal bar to bolt between the upper plate bolts (see pic) that the tab can grab onto. Should work fine and eliminate any possible rattle.

 

[Motorman55]

Great weather down here in South Jersey yesterday. Pulled out the Harleys for some riding time. Looking forward to some good riding this year and making it to several car/motorcycle shows and swap meets. Mostly just want to go for some long rides with the wife on the big twin.

 

[Motorman55]

Saying goodbye to my current shop office today as I started the long task of packing it up while breaking down some of the furniture, literally.

The first thing to do was to break up this bench, formally the bottom half of an oak hutch. It worked well as a bench and storage unit, but I can't use it in the new garage office. So, I broke out the big hammer and pry bars and now the only thing left is its footprint in the carpet. Tomorrow, I'll take it to the dump/recycler and dispose of it.

I've made quite a mess, but it won't take me too long to sort thru everything and box it up. Have to do the old 'keep, sell, donate and trash' routine once again.

 

[Motorman55]

Installed the original white fiberglass saddle bags back on the 74 FLH. Only takes about 15 minutes to bolt them on or take them off. Pics to follow tomorrow.

 

[ned911]

Where in SoJer? I grew up in Millville.

 

[Motorman55]

Manchester area. Milleville is further south than me. But I grew up in North Jersey.

 

[Motorman55]

A couple pics of the original white saddle bags mounted to my 74 FLH. Now to finish putting together a tool roll to carry in one of the bags. I started making a list of what tools and spares to carry. Hopefully I will never have to use them on the road.

 

[Motorman55]

Went for a ride on the 74 FLH the other day. Really loving the way, the white saddle bags look. First ride with them attached. No noticeable vibration noise, and the new lid gaskets seems to be working to keep the lids locked down tight, so I think we're good to go. I really have to get the parts to finish assembling the windshield.

 

[Motorman55]

Continuing with the old office move for the new garage office project, I reserved a table in our HOA's clubhouse hall for the Trustees Flea Market this upcoming weekend. The HOA allows the vendors to bring in their stuff and set up on Saturday afternoon for the one-day Sunday show. Vendors have to be done setting up by a certain time and the clubhouse hall is locked up overnight.

Got a lot of things packed up from the old office that I no longer need or want anymore. I'm hoping to sell as much of them as well as other vintage items we had stored up in the garage attic. Good thing is we live two house up from the Clubhouse. I can pretty much just walk some things over there if I wanted to.