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Grant's '37 UL build

10K views 31 replies 20 participants last post by  Old Vegas 
#1 ·
Hey there,
I couldn't pass up this '37 Harley UL project that was on CL about 6 months ago. The motor was blown so i got it at a good deal along with the rest of the bike. But i soon stripped the bike and sold all but the motor and knuckle/flathead frame basically.
Found some cylinders and dropped the motor off at my favorite old time engine builder in Long Beach.
Then came the task of finding everything else, which turned out to be a quest for the hard to find and more often than not, Expensive '37-only bits! I have not had a harley this old before and never thought i would be this enthralled with stock parts, but these early big twins have a certain charm once you dive in.
Anyway, motor is almost done, building the trans next week. Just fixed up this old springer i got that looks like an old Buchanans job and is 2 3/8" over like an XA. Had to replace the front legs and staighten the left rear leg. I am not much for stock frontends anyway and love my shovel with the 6" over wideglide.
Need to weld some stuff back onto the frame for the tanks and brakes. I got a set of '37/eary '38 only Big twin flathead tanks, a '37 only oil tank, some '36-39 stepped star hubs, a VL 19" front rim and 18" kelsey hayes rear, and just have an old rigid panhead fender for the back right now.

Anyway, i hope these pics work, i usually just put progress on the FMA blog...cuz its a pain to do the photobucket thing...

Hope to have it at Born-Free
 

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#12 ·
Yeah, i struggled with that a little, but couldn't find the right early smooth cover that i could afford and the later finned one that came on the motor was cherry but i think they look like 45"s with those so i said screw it i'm gonna cut the fins off! Harpoon suggested i leave a little in the middle kinda like an old WR factory race cam cover and it turned out good!

I'm gonna run the tanks as is for now, they are pretty neat.
I am having a hard time not making everything nice...i am trying to use retraint and just get this thing on the road with what i can find. It'll be a mutt for a while then change as time goes on and more parts are found.

Here's the cam cover all polished...
 

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#13 ·
just resized some pics. the roller outside is how the bike was when i got the rest of it. I sold basically everything that was on the frame.

The other pics are the springer i have been fixing.
 

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#16 ·
After a few parts hiccups my UL motor is allllmost done. Was over at smokey's late last night and he wanted to put the top end on since I brought over the discontinued new screw down valve covers. We had the tops of the pistons ceramic coated and tr skirts coated in an abratable powder coating so he could put a little more prison to cylinder clearance in the motor (HD says the flathead should have 0.001" which is pretty tight. The coating wears in the cylinder to a snug fit and keeps the motor quiet with 0.003-0.004" clearance. We'll see. Supposed to help reduce wear too.
Gonna try and put the Trans together today.
 

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#18 ·
Motor is done! had a few other last minute minor hiccups, but she's home now! Rebuilt the trans over the weekend, yesterday put in oversize kicker bushings and had Smokey hone them for me.
Now i just gotta finish the frame and i can start bolting it all together!
 

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#22 ·
Hey Grant, unless something happens, riding the knucklehead is the current plan . Going to sneak across the desert in the early morning to avoid the heat as much as possible and then spend a few extra days riding around in the cool CA weather. Can't wait to see this years turn out for the incredible show your two have created.

BTW, I just started cleaning up the garage to make room for one of those shovels...
 
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