Monday, August 19, 2013

"Junkyard Gigolo" Tech Tip

So, about a year ago, my good friend Al Huang AKA "The Chinese Kid", AKA "Knucklehead Al", says to me, "Send me that Super Glide motor and trans, and I'll go through 'em fo ya! So what the hell, I did. On one of my going back east trips I dropped it all off at his shop. Over the course of a year, I never asked about the motor and trans, just if he needed some cash for the project. I know he was doing it in his spare time so I didn't wanna hassle the guy. The motor and tranny got done and sat for a few months, till I made another east coast trip. Well, that happened a while ago, and I have since bolted the stuff into the bike.(the tranny went back and forth by mail, the motor I picked up) As many of you Harley guys know, ya tighten up the rear engine bolts first, then see if the front needs to be shimmed. If you bolt up the front tight and it needed shims, and you didn't put any in, you'll surely have a busted mount in no time. I remember in the old Easyriders they had tech tips about cutting up a beer can to make a shim, but it must have been my dad or one of the gray beards I used to hang out with that turned me onto a starter shim. Get them at any auto parts store, the ones I had for a small block Chevy are just the right thing. The bolt holes on one style line up perfect, the other style has one hole and a slot on the other end, so no worries there. Check out the pics and you'll get the idea. I'm still sanding the "Baja Bandeeto" but I do a little something on this bike every now and then, just to clear my head. Between fixing the tractor, washing machine, and the hot water heater over the weekend, time has been a real commodity. What are you building in your garage, get out there and get to it! Fritz