New project.....75 FXE

[thumpr54]

Thought you guys might be interested in following this and offering advice ?     ....tho I'll mainly be getting it running only......the story is that Cliff.....one of my VFW Honor Guard brothers, bought it new and is donating it to our charity auction that's going to take place late in March, I believe. It's been sitting at least 6 years and I'm suspecting longer. I told him quite a few years ago, before we had any of the auctions, that I'd help him get it running when he was ready. Cap'n Tim brought his trailer and we picked it up Wed and hauled it the 5-6 blocks to my place. It's pretty unmolested, I think....he says he has the original seat and air cleaner. Just a while ago I pushed it out in what was left of our sunshine today and went after it with some engine degreaser, carb cleaner and a brush. The gas tank was pretty rancid.....I took the fuel line off the carb and poured a little gas in it.....when I opened the petcock it was leaking out around the fuel filter below the petcock faster than it was coming out at the carb....so it gets a new fuel line before I try to start it. Pulled the plugs...they look fairly new and like it was running fairly well. Pulled the battery off my 80 Sportster to check out the electrics...all the lights...the horn, turn signals work. With the plugs out it cranks over all right....gets oil pressure...it's showing 959/738 miles( not sure which is odometer/trip but he said he replaced the speedo and it probably has about 20K on it.

[hattitude]

Nice.......!

I frequently wish I still had, or could find and purchase, my old '78 FXS......

Just something about an old shovel head that still makes me want one.....

[guido4198]

Nice.......!

I frequently wish I still had, or could find and purchase, my old '78 FXS......

Just something about an old shovel head that still makes me want one.....

I know that feeling....REAL well.  Back in the day, I traded in my '78 LowRider for the '85 FXRS that I'm STILL riding. Got as much in the trade as I had paid for the LowRider in the first place so it seemed like a great deal.  :baby:Wish I had put that old Shovel away and just found the extra money to buy the FXRS outright. 

[jmorton10]

I sold my last hot-rod Shovel to a local club member almost 20 years ago & he's still got it.  It is a kick start rigid & my back couldn't take the rigid anymore.

Now, the dude has 4 other bikes & has decided to sell my old one & I am sorely tempted to buy it back (he will sell it to me pretty cheap just to make some room in his garage) just to have another toy to play with HaHa.

~John

[calif phil]

JMorton  you should buy it.  You don't always get a second chance. 

Thumpr  Good on you guys for helping with that project.   If you lose the windshield and the chrome luggage rack sissy bar thing it will look a lot better. 

[Leed]

Please post when and how much tickets are.

Yes please do. I'd love to take a chance on it too.

[Hossamania]

Please post when and how much tickets are.

Yes please do. I'd love to take a chance on it too.

While it is for a good cause, posting of charity events is not allowed on HTT.

[kd]

Please post when and how much tickets are.

Yes please do. I'd love to take a chance on it too.

While it is for a good cause, posting of charity events is not allowed on HTT.

   How about this .... Thumpr, PM me with info when you can please.     Will that work?

[thumpr54]

Thanx for your interest Gents....but there are no tickets....it'll be a live auction...I don't know the exact date but they tell me late in March....at a VFW in Montana. I just agreed to get it so it'd run....If it's not against the rules anyone that is interested PM me and I'll pass on whatever info I have....we have a guy that makes decorative outhouses for our auctions also...not my cup of tea... but the one or 2 he makes for each auction do well....

[Hossamania]

You know that if you have any questions about getting that bike running, people here will be more than glad to help. Good luck, it's a pretty sweet machine. Hopefully just basic fuel system maintenance to get it running. A good carb cleaning won't hurt, I'm sure.

[IronButt70]

...we have a guy that makes decorative outhouses for our auctions also...not my cup of tea... but the one or 2 he makes for each auction do well....

Think what it would fetch if it had a genuine Preachers Son autograph. 

[thumpr54]

Thanx, Hoss..... I was thinking there'd be plenty of knowledge/advice here and probably a few that'd be interested in following along. The front brake master cylinder was dry as a bone....with a lot of 'gumish'? looking stuff in it. Cleaned it the best I could...I suppose the brake line and caliper are the same inside but if I can get some pressure to operate the brake and hold fluid that's probably as far as I'll go on it and let the new owner do whatever they want with it. If it was mine I'd go further on it. Overall the bike is real similar to my 1980 FXE that has dual discs...this one is a single. Haven't looked at the rear brake yet. I'm thinking this probably has the primary lubed by recirculating engine oil...haven't looked for the return hose under the primary yet. The kicker don't engage but as long as the electric start works to get it running they're not gonna wanna fix the kicker. With any luck today I'll get a new fuel line on it and see if it'll fire up. I'm sure Hoss is right that the carb is pretty scuzzy inside but we'll see how it runs first. I'm making a list of parts to order and I'll see where we're at before adding a carb kit. I'd like to get it running ....and see where the oil is leaking....something Cliff said he didn't like about it.....but that was pretty much the nature of the AMF models. I had my 80 pretty tight....as long as I rode it regular it almost  never marked it's spot.....of course it sits a lot these days and doesn't have the same manners it once had.

[76shuvlinoff]

The older I get the more I like unmolested bikes, cars, trucks. 

I have Frankensteined and bastardized my 76 FLH over the last 25 years to suit whatever voice was in my head at the time. Fun to ride, faster, safer and less of a leaker than factory but not even close to original.

[PoorUB]

The older I get the more I like unmolested bikes, cars, trucks.

I am with you there!
I know of older "Harley" that other than the VIN on the frame, there is not much original, even the engine has been swapped out to an after market replacement. It was a a motorcycle show a few years ago stating it was a what ever year Harley. Looking it over there was not much "Harley" left.

[76shuvlinoff]

Looking it over there was not much "Harley" left.

I think mine still has the rear hinged fender, the frame, maybe the oil pressure switch.  Just about everything I ever took off it is on shelves in the basement,

[thumpr54]

Got it running today.....it has a 1/4" fuel line ? ....same on petcock and carb ends...... my 1980 FX and XL are 5/16   ....got 3 good heat cycles on it....not running great but better after a couple cycles....acted like my 80 shovel after it's sat for a while and puked oil out at first startup that had seeped into the cases. Tach not working....but after warmup would idle down reasonably well....wasn't squirting gas out of the accelerator pump....yet...hopefully a few more good heat cycles will loosen that up...progress !

[koko3052]

Since it's running not bad, mix some Seafoam in with the gas & that may be all it takes to clear up.

[thumpr54]

    was planning to put some techron or something in it....shoulda done it before I ran it the last time so it would sit a day or so til I get back to it....messed with the front brake some more this evening...I think it's plugged up or the master cyl is bad....no pressure at the caliper or the lever.... left the bleeder open....maybe gravity will assist......got the Road Glide back together so I can hopefully go for a ride after my funeral tomorrow....sposed to be 57........don't wanna ride the Road King again til I get the oil transfer thing fixed....I'm betting my primary is pretty full.................shuffle em around.... :smilep

[bump]

The older I get the more I like unmolested bikes, cars, trucks. 

I have Frankensteined and bastardized my 76 FLH over the last 25 years to suit whatever voice was in my head at the time. Fun to ride, faster, safer and less of a leaker than factory but not even close to original.

I have kept my 78 FXS real close to stock. Changed pipes and added S&S B carb about 35 years ago. I added windshield and saddlebags.

[Inda Win]

The older I get the more I like unmolested bikes, cars, trucks. 

I have Frankensteined and bastardized my 76 FLH over the last 25 years to suit whatever voice was in my head at the time. Fun to ride, faster, safer and less of a leaker than factory but not even close to original.

I have kept my 78 FXS real close to stock. Changed pipes and added S&S B carb about 35 years ago. I added windshield and saddlebags.

Do you still have the stove pipe exhaust?

[hattitude]

The older I get the more I like unmolested bikes, cars, trucks. 

I have Frankensteined and bastardized my 76 FLH over the last 25 years to suit whatever voice was in my head at the time. Fun to ride, faster, safer and less of a leaker than factory but not even close to original.

I have kept my 78 FXS real close to stock. Changed pipes and added S&S B carb about 35 years ago. I added windshield and saddlebags.

Nice....!!!!!!

I wish I still had mine...

I bought it in May '78... rode it from upstate NY to SoCal in Sept '78... and it was stolen in Sept '79....!!!!

I replaced it with an '80 FXS that I had until '89 when I got my first Heritage...

[sharkoilfield]

I recently acquired a 1974 XLCH with 3900 miles on it; engine is pure stock.  The accelerator pump on my Bendix wasn't working, necessitating a primer shot with a syringe. I removed the air cleaner and backing plate to change out the brittle fuel line and used a pair of needle nose pliers to move the accelerator pump rod fully up and down a few times and surprise; now it works! Whatever was stuck in there must have been forced through. I had also drained the tank and the carb, then ran lots of fresh fuel through both, out the carb bowl drain.  Starts and runs quite nice now (which is good; at 65 I don't have many start cycles in my kicker leg)

[thumpr54]

suggestions for what to do with this battery acid leak ?....don't wanna start painting on it.....leave it ?...maybe spray with some Fluid Film ?  non petroleum based...   
it probably needs new brake lines but I'm just getting it running for the auction so I'm not going there....the back brake still has fluid and looks like it's working.....the front described in previous post. I got new brake fluid all the way thru the front line but can only get very minimal pressure from the master cyl so I'm gonna order a kit for the front m/c

They're telling me the auction is March 28

[Hossamania]

I'd be tempted to spray a solution of baking soda and water onto the acid and spray it off with a hose. Or possibly try some battery post cleaner as out of site as possible to see how it works (very well on batteries, fwi) and doesn't damage the paint.

[kd]

It's pretty difficult to spray baking soda and water because it stays as a solid and plugs the nozzle.  It can however be applied with a medium soft bristle brush as a loose watery paste then rinsed and reapplied.  You can actually get into the nooks and crannies better with a brush and as it foams you are refreshing it with new.  Wearing safety glasses, rubber gloves and clothing protection is mandatory. Use a large pan and some plastic (large garbage bags work) to contain the runoff and splash.  It can be rinsed easily with fresh water in an old spray bottle.