Rebuilding Betsie, well here we go.....

[easyricer]

 Ya'll know I have been avoiding tearing down my primary means of transport, but this week has been hell with her and it's only thursday.
It started out sunday morning when she wouldn't start for me at all. New points, condenser and plugs, she fired right up, first kick. Plugs were really fouled. I figured I must have left my enrichener on. A couple trip into town, seemed ok. Monday morning, fired her up, rode out of town to pick up my lovely bride at her job and treat her to a nice ride home on the Harley. Well it felt like I was riding into a strong headwind heading to town, even had to down shift for a couple of hills (never had to do that before), picked up the wife and she wouldn't start off the kicker again. Ok hit the button, she ran ok in town, but 55mph was the very top of it, wide open! Betsie ran hot, we were hot, so we stopped at a local watering hole for an hour or so. Come back out, not even a POP off the kicker, hit the starter button and she rolled over a few seconds before starting. I figured she was still hot. Yesterday morning, same thing, nothing off the kicker, had to hit the button. Rode into work after a couple of stops where she wouldn't refire off the kicker, checked my compression and the best I got was 105psi.
Funny thing about it all, as wet as the pugs were when I pulled them, she shoulda smoked like a freight train!
OK well here goes another rebuild thread! Ya'll gonna get some pictures and maybe I'll get a 5 speed installed too. I have new pistons, tanks, (Maybe a tranny) and I'm sure there is gonna be some "WHILE I'M HERE" stuff too.  Stay tuna'd!
EASY

[War Horse]

Looking forward to the rebuild. 

[easyricer]

LOL In a way so am I. This motor has never been out of the frame and up until last year, the heads had never been off. My plan is a total tear down. As much as I want a set of T&O torque monsters, the money just ain't in it, but she'll get all new bearings, bushings and so on at the least. I'm nervous, scared to death and excited as hell at the same time.
EASY

[flhs90]

Easy:

The time has finally come. Your posts and pics about the rebuild are looked forward to.
Altough I ride an evo it too will have to eventually have some maintenance,coming up on 90 K +, riding it;s Harley improved B evo lifters, new lifters are on the list.
How much time are you allotting on the rebuild and what machining by other than you will it take, had to laugh at a previous post about some "case-splitting" by amateurs, LOL.

[easyricer]

As far as the boring goes, I have a local shop who I trust to do a good job. The rest I'll do myself unless I can find a pile of cash to just send my wheels to T&O. If I determine that the 5 speed will work out, I'll sell my 4 speed w/kicker. (Andrews shafts, Andrews close ratio gears, new bearings, bushings and heavy duty kicker with white bicycle pedal. (shameless plug to sell....))
EASY

[easyricer]

Wouldn't ya know it, as soon as I need to tear into my own bike, the shop is SWAMPED! Not much chance I'll get her on a table soon myself. I have an "apprentice" I guess you can call him, who has been helping me out with some of the metric bikes and 4 Wheelers. He's fairly well caught up, so I think I might let him tear the old gal down for me, at least get the motor out. With the amount of time I have right now, I think I'll just bite the bullet and send the bottom end off to T&O, complete. Maybe see about working a trade for the tranny or something. I dunno. I already have PMS (parked motorcycle syndrome) and I've only been in a cage for 2 days now.
EASY

[HogMike]

I kept my 4 speed and went 25/25 on the sprockets, works for me, even up to freeway speeds.
I have a buddy trying to convince me to go 5 in a 4 setup......naw.
I'll keep it looking "fairly" stock. It surprises a lot of newer bike riders!

[motorplex88]

Easy, I did the very thing your contemplating concerning your lower end. About 18yrs. ago I did a complete rebuild on my ol shovel and even though money was tight I decided to take my lower end to T&O for them to inspect and have it balanced. In my opinion it was the best move I ever made. The old girl is smooth as silk and has given me good service for many miles. I am lucky however cause I'm only about an hour and a half from their shop. Have fun, I know I did !

[War Horse]

Best way to get business into the shop....... start working on yer own stuff,, it never fails   

[smokedyvr]

  AWESOME! Awaiting the picture show!

[easyricer]

OK well turns out I had some money I didn't know about. SO sending the bottom end to T&O won't be much problem.
  I had to go to a dealers expo in Ft Worth today and had some pretty good meetings with the different reps and even a few bigwigs from many of the suppliers I deal with and who's products I sell. I had a good conversation with the rep from KB pistons. We talked about the pistons I have on hand and about the compression ratio I'd like. He said to pre-assemble the motor and measure to set to a zero deck height with the pistons I have. Then CC the heads to (I think he said 124cc?) Also had a few good conversations with the cat from Rowe and few others. They also said that the 20 ton pressure to remove the guides seemed ridiculous but given the circumstance could be possible. All in all been a good day. Learned of a bunch of really good new products that will soon be on the market and a bunch of new play-pretties that the Twinkie guys will go Ga Ga over, met with a few older friends and made a few new.
EASY

[easyricer]

Well I went in to the shop today, got the wiring job done to earn the tranny then got ol Betsie on the table, stripped her down and pulled the motor. This is the very first time her motor has ever been out of the frame. I did find a broken tab on my inner primary, that can't be much more than a year old. I guess I got some welding to do. Also I knew that my chain was out of alignment a bit, but I never heard it grinding against the inner primary. Had a little bit of self clearancing going on, gotta fix that too. Surprisingly very little chain rub on the starter housing and primary starter boss. (but I do keep a close eye on the chain adjustment.) I will be changing to a smaller front sprocket while she's down at the very least. My starter was moving around a bit when I took it loose from the tranny brace. Not really sure why yet because the bolts were tight. A little investigation to do there, too.
I'll pull the motor apart as I have time this week.
Pics will follow....
EASY

[Mark222]

Hey Easy, when going back together they make a nylon type (like the primary shoe material) wear pad that snaps over the inner primary and starter housing.  Maybe you have seem one?  I found one in an aftermarket book  AFTER my chain got a little out of adjustment on a long run at the end of a long trip and ate through the primary, which had to be welded it up a little.  Makes for a more forgiving surface when your chain gets a little loose, which will happen again I figured at some point.  I also went with 1 less tooth.  But I figure the $20 bucks would be worth it if it worked, that was 6 - 7 yrs ago and plenty of miles back and no issues.

FWIW

Mark

[easyricer]

I'm still not really sold on staying with the chain, yet, but I have seen that pad before, seen them in stainless steel too.  Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. Well I've been having major issues with trying to upload pics, so maybe I can do it direct. We'll see if this works....
EASY
First pic... Betsie finally on a table (notice all the bikes in the background, If I put them outside people would think I was open so I had to work fairly cramped)

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[easyricer]

Next pic: Got the tanks, seat,footboard and crossover pipe off. That belt is loose AGAIN! I thought these things were set and forget! It hasn't been 1000 miles since the last time I adjusted it.

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[War Horse]

If your anything like me , you know this is gonna be a ground up restoration/build, sometimes we just cant help ourselves (ya know ' while its apart')   

[easyricer]

Next pic: The other side; Pipes, carb, drained the oil, pulled the points and disconnected all the hoses. She's ready to come out.

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[easyricer]

Next pic: Last time she was this naked, she was sitting in Milwaukee being assembled. ( I think some of the dirt and grime is still there from back then too!)

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[easyricer]

Next pic; The heart of my baby sitting on a table, WOW! (damn She's a fat broad!)

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[easyricer]

Next Pic; A little clean up and my knuckle headed son shows up wanting a ride home (naturally after the heavy lifting is done)

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[easyricer]

next pic; Off to the storage building. She'll be spending some time here. Not that I like it but I need the room.

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[easyricer]

Last pic of the day; The parts that are going home with me. Tanks will be cleaned and hung up, she will be getting new the new 5 gal tanks. I have to weld the broken tab on my primary and I'll hang the exhaust and seat up in my shed. It'll be a while before they are needed again.
EASY

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[76shuvlinoff]

It'll be a while before they are needed again.

and that makes ya kinda sick....

[79FLH]

  Thanks for all the pics Easy !!  The 'ol gal looks pretty good naked for her age !!   That primary belt has been givin you hell hasn't it ??  Are you gonna stick with it, or is the chain goin back in her ?

[easyricer]

One of the new play pretties that I saw this last weekend at the dealers show was a carbon fiber belt that will eliminate the roller bearing. I'll give it a shot. It's basically Gates polychain. We'll see. If not, we're going back to a chain. Right now, I don't know how things will turn out. I want to convert to belt final if I can and the 5 speed is still in question. I'm not a big fan of Shovelhead electric starters and going 5 speed I'm gonna loose my kicker.
We'll see....
EASY