Harley WLA Engine Crankcase Numbers Question

[Johan WILLAERT]

WLA Engine Serial Numbers 42WLAxxxxx were stamped from September 1941 onwards since HD's fiscal year began in September and ended in August of each year...

Engine Crankcase Halves were stamped with the year they were manufactured followed by the sequence in which they were mated together... for example: 42-1234

Now for my question: were these crankcase number years applied from January of each month or also during the fiscal year. In other words, were engine crankcase halves number 42-1 made in September 1941 or in January 1942?

Thanks,

JOhan

[DodgyLoner]

darn good question Johan - I'd never thought about it. Neither of Palmers books seem to give an indication.

If no one knows the answer it might be possible to work it out from some of the of numbers in the database over on the Yahoo forum?

[Johan WILLAERT]

Someone asked me if it's possible for an October 1944 delivered 42WLA to have 45-xxxx numbered crankcase halves.... hence my post...

[1stCAVREG]

In the 1930s and the 1940s, H-D's Fiscal Year was 10-1 through 9-30.

Like all motor companies, H-D began building the next year's models just before the launch of next year's season. The middle of the depression being the big exception. For the 1930-1934 season's, the new models were announced in August of the preceding year. 1935 models were not announced until January 1935, same with 1936. 1937's were announced November 1936, 1938s in October 1937. 1939 through 1941, the new models were being announced in September of the preceding years. There was no new model introduction for 1942.

Crankcases production numbers year code reflect the fiscal year they were machined in. Crankcases with production numbers reflecting 1941 would have been machine matched sometime between 10-1-1940 and 9-30-1941.

Serial numbers reflect H-D's model year. Motorcycles with 1941 serial numbers or VINs would have begun production in late August 1940 for delivery to the dealerships in late September, early October 1940. They would be built with crankcases bearing 1940 production numbers. Motors actually carrying carrying 1941 crankcase production numbers would begin being built immediately after the previous year's stock was depleted sometime in October 1940

Below are a few early 42WLA numbers to illustrate this, the Pohlman Log dates when a factory photgraph was developed and the VINs on that line are from the factory photo:

VIN ------------------ bottom number ------ Pohlman Log Date
42WLA 2348 -------- 41-11856
42WLA 2580 ----------------------------------- 10/27/41
42WLA 5722 -------- 42-5037
42WLA 5757 -------- 42-4898
42WLA 7103 ----------------------------------- 12/24/41

From the above, somewhere between 2348 and 5722, the bottom number changed from 41 to 42 and it occurred more than 2000 45 models before 12/24/41.

On the 1945 WLA, it should be no surprise to find an October 1944 built WLA carrying low 1945 crankcase production numbers. The lowest 1945 bottom number WLA I have come across to date is 42WLA 648xx with bottom number 45-46xx. How does yours compare?

[Johan WILLAERT]

Thanks for that...

The numbers I have observed are:

VIN on Engine and late Dataplate: 42WLA62971
DoD on the original Dataplate: 10-2-1944
Crankcase #: 45-1103

[iowa]

what was the starting belly number for each year?
dave

[chris haynes]

Below are a few early 42WLA numbers to illustrate this, the Pohlman Log dates when a factory photgraph was developed and the VINs on that line are from the factory photo:

Actually the date on the Pohlman log is the date that the photo was entered into the archives. Many photos in the Pohlman log came from other sources.

[kab 69]

Regarding WLA crank case numbers, are there any listings of how many cases were produced weekly/monthly etc.
I’m referring to unstamped NOS cases.

[OLDABEWLA]

None.