42WLC build

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Radmonster
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Re: 42WLC build

Post by Radmonster » Wed Sep 11, 2019 6:28 am

That's a beautiful bike! I can't wait to do some camping trips on mine.

Haven't worked on the bike the last few day because I decided to completely clean my garage from corner to corner before I got any deeper into this project. Im just about finished up cleaning (in the near future I plan on upgrading my work benches with one L shaped bench with multiple plugs and some shelves). I also made a quick motor stand for the 45 to keep it safe .
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OLDABEWLA
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Re: 42WLC build

Post by OLDABEWLA » Thu Sep 12, 2019 2:14 pm

Are you going to do a high end restoration or a rider type bike? mine started as a rider but snow balled into a higher end restoration and did mine too nice and I hate to ride it but love to show do shows and show it off!. You'll have to find a 45 Harley engine guy because you will need some specialty tools to do the engine restoration or buy them? and the can get expensive.

The Chrome needs to go!!! your frame have serial numbers?

Craig
☆42WLA Harley-Davidson #19,246 Type III

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Radmonster
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Re: 42WLC build

Post by Radmonster » Thu Sep 12, 2019 8:45 pm

OLDABEWLA wrote:
Thu Sep 12, 2019 2:14 pm
Are you going to do a high end restoration or a rider type bike? mine started as a rider but snow balled into a higher end restoration and did mine too nice and I hate to ride it but love to show do shows and show it off!. You'll have to find a 45 Harley engine guy because you will need some specialty tools to do the engine restoration or buy them? and the can get expensive.

The Chrome needs to go!!! your frame have serial numbers?

Craig
I agree! the chrome needs to go! So my plan with the bike is to restore it to as close as I can to correct (finishes and parts), BUT other than de-greasing the motor and trans and making sure they are mechanically sound I will not be making them look fresh. I want to ride the heIl out of the bike on and off road and let it get its grease, mud, and oil stains just like I've done with my MB. I like my stuff to show its story I guess.
I haven't found any stamped serial numbers on the frame just normal frame numbers that were cast into parts

I decided to make a tranny stand today to keep it safe and easy to work on while its out of the bike. This weekend I will finish the frame and some small parts and hope to try and get them painted so I can put them aside. Another big project I want to get done is the disassembly of the wheels so I can get the powdercoat off the hubs and rims and be able to parkerize the spokes and nipples.
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jeep-a-holic
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Re: 42WLC build

Post by jeep-a-holic » Sat Sep 14, 2019 11:03 pm

Is that a WLA seat? I see evidence of three rivets on the side.


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1942 Stinson L-5 (0-62) Sentinal 42-98323 (under restoration)
1943 Harley-Davidson WLA Type V USA 691171
1944 MB S.N. 343955 D.O.D. 6-22-44
1945 Converto T-6 1/4 Ton Trailer

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Radmonster
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Re: 42WLC build

Post by Radmonster » Mon Sep 16, 2019 2:47 pm

jeep-a-holic wrote:
Sat Sep 14, 2019 11:03 pm
Is that a WLA seat? I see evidence of three rivets on the side.

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There is evidence of 3 rivets but I am looking into whether or not my bike came with the WLA seat. Its so early in the Canadian contract that it came with different options than the normal 42WLC run like the tall WLA 41 air filter and civilian speedo

but like I said still reading into it
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Re: 42WLC build

Post by OLDABEWLA » Mon Sep 16, 2019 5:38 pm

Your Speedo face looks to be too late for your bike
the silver and black face is correct for a early WLC as you posted.
The seat tee is also too late for your bike as yours should be like the one on my mid 42WLA as they took a civilian unmachined seat tee and cut it down.
I have the correct original early seat tee for your bike if interested?? I only have one left at one time I had four as I used one and sold the others and have one left if interested let me know ?
The weak point on these tees is the clevis and when the bike was dumped it broke them so it was replaced at one time in it's service life.
Craig
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Re: 42WLC build

Post by Radmonster » Mon Sep 16, 2019 7:13 pm

OLDABEWLA wrote:
Mon Sep 16, 2019 5:38 pm
Your Speedo face looks to be too late for your bike
the silver and black face is correct for a early WLC as you posted.
The seat tee is also too late for your bike as yours should be like the one on my mid 42WLA as they took a civilian unmachined seat tee and cut it down.
I have the correct original early seat tee for your bike if interested?? I only have one left at one time I had four as I used one and sold the others and have one left if interested let me know ?
The weak point on these tees is the clevis and when the bike was dumped it broke them so it was replaced at one time in it's service life.
Craig

first two pics are out of the BP book. It shows that out of the first 3801 42WLC models 511 of them were actually 42WLA I-A's and I-B's. the second pic tells how the numbers can be spaced because of the production of other models. My bike falls within the first 1000 1942's produced when Harley started their new year production in Aug of 1941. The speedo is the correct black and silver but the last pic had bad light and the surface of the gauge is rusted and stained. As far as the seat T the one in the pic is a later T but it was the clean on the bike when I got it. The bike also came with the correct T but someone has frankenstiened it a bit but I definitely think I can fix it make a new plate and re-rivet it.


The more I research on the bike I do the more I am finding out that this isn't your typical everyday 42WLC
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Re: 42WLC build

Post by Radmonster » Mon Sep 16, 2019 7:28 pm

Also received my manuals from https://www.portrayalpress.com/ and they are awesome! super clear copies of the originals and they hooked it up! These are going to be great for when I split the cases and check the bearings. Oh and over the weekend I worked on my wheels. First one came apart no problem after cleaning some powdercoat and penetrating oil. there was some pitting on the spokes and nipples.... THEN came wheel number 2... After soaking those in the some process the first 4 spokes broke at the nipple... then 2 nipples cracked... then my spoke wrench broke in half!! So looks to me that the original spokes aren't worth saving and I will get 2 new parkerized sets when the time comes
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Re: 42WLC build

Post by Radmonster » Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:23 pm

Since you guys got me looking at my seat T today I decided to fix it. As you saw in the last few pics it looks like someone took the short style T and tried to make it a long version... (poorly) I started to cut away the old welds and was able to get the add on off no problem but then I looked into the clevis receiver and if I could save it... sadly no it had been cut/cracked at some point and it too was welded. So with that I just cut it off and will be making a new one with a tail that I can smash rivet on the top side (getting all measurements off the good T). On the cast part I carefully took my sander and started at the welds. I've noticed that in a lot of cases when grinding welds you can get to a point where the weld was cold and find the original lines of the base metal. After that I used my good T to make a new long plate and short plate that will be riveted
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Re: 42WLC build

Post by Radmonster » Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:17 am

One of my favorite things to do is buy parts that people are afraid can't be fixed or just don't want to take the time. My bike came with a 1940s MOTO LAMP Indian headlight bucket, so I knew the hunt for a CYCLE RAY was on.... Im not into spending $500 + on a headlight... I'd rather put that money to more parts that are needed. Luckily I found this CYCLE RAY on ebay starting at $100 with zero bids because of a hole in the back, a few small holes on the bottom, and a small dent/crack. I watched the auction and made a last second bid. One person bid it at the same time I did but my bid won it for $128. After these repairs I did and later buying the guts for this light I will still be under what a re-pop cost! The ONLY down side THAT DOESN'T BOTHER ME is that the light no longer says guide and made in the usa. It DOES still say cycle ray headlight... The reason it doesn't bother me is that I have seen plenty of buckets that barley have the back stamping shown either because it was stamped light or the paint has almost filled it... If you look closely at my bucket the word headlight is very shallow in the first few letters and wasn't very visible from the start.
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Re: 42WLC build

Post by ccandgc » Thu Sep 19, 2019 4:29 pm

nice job cleaning that up!
-Chad

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Re: 42WLC build

Post by twinflyer17 » Fri Sep 20, 2019 4:48 am

Seriously, nice job!!
Sean

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Re: 42WLC build

Post by OLDABEWLA » Fri Sep 20, 2019 12:28 pm

Everything looks great so far! The seat clevis can be purchased new for $15 cheaper than making one and are the same as the originals.
I used a dowel pin and cut the rivet diameters in the ends of the dowel pin with a ball end cutter and mounted it in a cold roll block to do my custom rivet jobs.
The head lamp bucket came out nice the guide script could also be added to the bucket with a pencil grinder and bit with paint would looked stamped in the bucket.

Craig
☆42WLA Harley-Davidson #19,246 Type III

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Re: 42WLC build

Post by OLDABEWLA » Fri Sep 20, 2019 12:34 pm

The spokes and nipples!
Buchanan's in California sells them spokes new with the nipples.
Never mix originals spokes or nipples with new spokes or nipples as the threads are not the same because originals are rolled cut and new are die cut.
Craig
☆42WLA Harley-Davidson #19,246 Type III

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Radmonster
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Re: 42WLC build

Post by Radmonster » Fri Sep 20, 2019 9:37 pm

OLDABEWLA wrote:
Fri Sep 20, 2019 12:28 pm
Everything looks great so far! The seat clevis can be purchased new for $15 cheaper than making one and are the same as the originals.
I used a dowel pin and cut the rivet diameters in the ends of the dowel pin with a ball end cutter and mounted it in a cold roll block to do my custom rivet jobs.
The head lamp bucket came out nice the guide script could also be added to the bucket with a pencil grinder and bit with paint would looked stamped in the bucket.

Craig
Thanks! Do you have a website that has the seat clevis?? I have been looking but found nothing, that's why I figured just make it... but if I can pick one up for $15ish I'd rather that. As far as the spokes go, I wasn't going to mix new and old. It was either see if I could save them, or all new. With the few that snapped and the pitting on the others it's just better to go all new.


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