Freightrain

Looks like your havin' a ball Bob! Baby steps. I remember when I stretched my truck and did the bunk. It seemed like I would never get it done. 6 months and presto!

Depends on intake. Single was 170? Split twin was 187? Seems that is what I remember. My 673 was a split.

So I was at R-R Mack at lunch picking up a new gasket for my 237 turbo. It was just leaking a touch and you could just hear it chirp as it was building boost. I pulled it last night and the gasket wasn't hateful, but the two surfaces were pretty pitted so I spent quite a bit of time with a large flat file getting them back to "cleaner" condition. Anyhoo, as I waited my turn at the counter this fellow was looking for a treadle for his truck. The parts girl(nothing wrong with that) was stating Mack had ONE in the system and wasn't too sure if that one even existed. He then asked the price and she then made me go "HUH?". Ya, retail was $10,000 for the treadle................and it was marked at $5800!!! For just a treadle? Geezus, wow!!! He pasted on that purchase and got a drain for his air tank and left. I then asked what it was for. I assume an R model or sorts. Nope..............a Midliner!!! Oh, now I see why it was a $10,000 part. The girl says ya, they just won't get rid of them even if you can't get parts for it. I got my $18 gasket and left happy. They aren't just copper anymore, they are multi layer stainless. Hope this takes care of my issues. Won't likely know til next year since I'm done for the season.

My biggest problem with the motor was it was gummed up and the reversing valve was sticky. Pulled it out, cleaned the reversing valve, cleaned the linkage and the main piston/bore and bolted it back in. Some new airlines and it will throw the blades off it runs so fast now.

He won't part with it, but just had to laugh because the guy told him basically what I was thinking all along. He was the fab skills to make it happen no matter what. Just not sure if he will ever get around to it in his current lifetime. He has too many projects now. Thus I think it would be much easier to just buy a bike. Even though he has 2 now that he doesn't ride.

Seeing it's a pumper, adding an aux transmission is likely not possible due to the pump in the middle? Changing to an OD transmission maybe an option? Depending on what rear it has, finding faster gears is another possibility(like 4.10 or the like). Or changing out the whole rear for a later model housing with faster gearing. Having enough motor to keep it going is likely not an issue. Even the limited power of that gasser, it should be able to hold 55 mph okay on limited size hills.

Spectacular work, as always. One question: did you put anything over the POR 15? It has no UV protection and will fade to ugly. I found that out when I did the frame on my B. It was glossy for about a year and now pretty ugly.

Ya, that's why I got the Softail Custom. I like the big tire look with the little skinny up front. Built for a gearhead. Friend with Deuce has been trying to figure out how to swap his swingarm(and fender) for a big one like mine. Funny story, while at bike swap meet talking with a fellow about what he wants to do. Guy looks at him and says "why don't you just buy the bike you want?". I had to laugh. He wants all new tins to paint so he doesn't hurt the anniversary stripes on his. The Dyna has the duck bill fender, but with smaller tire.

My friend has an 03 Anniversary Deuce. It might have 160? Been a few years since he's ridden it.

No. Painter friend did. He does high end cars and did a fabulous job. I found paint code and handed tins to him. The $30? That was me buying a brand new Eldorado high back air ride seat that was on the junk/return table at Summit Racing many years ago. It was a bit tall for the B but it was $30(still in plastic wrap). Couldn't not buy it. Step forward about 8 yrs and painter friend has dirt bike track and has an old Volvo water truck with a totally clapped out seat. Traded that seat for a paint job. One of the few times I actually made out on a deal.

All stock. The Custom has a 200 tire and polished rim. All other softails have a 150 tire. It was black originally. I wanted some House of Color blue pearl, etc. But that was going to be costly. This cost me $30!

My 07 Softail Custom. Painted it Hyundai Veloster blue.

Ya, I tell everyone that riding a motorcycle is NOT relaxing. You have to THINK for everyone on the road because THEY don't. It's getting worse every day. I still ride, but not like I used to. Had thoughts of just selling it but haven't got that desperate yet. I don't tell the g/f how many times I've had to save my own life due to stupidity on the road.

Nice. Is that rubber block suspension? Yowza...

Ya, 4.59? here. Jeez, $200 didn't get me much! Glad I don't have many trips left this year.

There is likely just an o-ring on the shaft and a paper gasket on the back. Not much to them. Used to mess with mine til I got it fixed up good years ago. Yours is slightly different then mine. Mine has 4 air lines. I tried to order a new valve once from Watts and it was not the same, thus fixed mine.

I played heck setting my jakes up with no marks on balancer. Used flywheel mark and the just eyed the rest up using sharpie marks on balancer after using a protractor to get the degrees close. Musta done it okay, she still runs good and jakes work well. I rocked engine back and forth like doing my race motor valves. Just a bit more clumsy crawling over the fender to check valves and then crawling under truck to turn crank. Ugh.

Yup. Mine used to make milkshakes every trip out. Got it rebuilt about 17 yrs ago. Been good ever since.

I had mine apart when I bought it, had to install a new bushing in the nose cone. Was curious about gaskets for the motor. Friend told me he just cuts pop can cardboard cases into gaskets. So, that's what I did and works just fine. Mine is an Ingersoll Rand...looks just like a 1" impact gun body with a gear reduction on the end.

The early systems had a hand valve mounted in the cab(under the seat, with a handle sticking out) but they tend to leak pretty bad over time and will not hold pressure for long. I wanted to use that valve in my B, but friend told me to NOT do it due to leakage. Even though it would be period correct, I wanted reliability. Now the dash valve is just a remote actuator for the main air valve mounted on the tank itself. The tank valve cones in either electric or air actuation. The tank mounted valves, in good shape, will hold for an extended amount of time.

I swapped my B over to air start. I rebuilt the air actuated valve and it will hold 90# for 7 months without issue. So setting the system up correctly is EVERYTHING. I can't recall where I got the new diaphragms, but likely just googled the valve number. It was a simple job. It's been working flawless for 6 yrs now. Do not use remote mounted valves, that allows chances of leaks. Mine is tank mounted. It is also air actuated(not electric). I ran lines to the dash and put a button on the dash. I would have like electric just so I could reuse my existing starter button. But now it will start with NO batteries at all. The only upgrade was the installation of an oiler to keep the air motor lubed. Simple job, just taps into the fuel return line from injection pump. Puts a squirt of fuel into the starter every time you use it. I have the large air tank, it came from an R model. It will crank for 6-9 seconds before dying off. It never takes more then ONE second to get engine running. Literally can't release the button fast enough, as it starts that fast.

My stick is over to the right but I made the shifter to bring it back over to the middle and have room to get into the bunk. And not get twisted with the other two sticks.

Like a twin I beam on a Ford pickup. My axle was like 9-10, with the seal. I have a few pics somewhere in my home computer showing the parts before installing them. There is something odd about those bushings. Almost like they need HONED, not reamed. I seem to recall taking my spindles to my friends shop and using his pin home. It's been a few decades so it's CRS. Maybe I just cleaned the spindles so the bushing fit easier? Too long ago. I do know if you let the thrust bearing get too loose, the wheels will get a shake while driving. Not until I jacked it up and realized they had worn in after 10 yrs, I resnugged them and it smoothed drastically.

My FA 517 was tapered pin. I had it apart faster then it took to jack the truck up. I was amazed. I've done my twin I beam trucks that took days to get the pins out!! Being tapered it took one smack with a 5# hammer and they dropped out. One bushing was roller, can't recall if I had to resize the other end? It was 21 yrs ago. That was my first big job on the truck after I bought it.

I think I have a pump in my pile of parts but nothing to fit it to. I was always curious how they mounted.