1954 left case no oil drain plug

[Richie]

I have a 54 Pan engine, or it's supposed to be, but the left case has no oil drain plug at the bottom. There is a bump in the casting where it's supposed to be but not drilled or tapped. Is this a fluke or is this common with aftermarket cases. I suspect it may be after market 'cuz it doesn't have the oil drain passages on the surface where the cylinders sit. It has the hole in the cylinder where the oil drains back into the case like the later style. It also has a Jim's shaft so I know it's been rebuilt. The stamp on the side says 54FLxxxx but couldn't someone just stamp that on an aftermarket case? It don't want to tear it apart to see if any markings inside. Do I need the lower left drain plug or do people just drain the tank to change oil?

[fourthgear]

Richie , Does it have belly numbers? If it does , are the first numbers like 154-xxxx?

[Cotten]

All legality issues aside, even if it had a drain plug, I suggest you ignore it. The proximity of the frame makes them impractical, and the aluminum threads will not accept much use either.

[Richie]

Cotton,

Yes, that's exactly right. The frame is in the way to even use it. And I guess it would just be another thing to leak. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't important before I assembled the bike.