Buddy seat assistance please

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64duo
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Buddy seat assistance please

#1

Post by 64duo »

I'm finishing up final touches on the 64 pan. The buddy seat must go on, but I cant figure out the spring clips. I've referred to this for assistance, but not giving me all the details:
58panbuddy.jpg
(Perry Ruiter picture)

Look at this view of my seat there is a small bracket on the inner side that doesn't allow the seat bar plate to fit.

this is the part that wont fit underneath to have the bolt holes lined up.

Not sure if my seat is much later or what? Any early 60 buddy seat owners offer any suggestions? I picked this up a while ago, assumed seats were the same pan thru the mid 60's.


Thanks 64duo
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FlatHeadSix
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#2

Post by FlatHeadSix »

64duo,

We're probably talking apples and oranges here but the buddy seat on my 49 rigid frame looks almost EXACTLY like the one in Perry's factory photo. As I posted a couple weeks ago in the "touchy subject" thread, I pulled the solo seat off and put the buddy seat on so my wife and I could ride to the state H.O.G. rally.

I use the same T-bar for both seats, I just unpin it from the pogo stick, flip it up, and take the nuts off the pommel and the t-bar mount. The only real problem I have is that the buddy seat will not flip forward like the solo will once it is mounted, it chews into the tank, so I can't pull the the pin and lift it up to get to the dip stick or add oil to the tank.

here are a couple of pix of the bottom of mine. I have 2 more old buddy seats out in the shop, I'll take a look in the morning and see if there is any difference, or simularity to yours, between the one I'm running and the ones on the shelf.

I know this is probably not much help but here are the pix.

mike
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john HD
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#3

Post by john HD »

64

it looks like bolt "d" goes in from the top and has a square head. that is what rests against the bracket, it keeps it from spinning.

plate "f" and the rest of the assembly is stacked up underneath the seat t bar.

also if you look closely the seat is mounted in one of the rear holes on the seat t bar.

i think what you have will work.

i have an assembled original out in the shop. i can shoot some pics of if you need it.

john
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#4

Post by 64duo »

john HD wrote:64

it looks like bolt "d" goes in from the top and has a square head. that is what rests against the bracket, it keeps it from spinning.

plate "f" and the rest of the assembly is stacked up underneath the seat t bar.
i think what you have will work.
Its plate G in the photo thats giving me the grief, it looks like it should mount on the top side of the t-bar but cant because of the square head stop tab, between that and the interference from the grab rail bars underneath.
john HD wrote: i have an assembled original out in the shop. i can shoot some pics of if you need it.
john
Anything would help, pics would be great.
Thanks 64duo
john HD
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#5

Post by john HD »

perhaps these will help, it looks slightly different than perry's photo.

it is a 46 buddy seat.

john
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VT

#6

Post by VT »

I've got a '64 set up I can take pics of for you. I think it belonged to Elvis. He was eating some french fries at the swap meet I bought it from. I knew it was him when he dropped a fry on the asphalt......because he picked it up off the ground......and ate it. :roll:
I'll get some pics up this morning.
Speaking of fries.......that '46 seat pic above is a Whopper® :wink:
FlatHeadSix
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#7

Post by FlatHeadSix »

64Duo

I see your problem now, both the ratty seats I had in the shop have that extra piece of L-shaped sheet metal spot welded to the upper side of the bracket on the seat. The vertical side of the extra thing is too close to the holes to allow room for the "G" reinforcing plate to sit on top of the seat bracket. I'm guessing it was spot welded on there to keep the square head bolts from turning when you tightened things up from underneath. The seat I have on the bike does not have the extra things on the bracket and I have it mounted exactly like the factory accessory installation sheet shows. I kept losing the wing nuts so I now have it mounted with grade 8 hardware and nylock nuts.

I guess you could run it without the reinforcing plate, or you could try to remove that extra L-shaped piece.

good luck!

mike
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john HD
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#8

Post by john HD »

64

you could do as mike suggested or just run all the plates under the seat t as mine is.

it seems obvious the factory did not intend for the reinforcing plate to go on the top as perry's diagram shows.

at least on SOME seats!

if you were to stack them as mine you might gain some forward tilt to the seat for a bit more comfortable ride.

either way would probably be fine in the long run.

john

mike, there are little tiny cotter keys on the end of the bolts with wing nuts, presumably to keep them from vanishing as yours did!

john
VT

#9

Post by VT »

Here's a few pics. Lemme know if it hits the spot your having problems with, or not.
buddyseat01la3.jpg
buddyseat02wi7.jpg
buddyseat03uo4.jpg
buddyseat04qb4.jpg
buddyseat05ug9.jpg
buddyseat06ao2.jpg
seat: Stamped September 1964, from "Junkert" @ Zaidels (Zay-dells), Chula Vista, Calif.
Hardware restoration: Plumber
Hardware: V-Twin® mfg.
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Last edited by VT on Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1950Bobber

Good one for the TECH SEC

#10

Post by 1950Bobber »

Hey PANHEAD, Mr. Administrator Sir!


This is a good one for the TECH SECTION...great pics!

Jim in Seattle "1950 Bobber"
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#11

Post by 64duo »

VT wrote:Here's a few pics. Lemme know if it hits the spot your having problems with, or not.
VT, thanks thats great. Now all I need to see is the placement of the T-Bar. Where in between should it go? Does anyone think these seats are for the later spring & bar setup used up into the 70's because of the spot welded L brackets? Those attaching components for later models appear to be skinnier than the early style version.
FlatHeadSix
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#12

Post by FlatHeadSix »

it looks like VT has the winning answer, it also looks like Perry's factory diagram is wrong (and so is the way I bolted mine on)

Here's my take on the stacking order: put the reinforcing plate against the bottom of the seat pan bracket, then the T-bar plate directly under that (use both mounting holes in the T-bar, front one and back one), then the heavy helper spring clip and finally the lighter spring clip on the very bottom.

The dog-leg or offset in the heavier spring clip will follow the contour of the T-Bar plate, the offset being just enough to compensate for the thickness of the T-bar so that the reinforcing plate above it will fit flat against the top of the heavy spring clip and provide extra support.

I'm going to restack mine that way and put the correct hardware back on it, but maybe not today......

mike
buddyseat05ug9.jpg
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#13

Post by 51Hog »

I think this pic is the closest.
The reinforcing plate should go at the bottom of the stack and on top of the seat bracket like in the pic.
It just needs to slide forward so that it is at the front edge of the seat T so it would reinforce the seat T. Then the wing nut needs to be on the bolt in the rearmost hole to be easily tightened so the axillary seat spring bar can be inserted and removed.
The bolt on the wing nut would help to stiffen the flexy part of the mount when lifting on the seat. IMHO
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64duo
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#14

Post by 64duo »

I'll buy that, looks right.
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