Belly Number

Identification of case numbers and cylinder heads
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Speeding Big Twin
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Re: Belly Number

#76

Post by Speeding Big Twin »

hibuck1, thanks for the photo. The left case is consistent with a 55 serial number as it has casting number 24541 55 and a circled E hallmark but no date code. I suspect date codes were also missing from left cases for 56 models and perhaps even 1957 models. Palmer indicates on page 173 that all left cases for 55–62 model Pans had no date codes but I disagree because some of them did and I have photos of 24541 55 cases coded as early as Dec 57 (12-7). Others I have are from 1958, 59, 60 and early-62.

As Cotten mentioned, the R-H case in your photo has 5-4 so that too is consistent with a 55 model. CN looks like 24563-53A and that’s what I’d expect to see on a May 54 casting.
Eric
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Re: Belly Number

#77

Post by Speeding Big Twin »

Cotten wrote:Eric!

Sorry I missed your question; The photo is all the info I have.

The later VIN '55 in my photos has "12-4".

One might conclude that the over-stamped 1s in the later belly numbers were human error.

....Cotten
Cheers, Cotten. Regarding the 12-4 code on your example, I expect that is on the R-H case? And the CN would probably be 24563-53A? It appears the 53A CN continued through at least December 1954 but changed to 53B as early as May 1955 (5 5) casting.

And I imagine there’s no date code on the accompanying left case?

I agree re the over-stamped 1s in the later BNs; that could easily be human error. I have a few photos of similar things in BNs—for example, in matching 154-1++9 the last character in both BNs is stamped over what may have originally been a 7. The accompanying SN is 54FL1+++ and all eight characters are the usual H-D types for a 54 Pan. Also there’s no sign of anything untoward re the number boss or surrounding area so there’s no reason to think the 54 BNs were changed anywhere but at the factory.
Eric
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Re: Belly Number

#78

Post by Cotten »

Eric!

The cases are nearly identical to hibuck1's, but for the date tag:
Glyptal color varies with bakeing.
Glyptal color varies with bakeing.
CASETAGS.jpg (31.63 KiB) Viewed 1290 times
.....Cotten
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Re: Belly Number

#79

Post by Speeding Big Twin »

Thanks, Cotten.
Eric
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