62FL case # ?

Identification of case numbers and cylinder heads
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Luke
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62FL case # ?

#1

Post by Luke »

Do these look legit? It has matching belly numbers 162-xxxx. Looks to be the same texture as the rest of the case. How thick should the number boss be. All I have to compare is a replacement Merkel blank case and the boss on that is alot thicker but I guess a non oem case is not a good comparison...

I bought a Triumph of all things that had a number job on it now Im paranoid as hell and dont trrust anybody.

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Re: 62FL case # ?

#2

Post by old1955 »

G'day Luke,

I had a look on this site for the production numbers for 1962 and there is none there,
but I have an old book from 1983, called The Harley-Davidson Motor Company
"An Offical Eighty Year History", by David K Wright. It has the production numbers for
1962. It says that there were 5184, 74ci Duo-Glides made.

So Harley always start at 1,000, add that to 5184=6184, and your number is in the 10,260s?

Your number maybe correct because around this time, they started to interrelate the second digit of the
year to the first number in the engine number 62FLH2??? or 4??? or 6??? 10??? that would account for
a high engine number like yours. You could do the maths to work out the last possible number. it would be around
the 12,000 mark.

So, even year should have an even number start to the engine number.

It's a very nice number! A 62 that starts with the engine number 10, seems right.
The 2s & the 6s match, you have a serif on top of the 1. Has a cast finish around it.

Looks good to me!

Someone else will know a lot better that me.

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Pete
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Re: 62FL case # ?

#3

Post by panhead »

I had a look on this site for the production numbers for 1962 and there is none there,
Yes there is: http://www.hydra-glide.com/yearbyyear.html

:)
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Re: 62FL case # ?

#4

Post by RUBONE »

Sorry Luke, but those numbers look bogus to me. The pronounced edge of the block to the case is a dead giveaway of a filed down block. There are no 5 digit '62s that i have ever seen and production numbers don't add up to such existing. Also, generally the year model 6 was roundback, but any 6 in the field was straightback. The pitting on the block is also suspect as a sand casting in original condition does not have that texture. What are the belly numbers? they should not be more than around 100 different from the VIN.
So for me;
NO 5 digit '62s
Modified Block
Wrong Font
all equal non factory numbers.
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Re: 62FL case # ?

#5

Post by 62pan »

I don't know if 62 was one of the years where they used different number fonts, but the "6" on mine is the straight back type
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Re: 62FL case # ?

#6

Post by RUBONE »

62 pan,
Thanks for posting that pic as it shows how uniform the transition is into the number block, a distinct difference from Luke's.
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Re: 62FL case # ?

#7

Post by panhead »

There are no 5 digit '62s that i have ever seen
I have 8 1962 FL's and 17 1962 FLH's in the register with 5 digits.
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Re: 62FL case # ?

#8

Post by Bosheff »

According to my sources, VIN's for 1962 FL's started with FL2035 and ended with FL12223, and FLH's started with FLH 2001 and ended with FLH12108....bosheff
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Re: 62FL case # ?

#9

Post by panhead »

The numbers I have fall in that range
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Re: 62FL case # ?

#10

Post by Bosheff »

As I remember on Triumph # bosses, there was were very miniature Triumph logos embossed on the face of the boss making it what I would think would be somewhat difficult to do a tatoo job on without ruinin the face of the boss....bosheff
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Re: 62FL case # ?

#11

Post by RUBONE »

Thanks for the correction guys, having a little brain fart this morning. I forgot about the odd/even thing which created about double the normal range. I also forgot one of the first lessons of responding, engage brain before opening mouth! :mrgreen: I still say those numbers are a re-stamp though. And Triumph did not start with the logo on the pad until during the '69 model year. All the earlier cases are just as cast.
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Re: 62FL case # ?

#12

Post by fourthgear »

I am far from an expert on numbers , but that " 6 " on 62 pan's number looks more like it doesn't belong there than lukes ( not saying yours is a bad number ,62pan ).

They could both be bogus or both good .

If luke would take a close up shot using Marcos setting on the camera , his might look just as 62pan's looks .

All I can say is ,I have seen some funny numbers that are good to go.
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Re: 62FL case # ?

#13

Post by old1955 »

G'day all

6s and 9s always are controversial.
You can find straight backs and rounded 6 & 9s numbers too.

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Re: 62FL case # ?

#14

Post by 62pan »

I am far from an expert on numbers , but that " 6 " on 62 pan's number looks more like it doesn't belong there than lukes ( not saying yours is a bad number ,62pan ).

I have been messing around with Harleys for a little over 42 years now (originally factory trained back in '71), and have looked at a bunch of cases. If you look at my numbers the 6 is an uneven strike, that is, the stamp was cocked at a slight angle to the case when the die was struck. It is also apparent on the F and the L as they are deeper on the top than on the bottom of the letter. This is typical of hand stamped numbers and one of the things that you look for when checking for authenticity. Also look at the shape of the number boss, the casting flows from one angle to the other with a smooth radius. I believe that these cases have never been bead blasted and the surface is original. This particular motor not only has matching cases, but the date codes on the heads and the cylinders are compatible to when the motor was originally built. In other words, this motor has always been together.
As for the font, I know that in the early sixties (60,61) there was some variation in the 6 used in the prefix (date) on the VIN #s but my observations have been that the 6 and 9 used in the sequential portion of the numbers was always the straight back type. I can assure you that the numbers on my cases are correct. I have been pulled over and had them checked numerous times by the police, and verified by the CHP.
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Re: 62FL case # ?

#15

Post by Bosheff »

The fact that all applicable components have the proper date coded castings for that particular year and model does not positively verify an authentic, untouched, unit. There are way to many examples of mid year changes, new model runs with last years left over parts, and end of year production with the next years parts being used. In a perfect world, you could probably make the assumption that a piece with all the correct date coded parts is in fact untouched or authentic from the factory, but this is not a perfect world, and H-D at that time, and probably still is today, anything but perfect. It has been my experience that the Factory was very resourseful when it came to using up its existing parts inventory, and didn't mind using what thay had in stock, even though the the parts book may have reflected a different part # from what was on the machine when it left Milwaukee....bosheff
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