What I hated about my Pan is...

Ongoing topics on interesting subjects, what did you do on/with your bike (or other things)?
Pegtooth
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Location: Calico Rock,Arkansas

pet peave

#16

Post by Pegtooth »

Kicked through a few times too many on a cold New England day when my fuel wasn't vaporized I guess. Could have bought the electric kit( or a garage) for what they say it'll cost to fix my 4 shattered teeth. Parts is parts. Pet peave would have to be that due to it's beauty, I'd rather push my Pan than ride theirs. Time to bring it into the kitchen. Thank you all for your experience and expertise.
guest

what I hated about my pan is....

#17

Post by guest »

Pegtooth, I also live in New England. I never put her away. There's always a decent day of riding between the snowfalls or bitter cold. Don't put her away yet. You wish you never did.
peterpan3
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tech cycle starter

#18

Post by peterpan3 »

I'm in the process of installing the tech starter on my 59, I've ben kicking pans for 32 yrs & it's time to stop.
The tech cycle starter kit is a well constructed unit, but the instalation has been a project. I only purchaced the starter and clutch arm. I'm a tool & die maker so I adapted there ring gear to a primo belt drive that I already had. Not a big deal, I did have to replace the mainshaft with a 65-69 one so the ring gear would clear the rachet. Spaced out the engine pully .250". The clutch arm isn't the best as there isn't much room left over for it, I'm considering a hydaulic set-up. For the oil tank I used a V-Twin unit for 12V battery. The battery from my snowmobile fits right in. I got the standard 1.4 starter and it spins the motor over beautifully even with my 3.625" cylinders & KB pistons. If I could just get the rattle out of the clutch ( the rattle goes away when i PULL IN the clutch lever) I'd be happy. I used the primo brute drive , they say it's normal for this to rattle. Anybody else have this problem???
Detroitblue
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Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2004 3:13 am

Clutch rattle

#19

Post by Detroitblue »

Well hell Peter! that sounds like a reason to celebrate.
Congrats on the Button.

How do you like it so far? I mean besides the rattling an all.

Speaking of rattles, I don't think that is normal. Not totally. Now that funny winding sound I think that is normal but you didn't mention that.

I am not really a wrench. I have been getting my feet wet with the " 58" . Ours bike are basically the same I guess. I had a hell rattle going before I changed the lifters and push rods. I mean it sounded like like marble bouncing around down there. And in third gear I thought the motor was just going start hurling nuts and bolts.

But now she is pretty quiet running ( relatively speaking) except for that whine. Sounds like an electric car or something. I say relatively speaking because she does rattle a bit still. hey keep me posted on that hydraulic idea for the clutch arm.

Is your bike posted on the web site I would like to get a look at her. What color?

Detroitblue
thsmith
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Location: Plano, TX
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#20

Post by thsmith »

Peter,

The rattle may be your clutch plates, I know my 49 does not have the anti-rattles installed which is right for that year. You can add them to existing plates or buy later model clutch plates with them installed.

Tracy
57pan
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#21

Post by 57pan »

thsmith wrote:Peter,

The rattle may be your clutch plates, I know my 49 does not have the anti-rattles installed which is right for that year. You can add them to existing plates or buy later model clutch plates with them installed.

Tracy
But, if it were the plates wouldn't they be rattling when the clutch is DISengage??? He said the rattling stops when he pulls the clutch in.
thsmith
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#22

Post by thsmith »

If I have my 49(57 did the same) in gear with clutch in I hear the clutch plate rattle, there is no preasure on the plates, with clutch out they are tight allowing the gears to turn. Maybe I am wrong. I will try it this afternoon to make sure.

Tracy
FlatHeadSix
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Hate My Pan? R U Nuts?

#23

Post by FlatHeadSix »

Good thread going here with some interesting branches. I'll jump in by saying that the thing I hate most is the unreliable starting, nothing worse than the embarassment of kicking your brains out in front of a crowd and then have some idiot ask why you aren't using the starter button.

That brings up another thing, my showroom fresh 49 FL used to be unique, it looked like a piece of history and most folks recognized it as an antique. Then Willie G and the boys in Milwaukee put all those Heritage Softails on the street and I blend right in again! It really surprizes a lot of people when I tell them that every bit of it (almost) is 55 years old.

To solve both these problems you need a 2nd bike, mine is a 47 WL right out of the barn. The previous owner (original) gave it a coat of Allis-Chalmers orange about 30 years ago and its still on there. I did a bunch of invisible things to make it road worthy; 33 tooth motor sprocket, a shock for the springer, halogen bulb for the Cycle Ray, tune-up, etc. Now its a one kicker hot or cold and I'm not afraid to ride it anywhere. It gets just as many looks, and stupid questions, as the HydraGlide but it starts right up when I stop at the Post Office or hardware store and away I go.
58flh
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Re: What I hated about my Pan is...

#24

Post by 58flh »

Detroitblue whats-up!-------- To me it sounds like alot of green to drop down for an electric-start pan!. Not to mention all the original-parts that came off or had to be modified-(Im sure you kept hold of them parts 8) -I know I would). About the $$$$$part mentioned earlier, you could of had an electric-start pan for alot less & kept all those beautiful parts to!. Im not saying you did the wrong thing-the main part is if YOU are happy with it! THATS what counts!. I just wanted to tell you there is a cheaper way to go about it thats all!---Anyway Good-Luck to you & your bike----remember keep her in 4th & crack that wick-wide & hold-on!!!! Best-wishes---58flh :lol:
Kuda
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Re: What I hated about my Pan is...

#25

Post by Kuda »

All I can say is...NEVER GIVE UP! I built my '49 panchop pretty much from scratch, one swapmeet part at a time, and I've had quite a few challenges over the years. Mind you, I ask a LOT of my bike, I usually run up 20-40K per year on it and many long distance rides. That said, the biggest challenge has usually been in the starting area. Intake leaks, intake insert leaks, and finally carb float needle leaks. But one by one (with a lot of help from folks here) I've knocked the problems out. Before it was reliable enough to ride every day, I'd come home from work every night and try to start it. Sometimes (rarely) one primer and one kick, sometimes no joy at all after 50 kicks. But slowly, sloooowly, it got better and better and each little problem got fixed. Is it perfect? Not by a long shot. But I now know that I can give it one primer kick, and it'll start in one or two kicks every time. Damn good feeling that. And the more you fix, the more you notice needs to be fixed, so eventually you'll get it to the point that you know every nut and bolt, and it's just down to the routine maintenance....

-Kuda
'49 panchop
awander
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Re: What I hated about my Pan is...

#26

Post by awander »

...how my charging system decided to stop charging during my 50-mile ride to work yesterday.

Got so I could only give it partial throttle without a lot of coughing, stumbling, and stalling.
I limped in to the office parking lot, took teh battery out and hooked it up to a 9VDC 1A power supply for a couple of hours. That gave it enough juice to let me make it home. AT first I could slooooowly limpop up to about 65, then 60, then 55, then 50, then finally 45mph....but I made it home!

Now I gotta' figure out what happened....
108
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Bikes: 1948 FL 74in Panhead Chopper , 1958 Zundapp Citation 500
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Re: What I hated about my Pan is...

#27

Post by 108 »

If your Pan dosen't start with 1 or 2 kicks, any time--you must have intake, carb, tuning, internal, or starting procedure problems. Its as simple as that. I think Cotton has said this before.
duoglide58
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Re: What I hated about my Pan is...

#28

Post by duoglide58 »

I guess I might have two pet peaves. One is the worthless front brake which I replaced with a set of disc brakes after my wreck in '99. The other is the valve train noise. Always wished it ran a bit quieter, especially with a windshield on. Cut down on that noise and the ride would be more comfortable.
Doug
Hog54
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Re: What I hated about my Pan is...

#29

Post by Hog54 »

Just for you guys that want electric start.The kit and modifications will cost around $2500.I have done 2 of them on pre 55 pans and knuckles and its no bolt on feat. 8)
58flh
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Re: What I hated about my Pan is...

#30

Post by 58flh »

Detroitblue------My only means of transport is my pan, I ride it daily!. I can honestly tell you theres always going to be something to do! Its like owning a house With a real nasty ol-lady! I do all my own work--every 400-500 miles 2 chains have to get adj.,check clutch,ETC. But once you work-out the little gremlins that keep popping up on a new rebuild---it is then when I do minor adj. I check her out once a week if somthing is wrong or not .I have a 58flh mounted in a rigid. So you know the drill tighten-up screws ETC. In the last 4yrs. I went threw 2 baterys,& 1 set of corks for pushrod-covers, also a fresh coat of paint last winter. thats it!. As you already know if have one (RUN-IT) Its when they lay in a garage for months even yrs. when the gremlins get you!--Have a good time & best of luck---58flh 8)
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