I have a 1966 xlch with a chrome frame. I've never seen another one like it. Does anyone know if HD put out any this way from the facory? The finish is factory quality.

I have heard mention of keys in magnetos? The Magneto that came on my bike has a cork stuffed inside a hole on the side, but no key? Is this something that I am going to have to rework or was this an option back in the day?

thanks,

calabeast

 

Harley Davidson has never made any machine having a chrome frame. Someone had yours chrome plated at some point in time.



The key/magneto question.......
The XLCH with the magneto came with a key and a lock located in the rear/outer side of the mag. See item 52 in illustration.
This key did nothing but ground out the ignition as I recall. You turned the key and removed it and walked away. This grounded the ignition so no one could come along and start your machine.....so the theory goes. Yes, a very primitive locking system by today's standards.
The old CH's I rode back then had the key either missing or broken off in the lock. So it was not something to be concerned with, nor is it a concern for you. Your mag should give spark when it is rotated because you can be certain that cork is not grounded.........pg

 

Thanks Piniongear...once again you've come to the rescue.

 

I have rewired the entire bike and have everything working (when hooked temporarily up to a battery for testing). I have yet to wire the keyed ignition switch and the on/off switch on the handlebars. Do I need to install both of these? Do I wire the ground (off the magneto) through the switch(es)?

 

You do not need to wire the ignition switch in unless it is the way you turn on the headlight. If that is your headlight switch then it has to go on the bike. But, you do not need to wire in the ignition circuit to the killer button on the handlebars, all that needs running to the ign/light switch is 12V positive.
The original ignition wiring for a CH with the magneto had two ways to kill the engine.
One was a button on the handlebar and the other way was the switch located in the side of the mag. Like I said before, we never used the mag switch and key back then. Yours does not have the mag switch, so just wire up the button.
All you need to kill the mag is a wire from the mag to the button on the handlebar.
The button comes two different ways......
The early type had only 1 wire. The wire went from the mag to the button. When you push the button the ground happens at the handlebar, and the engine dies.
The later version button had 2 wires. A wire ran from the mag to the button, then from the button back down the 2nd wire to a ground on the frame. Pushing the button simply completed the circuit to ground and the engine died. Funny way to complicate something in my view.........pg

 

Thanks! That sounds simple enough. Hopefully I'll get a chance to finish this wiring over the long holiday weekend.

Do you know how much oil I should put in the tank, and in the transmission?

Any recommendations of small, unoticable flashers that I can wire into the signals?

Do you know which spark plug wire goes to which opening on the mag? Does it matter?

There is a possibility that I may get her fired up this weekend!!!

 

Hope so! Let us know............pg