Hi all - I'm just started to test ride my 77 FXE that I put together - it had sat outside in Mississippi for 15 years - it was a complete basket when I got it - I did not cut any tabs or modify the frame in any way - but I did build what I wanted - motor runs nice/quiet - dialed the clutch in so I can spin the hub with the clutch pulled by hand - but I have a couple questions:

1. it tends to drop quick/hard into 3rd - 1st and 2nd and 4th are a nice click - 3rd seems to just drop - is this normal for a shovel 4 spd? Ironheads drop hard into 4th - if this is not normal - is their something I could look into this winter if I pull the tranny?

2. Clutch is dialed in so that I can actually spin the hub by hand with the clutch pulled - so slam into 1st - neutral can be found at any time - real nice - however - I can feel the shell wobble a bit at stops - is it worth using longer rollers (which I have) and a plastic RamJet retainer???

3. Farkin front brake will not bleed - after 100;s of bikes/brakes - this is a first for me. I think the air is trapped up near the master. Reverse bleed maybe? Opinions?

 

nice bike!

normally if you hang the master cyl so the lever is pointing up the air will bleed overnight - but it looks like you have hard lines so that won't work...

that;s all I got, sorry...

 

4 speeds have a bit of a gap between 2nd & 3rd so it's fairly normal, the wobble in the clutch hub can be a few things . Turn the center hub by hand and watch the clutch shell , if the shell wobbles any it's the hub not seated correctly on the mainshaft taper, sometimes the key is a touch high take a file and knock a little off and see if it runs more true.

Longer rollers can cause more troubles than they are worth, set up right the old cage set will run forever.

That front bake I'd crack the 4 star head bolts holding the halves together and back them out a bit then pump up the lever till you see the piston move out some. Tighen it all back up and crack the bleeder once more without touching the MC, just make sure it's topped with fluid before you start this. Some times those old banana calipers the [piston will get stuck and won't move out enough to give you a solid lever till you do the above.

 

Okay - so the 3rd "drop" is kinda normal - I did pull the tranny apart and reset gaps and I thought I had set it up with close to symmetric gaps between the dogs and the gear faces but I did this without the jig -

The wobble seems to come and go when I stop and hold the clutch - the hub looked true but I can put a dial gauge on it and get it zeroed using the file and fit method you describe - I'll try the Ramjet - why not - they are 9 bucks - I'll massage it some more - my feeling is that I have it better than the HD dealer would have gotten it back in the day.

Yeah - on the first pull - the piston travels - then when I pump - it grabs and holds - it does seem like the piston is sucking back into the caliper - this caliper had a solid piston - unlike the rear that had the multi-component piston - guessing some of the after market pistons were just big ole plugs - I'll fiddle with it and try your suggestion -

thanks

 

Yeah it's sticking on you , that'a big puck in there and the oring is a 1/4" thick so it's not uncommon on the old ones. Once she breaks loose and moves out you'll be good to go.

 

For puttin oil in my fork tubes...I picked up one of them big plastic syringe plunger things....to squirt a measure amount of oil into the forks.

When I had my whole front off earlier this spring...similar to you, I couldn't get the front brakes to bleed for squat. All the usual pumping 'n topping 'n pumping 'n draining stuff wouldn't do it.

Got some softer rubber hose...put one one of that big plunger syringe (empty...compressed)...held the other end up tight against the bleed nipple...and pulled that syringe out slowly....while keeping the reservoir up top filled up. Just a couple of rounds of that..that got her bled good. A poor mans brake bleed kit without spending 50 bucks.

 

great advice - turned out to be a sticking piston - I loosened the 4 through bolts - pumped it - tightened it - and it was locked up pretty good - bumped the piston side with a rubber mallet a few times - it vibrated loose and now seems to function - guess I could pull it apart and hone the bore some to clean it up further - but I want to ride - all left to do now is the ramjet retainer - which maybe is not needed but what the heck - ferg

 

Ramjett's work I've been running them and the aluminium pressure plate setup for a few decades now with the stock cage & loose bearings with no issues. Leave the caliper alone as long it works once they move a bit they tend to be good to go.

 

I'm running a 5 finger hub - I'll set the ramjet then machine the plastic to fit a 3rd stud - I have found that only 3 nuts are tight out of the 5 when I get the release disc balanced - guess I could shim the other two to get this balanced across all 5 studs but why???

 

I usually fit 2 I think and machine the other 3 holes on the ramjet so that all 5 are secured