Hi, I'm new to the forum, my name is Dan and I'm a Harleyholic ... seriously, I'm really happy to find such a great resource for Ironheads, thanks!

I am in the process of buying a very well used 73 XLCH Ironhead. The bike had been wrecked and the previous owner started a chop job on it (that went bad) and it's in serious need of rescuing. All the wiring has been removed, the rims are dented, the tank is beyond repair. In short, it needs a LOT of attention. I have wanted another Ironhead since I sold my first one (a 69) back in the late 70's.

I have the bike for a few more days to make up my mind if I want to keep it or not. I have a few questions that concern me.

1) When I kick the bike over, oil starts streaming a thin line out of the dump tube at the right front of the motor. Is this normal?

2) I was assured the motor was "running" before the wreck and was fired up just a year ago. I have some serious doubts about this. There is no wiring or battery, how would I go about wiring it to check and see if it will fire? I would prefer to use the starter motor for this and have an extra gas tank I can use. I really didn't want to say the "H" word, but what would be the best way to hot wire the motor without ANY wiring curently on the bike?

3) I can't seem to get the tranny into 3rd or 4th gear, there is no clutch cable so I'm hard shifting it. The bike was laid down on the right side, could this have caused a problem with the shifting? The shift lever is bent and rubs against the cam case a little, but not badly.

4) Anything else I should be looking for? I don't have a lot of money, and the price seems fair ($750) for what's there if the current owner is being honest with me, but I would like to know for myself and the local Harley mechanics wont even look at it. If it starts & shifts, I can deal with the rest.

Thanks in advance!

 

Here are a couple of pics of it. The tank and seat are parts I had in the garage from years of owning HD's.

 

There is alot of work there.
I'd be really thinking hard about it.....

 

The machine has a voltage regulator, a starter, generator and lights. If there is no wiring on the machine, that is a pretty easy fix. I would suggest the following:
1) Pull the spark plugs out and look at them closely. If they are clean and light tan that would be perfect. If they are very greasy and black, that is not so good and indicates ring and valve wear and possible reboring with new pistons....major expense here. Sooty dry powder on the plugs indicates a carb problem...minor issue.
2) Does it have decent compression?
3) Does the engine kick through without binding? Forget the electric starter for now. Kick it through with the K/S lever while you have plugs removed. You will be looking for binding here.
4) Oil dropping out of the tube is expected after the bike has not been run in such a long time. Look inside the oil tank. I bet it's empty, or at least very low. This is caused by a ball check inside the oil pump. Over time it leaks oil past the ball and drains the tank into the crancase. Fix with a new spring and new ball. Easily done.
I would not try to get the bike to start if it were me. If it passed the test items listed above, I would say it is a good deal. However, keep in mind that this bike is not going to be cheap to restore, if that is your intent. A shop is not going to agree to work on it, and you do not want to pay their labor rates anyway. You will have to do it yourself.
If you decide to get this bike, the very first thing to buy is a FACTORY MANUAL. Not a Clymers version, but a Harley manual. You will have to look for this because you cannot just walk into a dealer and buy one. I have done what you are thinking of doing and I can tell you that it is going to be a lot of work, a lot of time, and a good deal of money by the time you are through. You may just want to pony up a few of those dollars that you will part with later now and buy a newer machine.
If I were in your shoes I would do the restoration, but then again I like working on the bikes and restoring anything that has a kick starter attached. Good luck with your decision......................piniongear

 

piniongear, Thanks!!! I pulled the plugs and they are black and sooty, but not oily. The bike kick through without any binding without the plugs and has good compression with them in, maybe a little to good, it seems a little hard to kick through with the plugs in.

Your right about the oil tank, it's about half full, so I'm guessing your right that it drained into the crankcase. That's a major relief!

What about 2nd & 3rd gear? Should I be concerned with that? I think I was able to get it into 3rd once rocking the bike back and fourth, but I'm not certain.

I should clarify what I meant about "Rescuing" the bike, it was about to be parted out. I don't have the time or money to do a full restore on it like yours. The title check came back clean and the numbers look like factory number I.E. like a monkey stamped them. The case and frame don't show any sign of tampering, so I believe the bike is legit. My intention is to make it like my old one when I was a kid, and bring out the fact that it was the "TRUE" HD factory Hot Rod!

What do you suggest I do next? I have plenty of oil here, I would really like to hear it fire before I commit to buying it, even if it for just a second.

I have lots of parts from other projects that I can use, but they aren't stock XLCH parts, some came from shovels, some from pans and some are after market.

If I decide to keep the bike, the factory manual will be first on my list, I have seen them on ebay. Your advice in the interim is invaluable and much appreciated! I can take some pic with my digital camera if there is anything you would like to see.

Your bile is beautiful!!!

Thanks again!

 

Here's a pic of one of the plug, the other one looks identical, this one is from the rear head if that matters.

Thanks again!

 

Hey Cycloneracer,
You said the shift lever was bent? Put a wrench on the lever and gently bend it out where it clears the timing gear cover. Try shifting into all of the gears now, while rocking the bike back and forth. Do this with the plugs removed and the engine will turn over if you have it in a gear,of course. If it still will not go into second or third gear, there may be a problem with the shifting forks. The entire transmission is attached to a 'door' that resides behind the clutch assembly. After removing the clutch assembly, remove the four bolts on the door and bump out the tranny assembly. Only then will you be able to determine the problem with an inspection. Obviously this is not something you can do before you buy it.
If the owner can produce a clear title, you should be good to go. As far as you wanting to hear it run before you buy, that is understandable. In my opinion, since the bike has sat as long as it has without being run, I would expect that the carb has gummed up from evaporated gasoline and being able to get it to start would take a lot of luck. However, try it if you want to.
Assumming the Sporty fires off, have a pan under it because it will dump a ton of oil out of that tube! Stand by with a couple quarts of 50 or 60w oil to put into the tank before it is sucked dry.
If the wiring has been removed, you will have to run a minimum of wire to get it going. I would try to start it with the kick start lever rather than the electric starter. Less wire to deal with. I can provide you with a wiring diagram if you need one to show you what wire you need to have on the bike to enable the ignition system. You will also need a battery, or a good jump hooked up to an automobile to provide power.
I cannot provide the wiring diagram in this message, but if you want it then email me at wb_perry@yahoo.com and I will PDF one to you. Also, if you want to see what rebuilding mine involved, go to http://area51.tzo.com/bperry/gallery and click on the Sportster Info.
Hope this helps you some...................piniongear

 

That plug looks fine to me. It does not look greasy and that is a good thing. The front cylinder always runs cooler than the rear on a V twin because of less air flow on the rear. So I would expect to see the front plug looking a bit better than the rear, although both plugs will be the same heat range. On my old KR flat tracker I used to run one heat range colder than on the front, but that was at 7000 rpm WOT. Not going to be an issue on a street bike.
I think the machine is worth the price myself. I think if you decide to buy it and get it running you could sell it for as much if you decided you did not want to pursue the project any further. Just my 2 cents here though.................pg

 

Thanks piniongear! I sent you an email with my return addy on it. I'll try the shift lever now.

I REALLY appreciate all your help!!! [sm=thanx.gif]

 

OK, I checked the tranny again per your suggestion, I'm almost certain that it isn't going into 3rd or 4th gear. [sm=smiley18.gif] That's not a deal breaker for me if I can find the parts at a reasonable price. I know reasonable is a subjective word, but my last project was a 1960 FLH Panhead, parts are NOT reasonable for them anymore IMHO!!!

What years tranny parts will work on the 73? I can do a quick ebay search to get a feel for tranny parts cost.

You are a real life saver Pinnongear!!!