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The normal way to mount that brake caliper is on the back of the fork. Then you have better access to the bleed nipple. I guess with your fork you do not have that option?
Can you switch the fork lowers between sides? and flip the wheel? The brake would then be on the left side.
That caliper is used with dual brake rotors. I wonder if it will stop the bike well enough. You would have to consult with someone else as I do not know.
Hey Mick, The brake is on the left side and caliper mounter on rear of fork. I guess the pic came in funny. The local harley mechanic said "it should be enough". So I figure I will start with 1 and if need be add the right side.
But it still does not look right. You do not have good access to the bleed screw. It looks to be the incorrect caliper for that side.
Even with rotors and calipers installed on both sides those dual brake systems that were used between 1978 and 1983 are well known to be not very good. The single caliper systems from both earlier and later years are much better.
There are brake pads made from different materials. There is one specific material that significantly improves stopping power but they wear down very quickly. I do not recall which ones. Whatever it is it is the one that you will probably need.
I suspect that your Harley mechanic is not familiar with this specific brake system.
Last edited by IronMick; Mar 29, 2017 at 09:35 AM.
i have always struggled with the front duals on my 80. Currently i am only using the right side caliper and i have a plug in the tee under the tree. It doesnt seem to work very well but mine is put together with a bunch of off parts. The front master still leaks after rebuilding it and the tee under the tree leaks as well. I curently have a loaded master cylinder and new tee with a real plug in it and i ordered some ebc organic pads.
The replacement master cylinder seemed to be the same if it was dual or single disk. My brakes in the front were also put together with fittings from the auto parts store that were close to the originals but were difinatly differnernt. anyway im getting rid of all of those too.
my bleeders are jammed up to the forks like that too
I have been commenting on two different threads regarding 1979 XLH's, so for inspiration I dug up an old photo of the one I had. I am guessing this picture is from 1988 or maybe 1989, my brother's Shovelhead (which he still owns) and the noted 1979. This is pretty good picture of what it looked like when we bought it with the exception of the leather tassels (all the rage in the 80's) some chrome, drag pipes and the black seat. Original brown seat was loaned to a buddy with a 1980 XL, and then the pan broke in half when he hit a pothole. I think we threw the seat away, to go back and keep all that stuff. Note the last year of a kick start as an option, this bike was equipped with kick and electric from the factory. We had another buddy that was an original owner of a special order 1979 kick only XLH, which he put in a rigid frame at some point.
Pic is in front of our next door neighbors house, Maspeth, Queens, NYC. And yeh we always parked on the sidewalk, hooligans. Good luck with yours.
Been searching through the forums trying to figure out parts and most importantly where to get the ones that have been discontinued (feels like most of these parts are).
The build: '79 XLH rigid conversion
1st issue, parts: The first part I am struggling to find can be seen as #39 in the BRAKE - FRONT BRAKE CYLINDER ASSEMBLY W/ LEVER microfiche. I attached a screenshot. It is a plate that the spring for the brake mounts to.
2nd issue, wiring: My buddy disassembled this sucker and subsequently threw away everything useful. I need to build out the wiring from scratch and want to keep it extremely simple. 1 headlight. 1 tail light with brake. start/kill right next to key place under the seat. XLH so it is electric start. If any of you guys have a schematic you like for something this simple, I would be forever grateful!
3rd issue: coil mounting location. Where the hell do I mount the coil? I assume there is a mount of it somewhere and I also assume my buddy threw that away.
4th and final (for now): Torque specs for front and rear axles. I assume 25-35lbs but hate to make any assumptions.
Thanks in advance!!
Hi Thomas !
By any luck, do you have the full image of the brake diagram you attach to your first post? I really need it to figure out the parts i'm missing to remount my brake to the right place.
Thank you !
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