Thank you for the suggestion, but for me the appeal of this bike is the original bottom end with matching belly numbers and virgin crank--the 74-year-old heart of American steel that is a vintage Harley--and the original tranny, unmolested frame, and triple trees. Call me old fashioned, but there you have it.

 

So, you'd vote for keeping it a Pan-Shovel? Well, certainly it breathes better than with the original T-shaped plumber Panhead intake manifold...

When I get some time, I will loosen the pushrods, remove them, turn the engine a bit and listen. I suppose there's a remote chance that the damage is limited to the valve train, and somehow the bottom end and timing cover bushes survived. If all the horrendous squeaking goes away with the pushrods removed, it's at least conceivable that the big-end roller bearings weren't damaged--but I think that I'd want to pull the jugs to check for up-down movement (there was none when I began this thread) and side-to-side shake (it was still within spec).

 

Does Home Depot have video of the p-lot ?

 

They've looped over it, as I didn't think to report it within 24 hours. But frankly, as a former prosecutor, it'd be astonishingly good luck that the jailbirds' vehicle was within range of a camera in that big parking lot, aimed the right way (NM only has rear plates), etc. Then, you've got to convince the to prosecute, the judge has to include restitution as part of the sentence--pretty standard, but trying to collect from a jail bird whose income is likely unreported and impossible to secure is a nightmare.

I'm trying to be philosophical about it: while the bottom end was within spec, leading me to just do a top-end refresh, I've never done one of these from the bottom up and don't really know whether it's ever been rebuilt since 1951. So, if done methodically, I might never have to touch the bottom end again at my age.

And there are some things I didn't correct first time around: cruddy nipples on the oil tank that never seal right, can't get the primary-tensioning bolt in without R&Ring the rear fender, which needs some holes welded up, 25- to 30-year-old paint job with pretty amateurish stripes...

Unless I totally luck out and it's purely top-end damage, may as well do a full-on restoration.

 

A friend replaced his original Pan heads (they had been skimmed too much) he's very happy with the V Twin Pan heads, they look good too

 

Hey, thanks very much for telling me about his experience. That's very reassuring in case I want to return to 100% Panhead... well, maybe with solid lifters. Guess I'll have to figure all that out when I see how bad things are...

 

I got some good news this morning--albeit tentative at this point.

I was checking out the cost of main bearing race lapping tools and pinion and cam shaft reamers, and got serious sticker shock. But one of the two local custom Harley shops (I won't patronize the other, as the owner is a real jerk) informed me they will probably charge me 1.5 hours or so of labor to lap the main bearing races and ream the pinion and cam shaft bushings. At $95 per hour, that's not bad--and I have the ability to true the crank and do all other assembly work.

They're backed up until October (?!), but I'm immersed in the '71 Bonneville project anyway, and this would give me time to disassemble the Pan's engine at a leisurely pace, take careful measurements, and see just what is salvageable and what needs replacing.

 

Save for an ultrasonic cleaner that you can fit the case half / head/ all you want in..

 

Good idea. There's a good-sized one on Scamazon that can easily hold the engine cases.

 

While this may be OT, has anyone successfully used an ultrasonic on engine cases or even say a cam case? For me they seem to work OK for steel parts but when aluminum and other metals are in some part, things seem to corrode or turn odd colors.

Fill it full of mineral spirits?