Get ready for a great learning experience! I tore my shovel down to the frame and rebuilt back up. If you haven't already I recommend lot's of containers for storing parts. Large freezer ziploc bags that you can label with a sharpie. Stay organized and good luck. I'll be watching as you go and post your progress.
Cool project and thanks for posting. The only thing I would add to Sparky’s post is for future rebuilders to take pics and add text as you’re disassembling, videos are even better since you can add your own words. I’m going through a similar process now on a 95 FXD, although not a frame up resto, and the pics and videos I took during disassembly are extremely helpful in re-assembly due to the fact I’m a visual learner and have trouble deciphering written instructions like in the FSM. I always hated reading but I do the best I can. Good luck bro 👍
So while I’m browsing online for parts and tools I decided to do some searching on the ‘85 wide glide and see what I can find out. Nothing too interesting, vin lookup revealed that it is in fact a Harley, and originally a wide glide. I tried to figure out what factory colors were offered that year and didn’t find much in the way of definitive answers. I also found conflicting information on production numbers, but it seemed relatively low.
I found a post on this forum from someone researching their FXR that referenced Harley Cares, so I gave them a call at 800-258-2464. After pressing a few buttons to get to customer care (not financing or the museum) I got a guy who told me they had info from ‘81 up. Apparently a fire had destroyed some of the older records? Shame. Anyway, here’s what I found out.
Harley made a total of 4,155 FXWG in 1985.
1,518 were gloss black with gold stripe
1,196 were burgundy and grey with gold stripe
1,157 were candy red with gold stripe
275 were blue with silver stripe (this was a custom special color offered that year by special order)
9 were unknown or no color (he didn’t know what that meant)
My wide glide was built Sep 27,1984, and originally sold out of HD Palm Beach without any dealer add ons. It was delivered in the two tone called Candy Burgundy Metallic with Slate Grey Metallic panels and gold trim. The decal that year was an eagle wing with the Harley logo in a circle. Found a few pictures online of the colors.
I had seen this logo popping up a bit recently and like it so I’m kind of bummed it’s not still on the bike. I assumed this bike was gloss black originally since it’s so common, and was thinking maybe if I get it repainted down the line this logo on black would look cool, but now the original color is starting to grow on me in kind of an 80’s retro way.
So just because I got excited I ordered a set of reproduction decals from a company that I spotted online when looking for pictures of the original paint scheme. I read somewhere that the factory didn’t use a decal that year and the logos were silkscreened onto the tanks? Sounds crazy to me, does anyone if that’s true?
Anyway, I’m not going to do anything cosmetic like paint until much farther down the line when this thing is all back together and the mechanicals are sorted. These decals will sit in a safe spot and serve as motivation until that day. I’ll probably change my mind a few times until then. The current paint does look cool except for it’s age and wear.
Not all my online searching has been for colors though, I’ve got a new cam bearing and puller/installer on the way. And I ordered a set of main crankcase timken bearings and races. While I wait for those to show up I’m doing some cleaning of the heads and other parts, and doing a fork rebuild.
Cool project and thanks for posting. The only thing I would add to Sparky’s post is for future rebuilders to take pics and add text as you’re disassembling, videos are even better since you can add your own words. I’m going through a similar process now on a 95 FXD, although not a frame up resto, and the pics and videos I took during disassembly are extremely helpful in re-assembly due to the fact I’m a visual learner and have trouble deciphering written instructions like in the FSM. I always hated reading but I do the best I can. Good luck bro 👍
Haha, the video tip is huge! I always try to take pictures but once my hands get greasy and I get excited I always seem to forget. One thing that saved my butt was when trying to put wiring back together my pictures weren’t the best but fortunately I had taken a video tracing wires with my finger and narrating the colors and where they went and what connected to. Some colorful commentary on that one!
Not a crazy amount of progress to report, I’ve been sick and laying on the couch whining instead of working in the garage. I did manage to get the frame and swing arm back from the powder coated though. They look beautiful.
Even though I’ve got a pickup truck I threw it in the backseat with a seatbelt around it because I was that excited and protective of the new finish. Lol
I’m sure you’ve all seen fresh powdercoat so skip the next few pictures if you want. Throwing these up just because I took them, and I like to have after shots to go with all the rusty before shots I took.
Moved it to the lift even though I hadn’t properly cleaned up my area yet. Sitting pretty and ready to start going together again.
Fortunately they didn’t destroy my vin but they did coat my engine mounts. A quick scuff with the dremel and a rotary bit brought me back to bare metal.
I also got to use my handy shop press to install my swing arm races instead of beating them in all crooked with a hammer like the good old days.
So tonight I got busy pulling old bearings and races from the sprocket side of the motor. I finally got a factory manual and it says to measure if the play is in spec and visually inspect and reuse them if they pass. I went back and forth on whether it was worth replacing them but in the end figured it was worth the extra effort and chance I might screw something up that was perfectly fine to begin with.
Got busy with the press to remove the races. Always scary to put pressure on old aluminum cases.
Both sides popped out without too much fuss.
My biggest issue is the slight distortion in the outter bearing cage. You can kind of see it in the picture. Better safe than sorry. Out with the old.
Probably the biggest pain was getting the inner bearing off the crank. Instead of a specialty tool I’ve got one of those universal bearing puller sets but by going slowly and using a little heat I was able to get it off without any issue.
Next will be installation of the nice matched timken set I’ve got on my bench.
05-22-2022 | 09:40 PM
