looking forward to seeing the new pipes!
Did you ever get the 6 gallon tank mounted?

 

Dale, almost! Bolting it all up I found that I was pushing my luck with almost no clearance between my modified parts and the carb. I was so annoyed with myself I forgot to take any photos!

With my spacer in place where you can see the exposed thread in my pic, and a bolt through it all, the bolt head was perilously close to the carb flange. I fear that when the engine is running the two will come into contact, which is NOT desirable!

My solution is to lift the engine steady using spacers, which will left that end of the stabilizer link and allow me to shorten the spacer. More important is to get the bike fit for our trip to Slovenia next month, so I have had to concentrate on other things for now.

 

GR, when you lift the engine, the top mount will pivot which may change engine alignment. Be sure to check alignment when you are through. And make sure that you don't put any tension on the pipes or they will crack too.

 

Hi John, what I am doing here is maintaining the geometry of the stabilizer. I am only proposing to raise the head steady by putting 4mm spacers under it, not to lift the engine itself. With the stabilizer link mounted underneath the head steady and using another long spacer at the other end, it will simply be lowered at both ends.

This is all to overcome to problem of the stock location of the head steady, the bolt head of which prevents the bigger tank sitting down properly. First photo shows the offending bolt head, holding up the tank. Second photo shows the same bolt head, centre, with the stabilizer link relocated under the head steady. You can hardly see the stabilizer, but it IS there! You can also see the bolts that hold on the head steady (to the right is my anti-knock sensor, I believe) and I propose installing the 4mm spacers under the steady at those locations.

Hope that sounds better!

 

How about a "button head" allen bolt. That would give you more clearance.

 

True! I had a plain allen screw in there originally, giving only feeler-gauge clearance with the carb. I was not about to start the engine to see how much it actually wobbles when running! So I am playing safe. I already have a hex-head bolt and the 4mm spacers. Taking into account the cylinder angle I can shorten the long spacer by a little less than 4mm, so have close to 4mm clearance with the carb.

Having had a grim winter, with very severe weather, then pleurisy I have only started feeling up to tinkering in earnest over the last week or so and must get this thing fit for our trip next month! If I get time once the bike is ready I will see if I can get the 6 gallon tank on again.

 

6 Gallon tanks are easy, just check the fuel level in a 5 gallon with a match--Poof instant 6 gallon tank, a tan, haircut, shave and eyebrow job!!!!! LOL

 

Funnily enough that's what it looks like Harley did! The 6 gallon tank is mounted about 1/4" further forward, and extends about 1 1/4" further rearwards, plus it sits lower and has a bowed top, as if it has been pressurised, to make it bigger!

 

This exhaust is proving exhausting! I removed the rear brake pedal and right foot board to make access easier and have just reassembled them. I had to fine tune the pedal position, to stop it touching the front heat-shield, also the foot board is extremely close to it. So the heat shield is within feeler-gauge distance of the timing cover, brake pedal and foot board! Let's hope they don't start to get more friendly....

 

So in the words of all those polls "Mr. Brown, would you reccomend the Sampson exhaust to a friend?"