1966-1969 were the Genny Shovels, basically a pan lower with the shovel top end. '70 introduced the cone motor configuration that is still in use today. In the 70s there were a lot of guys with pan motors that had the pan top ends go out and used shovel top ends to keep the bike on the roads. Back then if your pan heads went south they became door stops or bookends because no one had repair services for them.

Springer forks were last used in 49 as you said, primarily on sidecar euipped bikes to improve handling when used with a sidecar. In 1950 they introduced the adjustable front fork for use with sidecars and that continued through at least the panhead years.

The use of "hydraulic lifters" was introduced withe the panhead models in 1948. In fact the entire pushrod system was a new design with the hydraulic lifter riding atop the pushrod. Unfortunately oil does not like to be pushed up so there were some serious problems getting pushrods to maintain proper oiling. HD changed oil pump gears in 1949, changed the basic outside oil pump units for 1950 (they could be retrofiited back to 1948 modles) in an attempt to increase pump volume. In late 1952 came out with the hydraulic unit design that was in use until the end of the Shovel era bikes.

You see these old style units come up on ebay. I still have the set that came with my 49 EL. When I rebuilt the motor these units were the first to go. Cool conversation piece but absolutely not for use in a restoration. All that I know who run the old pans 48-52 modles are using solid lifters. There is absolutely no way to tell unless you pop the covers.

 

1948 the pan showed up as the Harley engine. But the Pam was introduced the year before in 47 in small numbers. I believe less than 100 1947 panheads existed.

 

Thanks to all, a lot of knowledge here!

By the way, being from across the pond, I used to have some american made cars( all Chevies, 7 of them), all fitted with hydraulic lifters, those engines were noiseless, while the valve train on my rubbermount Sportster ticks a lot. Are those H-D lifters different than the ones I had on my Chevy engines? Way of working should be the same, so why that sewing machine noise on the H-D's?

 

Or the 50th Jubilee model Pan is 1954 instead of 1953 because of a boardroom screw up?

 

Seen pics of the prototype. Folks keep saying they existed and there was a guy on this forum a few years back that "claimed" he own one. Never did put up a pic.

Bruce Palmer has an excellent publication (soon to be updated) that includes pans up to 64. No mention of these small number of pans available and sold prior to them actually showing up for 1948 models...none with a 47 vin number.

My 49 EL is a very early number series (part of the first 500) that was produced around October 48. But it was still a '49, not a '48.

 

Yes, a lot of Harley history claims the 47 pan existed but there is no documentation of who owned the bikes or where they ended up. They were supposedly introduced at a bike rally in 47.