First things first

JMJ

Welcome! Now that the website is up and running, it’s time to write. In this post, we set the stage for the project. As explained on the Why we’re here… page, I’ve got a broken motorcycle, and I’m going to rebuild the engine. This blog is intended to chronicle the journey in words and photographs.

I have already started searching for applicable videos on YouTube to get a sense of what might be involved. So far, two channels have captured my attention, Budget Rebuilds (Budget Rebuilds, n.d.) and Subi-Performance (Subi-Performance, n.d.), for different reasons. I am sure there will be others.

The Budget Rebuilds 7-part series Blown Up Harley Engine? Can We Fix It? seemed to fit our situation and was inspirational on several levels. I liked the way the host jumped right in on his project. His confidence, based on extensive experience, is contagious. The initial work with the engine on the bench (Budget Rebuilds, 2020a, 7:22) with scrap wood support was a bit scary, but in the next segment (Budget Rebuilds, 2020b) he had picked up an engine stand. It obviously made a huge difference, so I ordered one for our project. There were more than a few nuggets of wisdom in the comments.

The Subi-Performance channel is amazing. I have never seen a shop so incredibly clean, organized, and well-lighted. Everything they do is measured and torqued to specification. This is the space I aspire to create for this project. I also like the project tables and wire racks they use to keep parts organized. The plan is to build a project table on which to mount the engine stand for 360-degree access to the engine. I’ve got a lot of cleaning to do.

A service manual from the manufacturer is usually among the first things I purchase whenever a new vehicle joins the family. This motorcycle was no exception, so that resource is already in hand (2004 Harley – Davidson Service Manual – Touring Models – P/N99483-04 (2004 Touring 1450-Cc 5-Speed Models), 2003). Several other manuals (Clymer and Haynes) are on the way to provide comparison of process and to get ideas for workarounds where needed.

I also ordered, and have already received, the Harley-Davidson Twin Cam Hop-Up & Rebuild Manual by Timothy Remus (Remus, 2017). It really helps to see quality photographs of parts I can expect to encounter in the tear-down and rebuild. The discussion in Chapter Two, Twin Cam History, about spring loaded cam chain tensioners (Remus, 2017, p. 19) has given me an item to watch for early on in the tear-down, starting with draining the oil. I plan to start with a sparkling clean oil drain pan and to strain the oil for evidence of tensioner pad disintegration and other foreign matter.

So, we begin.

• Clean and organize the work area,
• Research the procedures, and
• Build the project table.

Cheers,

Howard