Went to collect the mail yesterday and lo and behold, the oil line had arrived. Seems it was the first one I ordered. The Amazon truck arrived a couple of hours later and delivered the second one. Now I need to go through the BS of sending one of them back, but at least I've got what I need to finish up the Sportster.
I checked the Speedway Motors site the other day and the rear end I'm wanting is still back ordered. I was going to get back on the jitney project if I was going to have to spend much more time waiting for the oil line.
I'm planning on doing a bit of hiking today as long as my big toe holds up. It started hurting the other night. I suspect it's gout but could be some type of infection. Depending on how it feels tomorrow, might be a visit to the doctor's office in the near future. Just what I need.
I've got one more therapy session coming up and then I'll find out what the next step is going to be - maybe more therapy, or a steroid shot, or surgery. I'd just like to get the shoulder back to snuff.
I went to Amazon to bird-dog my oil line order and the chat bot decided to send me another order. Apparently after checking the tracking info, it decided the original order was lost in the ozone or something. No charge for the second order and it's supposed to be here today.
Coach Jen and I took a fighter to Anderson, IN for a bout last evening. Long drive but good to get him back in the ring again. This is the guy I took to Detroit and the former state champion who got beat by this years national champion - no shame in that. He fought really well and the general consensus was that he won. However, according to the judges that wasn't the case. It's not the first time I've seen this happen but it shouldn't keep happening.
I got caught in a big ass rainstorm on the way home - big wind and heavy rain. It was raining so hard I had to pull off the road for a bit. Not the kind of thing a guy wants to be involved with at midnight.
It's just a short video but lots of good advice. And since I'm a cyclist, I really like the presentation. I figured it was best to start on a positive note before going into a rant.
I've never been very political, but like many other working-class slobs, I've just about had it with what's going on in this country. And just like it says above, we can fund a war and kill people by the truck load but we have 1 in 5 young people that are food insecure.
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I saw an article at another blog site where the big statue in Arlington Cemetery is going to be removed. It'll take a few minutes to read the whole thing but it really shows the absurdity of what's going on in the country.
And going along with the subject of statue removal, I saw on the news the other night the Italian community in Chicago is asking for their statues to be put back.
I don't know about any of you but I haven't noticed any great improvement in the country since Christopher Columbus has been removed, and I doubt seriously there will be any improvement with the removal of a beautiful work of art promoting the reconciliation of the two sides of the Civil War.
If you haven't heard any of the Robert Kennedy Jr. interview with Joe Rogan addressing the issue of the shrinking middle class, you should chase that down. The more I hear from Kennedy, the more I like him. Of course, there's a long time yet before the next election and I doubt Slow Joe is going to finish out the term, let alone run again. It'll be interesting to see how the Democratic Party reacts to Kennedy when it comes time to pick a candidate.
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I looked up the tracking info on the oil line I'm waiting on. Amazon received the package at their facility 8:51 PM on Friday and it left their facility at 3:05 AM Saturday morning.
It arrived at my hometown post office at 7:12 AM Saturday.
Package was transferred to another carrier for delivery at 7:54 AM Saturday, same town.
Package arrived at a carrier facility at 8:08, Saturday, same town.
Package arrived at a carrier facility at 8:27 Saturday, at a town approximately 25 miles away.
And that's the last my oil line was heard from - probably fell into the same black hole as the brake shoes I sent out to get relined.
My hardware order came yesterday - filling in some voids in the fine thread inventory and got some stainless screws to hold the license plate on. I'm still waiting on the oil line however. It was originally scheduled for delivery on Sunday, and then they said I could expect it on Saturday. Still hasn't shown up as of Monday evening.
I did get all the cam shims sorted so the end play clearances should all be between .006" and .008". Pretty close to the low to middle of the range according to the manual. Since the oil line hasn't arrived, I'll go ahead and get the cams timed and the cover buttoned up after rechecking the end play on all of them. I've got a lot going on this week but I don't want to shelve this project.
I renewed my driver's license yesterday. I wanted to get the Real-ID compliant license and went there last week. I was short a document to verify my Social Security number, so I went back yesterday. For the very first time, out of all the times I've visited a license branch, as soon as I got the ticket in my hand, my number was called. No waiting at all and the lady was friendly too. Apparently, being able to get your plates renewed online has reduced the number of people going to the license branch. That being the case, the state will probably lay a bunch of people off so the wait times will once again be measured in hours.
Looks like I'll be working a corner later this week. Unfortunately, I don't think the boxing gym is going to stay open much longer. I haven't been going due to the shoulder injury and I think all of the coaching is currently being done by a couple of the fighters who've been training there for a while. While I have a lot of respect for those guys, I can't see them taking guys to fights and doing the things that will properly prepare fighters for competition. I hate to see the gym close down, but all good things have to come to an end sometime.
The Missus and I went on a rare date yesterday. We went to a matinee showing of the movie The Sound of Freedom, and then a late lunch afterwards. Nice to spend some time with the old girl besides the recliners in front of the TV - we had enough of that during the covid monkey business.
For those of you unfamiliar with the movie, it's about child trafficking. It's based on the true story of Tim Ballard, formerly of Homeland Security. There's quite a bit of controversy surrounding the movie, which supposedly delayed the opening for five years. I thought it was a good film. The production values are good and it didn't over sensationalize the subject. I read a few of the objections to the movie and even if there is some grain of truth to them, the subject needs to addressed. I don't know much about QAnon, nor do I particularly care, but with what I've read over the last few years about pizza gate and Epstein's Island, I'm not so sure I'd listen to anyone bitchin' about the movie. In fact, I'd question their motives.
I recommend you see the movie and make up your own mind. Or don't. Just keep your children close.
I repaired the washer that goes on the end of the generator. I welded a SAE flat washer on centered over the original hole and then filled in the slot. The threaded shaft is just the right length to put a new lock nut on it. With the added thickness of the extra washer, the shaft comes out flush with the end of the nut. Afterwards taking care of the generator, I assembled the starter. Now both the starter and generator are ready to bolt back in after I get the oil line taken care of.
I was riding my bicycle down the lane to get the mail yesterday and saw this pro-street rig pull into the tavern. I asked the guy if I could take a look at it and he said sure, just watch the bicycle. I'm not sure what engine is in it but I would guess it's a 426 wedge. It has all the goodies - Demon carb, aluminum heads, Mallory ignition, and some big-ass tires under the rear end. I'm guessing it was just put back together after painting. No hood, trim or door handle on the passenger side. Sweet looking and sounding.
The Codman exercise I'm doing for my shoulder is also referred to as the pendulum exercise. So doing the exercise brings to mind the Roger Miller tune "England Swings" from when I was a "yute". That exercise along with a couple others seem to have the shoulder progressing by leaps and bounds. And it's about damn time, I might add.
The washer from the end of the Sportster's generator. One would assume originally there was just a hole in the middle of it, rather than a slot. I realize Harley had a few years of less than stellar quality control but there's a lot of evidence of ham-fistedness here for a bike that only has 4700 miles on it.
I cleaned up and painted the starter and generator while they were off. I'll fix the generator washer problem and it'll be ready to bolt back on once the cams are installed.
I bolted the work stand onto the bike yesterday as well. However, I don't trust my shoulder to be wrestling the bike around by myself. I'll have the grandson give me a hand next time he comes down.
I went to the county fair on Wednesday. There's not much to it, especially if you go during the day.
I took a stroll through the tractor barn first thing. My brother had one of each of these way back when. The Allis looks better than new - the John Deere not so much. This one looks pretty rough but it does have an electric starter. I don't recall there being one on the "G" model my brother had.
This one was one of the nicer Molines on display. It's owned by a former student of mine. He has a nice looking Farmall that was also on display.
A Standard Cock and a cute little bunny. I walked through all the separate livestock buildings except the one for the hogs. They had judging going on, so I stayed clear. I didn't see any pigeons this year and only three turkeys on display. There's really no reason for me to go to the fair every year. I've seen old tractors before and even though the bunnies are cute, I've seen plenty of those before as well.
Meanwhile, back at the farm, the Sportster center stand is done. The grandson did the welding. He had a little difficulty on a couple of the welds - mostly getting himself positioned so he could steady himself. I'm going to have him weld most everything that comes along here if I figure he's qualified to do so. Anyway, the stand is ready to bolt on. We welded a clip on both ends of the tubing to prevent the jack stands slipping off.
The oil line is on the way. Hopefully, I'll be able to get this rig back together some day soon.
The Codman exercise I'll be doing three days per week at home looks to hold some promise. This is probably what they should have prescribed from the very beginning. As it is, I have a dull ache in the arm most of the time. I can deal with that alright, but a sudden extension of the arm beyond the current limit of motion brings on some serious pain and colorful language. I've had about enough of it.
Mary Hopkin from 1968. Big year in my life - bought my Harley Sprint in April, graduated from high school in May, went to work for Uncle Pete in his weld shop and started getting serious with the future Mrs. Shop Teacher Bob. Pretty much set me on my life's path.
The new O rings for the lifter guides and the clear plug for setting the timing showed up yesterday. However, I went to two of the auto parts stores around here looking for a piece of oil line tubing - "no gots". Looks like it'll be an online purchase. The new battery here's now, though.
Went to therapy on the shoulder again yesterday. I've been going for 4-1/2 weeks with very little improvement. I told the lady the issues I was having still and she sent the doctor over to take a look. I don't know why he didn't give me a decent evaluation earlier but after he checked me over he changed the treatment and gave me some exercises to do at home. I'm thinking the new plan should do the trick, now that I've only got 5 sessions left.
The succulents I bought this spring had babies. One of the easiest things to grow and take care of, in fact, I haven't done anything except give them a little water this summer.
The oil line in the foreground of the photo runs from the oil tank to the side cover on the outside of the cams. It was looking pretty shabby, so now's a good time to replace it. Unfortunately, it runs under the starter motor and I couldn't pull it out without removing the starter. When I unbolted the starter, the armature came out and the brushes came out of their holders. Little tricky get them back in place until I got the brilliant idea to use a pair of needle nose pliers and zip ties. While it's out, I'm going to give it and the generator a coat of paint.
I made up a sketch for the stand yesterday. Not much to it - two pieces of angle and a piece of tubing. It'll bolt on where the stock center stand would be and the tubing will stick out on each side of the bike far enough to put a jack stand under it. I'll get the pieces made up today and have the grandson weld them up we he comes down for his welding lesson.
I'm doing a lot more wrenching on this bike than I planned on. However, I budgeted some extra money when I bought this rig - not my first go-round on used motorcycles. Hopefully I'm coming to the end of the repairs. If not, I'm going to be greatly disappointed.
I made a tool for removing the inspection plugs on the clutch cover. After getting it finished I came across a store-bought one I had when I was working on the other Sportster a few years back. It's just a little thing that has a hole in it for a 3/8 drive ratchet. I'd be a little pissed if I had a lot of time/money invested in making the new one, but it was made from scrap material in no time at all.
I looked for the clear plug that goes into the crankcase to facilitate setting the timing, but no luck on that one. One's on the way now, though. I pulled the metal plug out and jogged the motor with the starter button and oil gushed out of the hole - at least I know it's got good oil pressure. I ordered a battery rather than jumping the bike off of the welder battery.
Next up is to make a stand so I can get the bike up off the back wheel. I've got an idea that shouldn't take long to make. It'll allow me turn the engine over by hand after removing the spark plugs, and remove the rear wheel to put a new tire on it. I'll have to remove the bracket supporting the drag pipes to use it after I get the bike finally assembled but I shouldn't need to use it very often.
This job keeps snowballing but since I'm planning on keeping it, I'll keep after it regardless of what it takes to get it finished.
My buddy Bob, the Ducati singles specialist, came down yesterday. I fixed a cylinder head for him quite a while ago, so he wanted to pick that up, plus it's been a long time since we've chewed the fat. He's got an opportunity to ride the Giro in Italy again next year, so we talked Ducati singles and he brought up the Marianna. Seems the bike has a rather unique gas tank on it. The tank is held on with a leather strap as was the style back then, and it has a cut-out on the right side for the velocity stack. After he left I did a search for the Marianna to see a couple of photos and came across the above video. It's about 30 minutes long but if your interested in vintage bikes, especially Ducatis, you'll find it interesting.
The shims for the Sportster came in the mail Friday. After Bob left I mowed the back yard and then Pulled the side cover off the bike to see about getting the gears timed. I need to turn the engine over a tick but I think I've got all the gears aligned. After I double check everything I'll install the shims, double check the end play and then seal it up. Progress is slow but it is progress.
While mowing I noticed the third lily of the ones I planted this spring finally popped up. It's the little green spot on the left side of the photo. Obviously hasn't kept up with the one on the right side but it's going to fill in the spot so I don't have to buy another one.
I went to the college on Thursday to get some info on getting the grandson certified. Three courses are required to get to that point. I think I can get him tested out of the first one which is just an overview of the welding processes, safety and an online OSHA course. The other two classes are stick welding 1 and 2. I've taught those and the success rate is not very high for passing a vertical bend test, the vertical test qualifying you for flat, horizontal and vertical positions. There's just not enough practice time built into the two classes to become proficient. I also talked to the boss man about going back to work. I'm still sitting on the fence with that but me being employed there would make it easier to help the grandson, especially if he wanted to continue with the program.
I went out for lunch yesterday with a couple of friends. I was a little early so I walked over to the park. With the recent rains, the river was flowing and everything was nice and green. Nice afternoon to be out, especially with a bit of fellowship with a couple of people who I hold dear.
After I got home, I sanded and applied a coat of finish on the "climbing bear" I cut out the other day. The bear is designed to hang from a couple of strings that when pulled, has the bear walking up the strings. When he gets to the top, let the strings go and the bear slides back down the strings. A birthday gift for a young lady who plays with the one in our house when she comes to visit.
The grandson gave me a hand on a little fab job when he came down the other evening for his welding lesson. He's got a few things to learn about being the welder on the job - get in position to tack the parts so you can tack them as soon as your helper pulls the parts into position and steady yourself by resting your arm on the fixed part rather than the piece your helper is trying to hold in position. These things take time and he's picking up on them quickly. His welds looked really good though. No grinding required before paint.
While he was here he told me about Outlaw Leather. They sell some really bitchin' welding helmets and other items for pipefitters and ironworkers, primarily. I've got 7 or 8 welding helmets around here now, so I definitely don't need another one, but I wouldn't be surprised if the grandson buys himself one if he gets into the pipefitters. If he gets in, grandpa just might buy him one.
I've got cam shims ordered for the Sportster - should be here in a few days. Hopefully, I'll be able to get the bottom end buttoned up shortly after they get here. I would like to ride this thing before the snow flies. I did take the Himalayan out this week for a short hop to the barber shop. I've been riding my pedal bike to my therapy sessions. Unlike some of the country suffering from a heat wave, the weather's been real nice for cycling around here. It'd be even nicer if a guy had an old Sportster to scoot around on.
Went to a birthday party Friday night - music was furnished by Rory Book and the Volumes. The above clip is from their website but the band had a drummer on Friday also - much better live than the video would lead you to believe. They were billed as a country band but they played a bit of everything, all of which had a country feel but with some rockabilly and jazz mixed in. I thoroughly enjoyed the band and the party - first time in a couple of years since I've been out other than to boxing matches.
I picked up a couple of free motorcycles yesterday - actually worth less than I paid for them.
Top photo is a '74 Honda 450 last ridden in '75. Bottom photo is a Honda Trail 90. The license plate says 1970 but I'm not sure what year the bike is.
The story on both of these is they were at the house of a guy I worked with about 50 years ago. He lives fairly close to me but his son lives in Arizona. Dad's 94 and the bikes needed to get out of the garage. The son knows me from back in the day, so said come and get them. I had no idea what kind of shape they were in and if they belonged to anyone else, I would have just turned around and come home without them. Even though they were garage kept, they're both super rough.
The 450 is all there and the owner said it ran when it was parked - famous last words. I've got no reason to doubt this guy but after 50 years, it will take more than a battery and a fresh tank of gas to run again. It turns over, which is a good sign but the seat has been chewed up by mice and I've got no idea what happened to the rear tire. I was talking the bike up to the grandson who came along to help Surly and I load them up. I'd be willing to under-right the cost of parts. If he didn't mind a whole lot of rusty chrome, it could probably be made street-able for $500.
The 90, on the other hand, is a prime candidate for the scrap yard. Something must have been wrong with it when it was parked, because the head pipe and muffler and a couple other parts are off of it. I think we found all the parts, however.
Both of these gems were deposited in the rental space so I won't be tempted to fiddle with either of them. After I get the Sportster and the trials bike operational, I might consider fiddling with one of them. It would be better to work on a couple others I've had for a much longer time, plus I need to get some more done on the jitney.
Something a little different from what I usually post - actually all the music I post is a little different now that I think about it. My music taste pretty much runs the gamut of everything from this century and the last with a couple of exceptions. Not a fan of rap or the head banging stuff, but I do like some "hillbilly" music once in a while.
The cam shims I bought for the Sportster came yesterday. Unfortunately, they are the wrong ones. All the cams take the same shims except for one end of cam #2. That's what they sent but that's not what I need. The listing didn't mention cam #2 at all, so I figured they would be the ones that fit everything else. I sent a message to the eBay seller to see what we can do. I looked around on their store and I think they sell the ones I need. I'd be willing to eat the other ones but I don't want to end up with the wrong ones again. I imagine they'll be contacting me today. In the meantime, plenty to be done around here.
Since my running buddy decided to do the 5K in a different time zone - have I mentioned how happy I am with Mitch Daniels changing all of the state of Indiana to Eastern time except for six counties in the northwest and six counties in the southwest? - I got up at 4:50 to get us all to the show. And of course, the route I had chosen was closed due to road construction, as was my alternate route so I had to go quite a bit out of my way to get there, but get there I did.
Coach Jen, got her best time of the year, so she was happy. Our boxer came in 4th overall, so he did well. Yours truly was the first walker in but there was no competition. I did shave a couple minutes off my last time, however. And just like on Oprah, she got a medal, he got a medal, I got a medal, everybody got a medal, and the pancake breakfast was included in the sign-up cost. Is this a great country or what?
I got the little tool made for checking the end play on the Sportster cams. Since you have to poke the feeler gauge down through the lifter hole, there's not much room for a regular feeler gauge set. With the tool, I can check the end play easily enough and have enough room to shine my inspection light down in there to see what I'm doing. I ordered some more shims for the cams - a .010" thick set of ten. That should do me. At least I hope so.
When I closed up the shop after checking the cams, I saw a woodchuck in the yard. - big guy. He froze when I stopped to look at him but took off after I made a move. He ran up into the big upright willow tree. I had no idea woodchucks could climb trees. However, I don't think this one will be climbing that tree again.
Even though the berry patch has been taken over by weeds and scrub trees, I did manage to pick a bowlful. They'll taste good on my granola the next few mornings.
Pretty busy holiday actually. 5K to start the day, did some laundry, picked some berries, mowed some grass and hit a lick on the Sportster. Nice thing about being retired. Every day's a holiday.
Made a trip north after therapy yesterday to Aldi and Menards. Got some groceries and some hardware for the Sportster. Menards had the fine thread bolts I was looking for and some chrome plated acorn nuts. The acorn nuts are for the license plate. Currently the plate is held on by four Flash Gordon type fasteners made from chrome plated zinc die castings. If they weren't corroded, I'd just polish them up and let it go at that, but these aren't worth saving.
I bought the plastic box to hold the Sportster tools I made up when assembling the last Sportster I had and spare parts I'll end up accumulating for this one.
I tried to measure the end play on the cams, but a couple of the gaps were larger than any of the feeler gauges I have. I'm going to make a little tool to make it easier to stack the gauges together to obtain the proper measurement. It looks like I'm definitely going to need some more shims, though.
My running buddy decided she wanted to do the 5K this morning, so I'll be out early getting my exercise. No other plans for the day after that.
One of my favorites by one of my favorites. I thought about posting the Tex Ritter or Eddie Arnold version but Marty's version is the one I like best. I really dig the old cowboy tunes.
The lilies are coming on strong. Pretty flowers that require very little upkeep. Just what the doctor ordered. Did some yard work yesterday, in between the showers. Mother Nature's always trying to take back what's hers. I'm going to have to put the grandson on the payroll if I'm going to get ahead of it.
I put the cam gears and cover on the Sportster yesterday. According to the manual, you're supposed to use a new gasket and torque the bolts to 8-10 ft pounds. I bought a cheap inch-pound torque wrench from Harbor Freight a couple of years back, but I'd never used it before. Since my ft-lb torque wrench is an old beam type, I figured the new click type would be just the ticket. Which it would have been if it actually clicked when it was supposed to. I put the screwdriver tip in the vise and pulled on the handle and no matter where I set the torque, it didn't want to click like it was supposed to. I used the ft-lb wrench but stayed under the 10 lb. setting. The last thing I need is to break off a screw in the case.
I followed the sophisticated system to check the end play - sticking a screwdriver down the lifter hole and prying the cam over - but I didn't check the end play with a feeler gauge like the book calls for. My eyeball, however, tells me I might need to get a few more shims. I'll see about checking the end play with the feeler gauges today. The manual calls for .005" -.012", except for number 1 intake which is .004"-.010". Nothing too precise.
I got a text from my running buddy about another 5K tomorrow. It's at a small town that's just far enough away it's in another time zone - thanks Mitch! It's an 8:00 am start, meaning 7:00 my time meaning I'll have to get about 5:00 for us to make it there in time to get signed in. I'm in if she's in, but she hasn't decide for sure yet. They are having a pancake breakfast after the race and no rain in the forecast. Probably worth getting up early for.
I got my "racing bike" out yesterday and got the tires pumped up so I can start training for the race at the end of the month. Should have started training a month ago but just another thing the "frozen shoulder" affected.
Got lucky yesterday and was able to do the 5K in spite of storms earlier in the morning. It wasn't looking too promising when I was on my way to pick up my running buddies. It was coming down pretty hard, but slacked off when I got to their house and had pretty well cleared up by the time we reached our destination.
As it turns out, you could run, walk or do the ruck march. There was no timing or scoring, it was strictly a fund-raising event for the veteran services in the county. My boxing buddy and a local young lady were the cream of the crop as far as the runners went. They finished 1,2. Coach Jen was a little disappointed in her time but it was hot and muggy. She had hoped to see a decent improvement over her time from a couple of weeks ago but I'm sure she'll be getting faster - she's training hard, both running and strength training.
Yours truly was the first walker in, but there was zero competition. There were some walkers, but I think they were there just to get some exercise and support the cause. Since there was no timing, I don't know what my time was but I think I improved from my last two outings. Still a lot slower than what I was a few years ago, but I'm going to try and knock at least 5 minutes off my time before the end of summer.
Everyone received a shirt and dog tag. Some of the money collected will go to the 22 Veterans a Day organization. The rest will be used to help local veterans with whatever they need, no red tape involved.
The next event for Coach Jen and I will be a bicycle race at the end of the month. There's another 5K locally in a couple weeks but it's a color run. No way I'm doing that one. We're planning on a couple more 5K events. One in August and maybe two in September, and I want to do the local one the Friday after Thanksgiving again.
