This has helped me a lot. I have never worked on a harley up until now, i am working on getting my dads 1975 sportster back on the road for him to ride it, this video has helped me tremendously. thank you mike
Nice job Mike. Your timing is perfect on this video. My 71 FLH is on the lift ready to change the front springs and fluid this weekend. Thanks for all the great videos!
Great Video. Just replaced fork seals and cleaned out the fork tubes on my 66 FL. Great information. Now on to your video about adjusting mouse trap and primary belt . Thanks for your help brother.
PACIFIC MIKE You have the very best HD instructional vids on this planet! Especially your Shovelhead ones ( I guess I think this cause I'm a shovelhead lover ). I only wish you lived next door :) --- THANK YOU MIKE!
I just do the a similar thing with the syringe but I use a larger syringe that holds enough oil to do one leg. Also on air assisted front end I fill from the drain plug and use vacuum on the topside of the fork to fill the tube. Great video. Thank you and your friends for doing these videos.
Thank you. I employ different methods for different front ends. This one was aimed only at the early ('49-E'77) FL units. Getting them to suck it in from the top is my favorite way on them. But, whatever works for you, is the way to go. Thank you.
I was about to go in the shop and oil the forks to my 76 FLH which hasn't run in 5 - 6 years. Then I thought to myself I better check with Pacific Mike. And got to say I'm glad I did. Thanks for posting another very helpful video on a job that is pretty straightforward but still has a few things to watch for.
Very educational. I just rebuilt my 87 Electra front end. Wish I woulda recorded it because I forgot to release all the air pressure and got my head and chest soaked with fork oil. No air ride anymore. Deleted that after installing heavy duty progressive springs. Also installed new races and bearings. Thanks for your videos
Thanks Pacific Mike! Just tried to do this on my freshly assembled hydra glide front end and it spewed out the top- I thought, I’m sure Pacific Mike has a video on this, and sure enough! Thanks man
Thanks for the interesting info on HD changes....looks like a very satisfying way of changing oil... definitely pays to have multiple jugs etc and mark things up for a few extra bucks!!! 👍😎👍
Such a good teacher even little subtle lessons you have dropped will staybwith me for life. Ie. Right direction of teflon tape . First bike (current bike) a 76 shovelhead would have never been built without you 🤘
Hey Brother. Just watched a few minutes of a 24 minute video on another channel. I've been turning wrenches and running machines for decades. Saw only a few minutes of this other so called mechanic doing a cobble job. Had to leave his channel and came back to yours. You know your stuff, cobble job does not seem to be in your vocabulary. Love a good, honest bike mechanic. I do my own work since can't trust many around here. Thank you and God bless you brother.
for anyone without a way to bolt to the floor: what ive done for this type of job or for compressing the rockers on my springer is i strap the bars to the axle with ratchets. does the same exact thing but only using the bike itself. cheers and thanks for the video mike
Mike, I tried you proposal.... I started, but it looked like it take ages. So I went a different way... I removed the front fender, axle and the headlamp tins. Then I pulled each fork leg, I left the wheel attached to the left leg, opened each tube, filled the 7 oz in, re-assembled everything, job done. It took just 45 minutes for the whole job. I believe it to be much faster. But your videos are so great, everytime I see my notification bell, I watch the new video immeadiatly. Looking forward to seeing the progress on the project bike!
Hi Mike.... I use the procedure found in the manual with an appropriate pipe fitting threaded into the fork, and a tube and funnel mounted a few feet above the bike.. Then by pumping the fork, the oil is sucked into the fork tube. No need to wait overnight. I can usually get the job done in 30-minutes.
Mike, love your vids! I've learned so much as I search for a Shovel to bring back to life. You have a great voice, the Mel Torme "Velvet Fog" of Harley vids! Be well.
Enjoyed the video great procedure Luv Baby Doll Pan head rider myself currently replacing my throttle control wire and having some issues with smooth operation of the throttle arm lever and the wire block movement that's how I found your videos looking for procedures or if someone posted something similar. enjoyed them and keep them going nothing like keeping the old Iron on the road. Thanks
thanks Mike for the great maintenance video , I have a lot to learn about my bike still and your video's help tremendously,, that's a beautiful Babydoll you have there ,,, also every time I hear a train horn I always look at my watch , " theres the ole 10:29 out of Fort Worth , or 10:45 right on time ,," etc,, anyone with me always asks " o does it pass by here this time every day? " I just shrug
I just love Baby Dolls. Very good video by the way. I do agree with your one subscriber " Skeleton Chop Shop " on how you should do a video on your history ( and of course w/ Baby Doll ) . You MUST have some great stories, but simply your past history would be enough for me. I hope you and BD enjoy your mountain road. You deserve it !!
U got new sub brother!... Im a younger dude, 44, and I love watching the older Harley videos and especially enjoy listening and watching experienced people work on em!... Have you ever seen Tatro machine channel?... That dudes a true mechanical genius!
Great video but you should mention when draining look for water contamination just to make sure seals are good and the breathers on caps are clear Love your videos
Hi Mike I've done that in the past but I figured out an even easier faster way if you take another set of caps and you drill a hole in them and tap them to fit a hose barb and used to small remote fuel canisters and run one to each side fill the canisters up with the oil and then sit on the bike and pump the front end up and down it will suck all that fluid down in about 30 seconds PS I absolutely love your shows I think you are a very talented mechanic
Sorry for all my comments on your vids there mate but Im playing catch up. That was a great vid, I never new that fork info. If I buy a Hydra that info will be Gold to me.
Thank you. I think Panheads are awesome. Just great "all around, comfortable, useable, dependable, old bikes. And, I find 'em way fun to look at. Each generation of Harleys has it's own kind of charm. And each makes its own kind of power.
@@pacificmike9501 that is an absolutely true Mike if you are or have anyone, in your family! Or have friends who are Veterans, I thank them for there Service!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸
i use an outboard transmission gear oil bottle with pump, fill the bottle with right amount of oil and inject it from the drain plugs. You have to be quick when removing the pump hose and install the plug ( this is on a showa fork with air assist )
This is my method too.I found a small valve that threads into the lower drain plug hole and pump the oil in with the outboard pump.I shut off the valve and remove the pump.Then the valve is removed and the plug quickly installed.After a few tries the first times I can get the plug in without losing more than a drop of fluid. It's a lot easier and less loss than having the pump screwed into the leg. There is absolutely no way I would even consider filling from the top with a fairing ,wind deflectors and the aluminum nacelle all mounted up front.
Compress the springs, add fluid while expanding springs and it will suck it right in. I stick a tight fitting hose I the filler hole attached to an inverted oil container and actuate the forks . Bota Boom - Bota Bing !
I use a slightly different method, though it's basically the same in principal. I've a funnel that's the perfect size to thread into where the cap goes. It's a tight fit and now the end of that funnel is threaded as though I'd taken a die to it. I pour a bit of fluid in it, out of my measuring cup, and then start running the front tire into the tire of my truck, making the tube collapse and extend. That sucks the fluid just as when you let your straps loose. After a few bumps I'll hear that sucking sound and know it's time for more fluid. I do one side at a time. You might give the funnel thing a try, Mike. It needs to be one of those with a long taper on it, and a tight twist, fluid tight fit. Heck, using straps and two funnels you could probably get it done in only two sequences. BTW, when I decided to put a front brake on my Pan I had to procure new lowers because mine were shaved. I also wanted to run a disc. The stock Shovel set up is the rattling banana caliper on the front of the left leg. I didn't like that so I swapped the lowers side to side then turned them 180 degrees, putting the caliper on the right, behind the lower. A guy in the mid-west then fab'ed a mounting bracket for me to mount a Tokico caliper for a 1999-2010 Suzuki SV 650 ;^) And yes, I had new drain plug holes machined because now the stock ones were pointed in the wrong direction and up hill. I suppose I could have bought a new cartridge type front end, but what fun is that? heh.
Yep. Personal preference. I'm used to grabbing a front brake with my right hand. I ride different bikes with different setups. Something should be consistent with them.
Was wondering why you didn't pull her back down but no worries it happens to all of us....brain farts I call em...yesterday put my fl front wheel on wrong rotation...had to laugh at myself.....keep making videos they are great...info...Matt O.
mike i heard you say showa did the forks from 76 or 77 onwards is that for the flh models because my 74 fxe has showa forks wondering when they started using them thanks for a great video
Thank you. It's very common to replace original assemblies with later ones. But the FXE has a narrow gluide which went to Showa much earlier than the FL's. I was just referring to the FL's because they were the ones ('49-E'77) that had to be "outsmarted" to be filled.
@@pacificmike9501 you could drive it with one finger literally ,it looked like crap but ran and drove pretty good till I broke the a arm and v shaped the rim with a pothole lol and busted my air shock in the rear couldn't get the jacked up rear-ended look after that
Great video! Whenever you work on the early bikes, I get attracted like a moth to the light! I'm just curious which fork oil you use on the early front ends. The stuff specified in the manual is no longer available, and I have yet to see a cross reference to it from other brands. I've actually been wanting to change the fork oil on my '67 but have been holding it off until I can be confident I'm using the right oil.
Thank you. It's pretty hard to use the wrong oil. Just use a good known brand. I don't weigh much and I use 20wt. On my customer's bikes (back when I was in business), I started with 20wt, and if the front end was too soft, I'd go to 30wt. If you've waited a long time to change your fork oil, change it, then after a short while, change it again. This will help clean it out, which is a good reason for changing it in the first place.
Thanks for replying, and the sage advice! I was afraid there would be additives that were missing, or somehow incompatible with the aftermarket oils available. You just put my mind at ease.
Mike - if the oil is ultimately going to drain down into the slider, where it resided when you removed the plug to drain it, why not simply inject it into the slider through the plug hole with a teensy NPT to hose barb fitting? (I have a very small one on the 'rising rate' fuel regulator on my supercharged MG Midget.) With the caps off the top, the air displaced by the fluid would be pushed out. A big enough syringe could hold enough oil for a single injection. Alternatively, a cleaned out power brake bleeder, like my hand-pump Motive Products model, could do that, too. What do you think?
Probably. The old forks (pre 77) are a bit of a pain. They don't just drain. They don't just fill. I like my method. Harley wants you to drip it in overnight.
@@pacificmike9501 - I will give it a shot and report back. Just put new cups in the headset/neck. I'd say they hadn't been disturbed since 1951. Kind of tough getting them out...
Mike, I just picked up a ( lets call it a running basket case ), 1974 FXE Shovel Head, and i'm having trouble putting floor boards on it, is it able to have floorboards mounted on it ? Plus, should I keep the banana caliper brake on the rear? It's sticking on me.
Most of those FX bikes didn't have all of the brackets on the right side of the frame. Actually, it seems most did not. You need a tab on the right side. And, you'll need an FL outer primary cover with a floorboard bracket. Then, you'll need FL controls. That would make it a "stock" setup. Wait. I don't think some of the FX's had the right front bracket on the frame. But, the good news is, those frame brackets are available from V-Twin (Tedd Cycle, New York). As for the banana caliper: much better calipers are now available. Back in the day, we did a lot to make them work well. And, if you learned all the tricks, they did. Some of the tricks were bad. Today, please step up to a more modern, and better designed unit.
@@pacificmike9501 Thanks Mike, I don't want to go back to mid controls so i'll have to rig something up, and I'm too poor to buy new stuff. but thanks for your guidence.
Hey Mike you said that it wasn't until 77 that Harley start Outsourcing their front ends I had a 74 Sportster that when I tore it down to do a Resto on it the lower legs had made in Japan on them I was under the impression when AMF took over a lot of stuff came from Japan
Sportsters did use both Kayaba and Showa front ends. I believe I was only speaking of FL front ends in that video. I thought I said that, but maybe didn't make it clear enough. I don't really know how much AMF had to do with outsourcing of parts, but the Showa front ends were certainly an improvement. I can't badmouth AMF. They certainly saved Harley Davidson by buying a run down company with worn out tooling. They brought us changes like alternators and disc brakes. The early electronics failed every brand. Fun to look back. I've never owned a motorcycle that I didn't need to make massive changes to. They're something that needs personalizing, unless your goal is a "stock" restoration.
@@pacificmike9501very true...Mike does the overnight "drip system" need to be used for early 80's bikes ? I am presuming the answer is yes and the quick change method you spoke of is used for the newer bikes ✌🌴☮
Not only Harley but 99% of bikes use Showa shocks front and back and they are very good. The new HD Ultras and Road Kings use an inverted triple tree and they are not much fun to work on as you have to remove fairing parts to get at that top nut and no drains. Also those lower cans are a trick. One must learn how to work on Harleys as they have a different way of doing things.
True story. Those inverted trees came out in 1979 on all of the FLT types ever since. Showa front ends on Big Twins came out in late 1977. I've worked on Harleys so long, it seems other brands have different ways of doing things. Merely a matter of perspective.
Hi Mike... I don't think you mentioned what grade of oil you use in your forks... But for your edification, I'd like to say that personally, I use 'auto transmission oil'... Dextron II, not the modern stuff... On my '69 Shovel with Harley Adjustable Rake Triple Trees, back in '78 - '79, I had the tubes cut down from 15" over (!!!) to a more respectful 10" and then hard chromed by a couple of old guys, Jones & Davey, (Bones & Gravy we used to call them RIP))... They also made new bushes to suit and fitted X2 double lipped seals each side... When I picked up the job, they suggested I run ATF in the forks... Now, they were really old dudes that had a machine shop in their back yard and knew a hell of a lot more than this young punk... So I did as I was told, and would you believe, those oil seals were fitted back then, are still in that front end, albeit they are now on my Cone Motor and DO NOT leak... (!!!) Evidently, ATF is around 10 - 15 weight, and has properties that keep the rubber subtle... True story... Take care mate and thank you for your excellent tutorials...
It's quite possible that with proper fitment, ATF would work fine. Clutch manufacturers used to recommend ATF in wet primaries. I ran it for a while in my Panhead front end. I couldn't keep it from leaking in both uses. Possibly, you got a perfect job in that front end. I've had to use stuff that would work every time, in everyone's front end or primary.
Mike, I might have of missed it but what oil are you putting in there? I have a 57 front end and need to pour some new fluid into :-) I've read that 30wt motor oil is good, or 20wt fork oil.
One more thing Mike, you said Baby Dolls is almost 28 years old and I noticed your mileage is 28,000 miles. Care to comment on that ? Just curious if that is original miles. Wish you had a Go Pro for the mountain road.
Babydoll is a 1952 model. She's 67 years old. I bought her in 1992 from a good buddy of mine. She's been with me now, almost 28 years. The speedometer is an aftermarket unit that isn't very old. She's gone through several of them. That one is broken. Early genuine speedometers are quite expensive and, if I had a perfect '52 speedo, she'd probably only be allowed to wear it on special occasions.
@@pacificmike9501 For the engine oil? I usually don't clean the tank out I'm going to from now on though, that's good advice. I was wondering if the fork oil is drain and fill or if I have to squish the forks to get them to draw the fork oil in like you did on Your panhead?
Hi Mike, I have a '57 FL and had a shop install progressive springs in the forks. Can't say I'm overly happy with the end result. I can't trust this shop and no longer do business with them. That being stated, before I swap the springs back to stock type I want to ensure that the unhappiness I am experiencing is not because they left out installing the correct amount of oil in each leg. I know what the book says is 7oz if complete rebuild and 6.5 if just replacing oil. From your own knowledge; would I use the same amount of oil per leg as with stock springs or does the progressive springs require a different amount. I cannot find anything online. Hopefully you can assist because I think you have used progressive springs before. Thank you.
Yes I have. I always adhere to the directions to start out. Is your front end compatible with the kit. Do you have the old type legs or 1977 and later legs? Is this a kit made by Progressive Suspension? If so, they can and will point you in the right direction. They're a good bunch of folks. Are there preload spacers on top of the springs? Are they the right length? Progressive Suspension is in Hesperia, California.
Hi Mike, thanks for your reply. I have the original old style legs on the bike. The kit is made by Progressive. Not sure at this point about the spacers, as I did not do the work. Do you recall if it is the same amount of oil per leg as stock?
I had to learn this the hard way. Now I get my fat buddy to sit on the bike and push down on the bars to collapse it and just stand up to suck the fluid in. haha
While we're o the subject of front ends, I have a one piece riser that may be.used for 2 piece handlebars. I don't need it. Maybe soneone else does. I am not selling it . First come, first serve. I will even pay shipping to you. You can have it.
I’m having a little bit of trouble with my 2011 ultra is it ok if I can ask an Expert like you what it’s doing and what I’ve done to the bike thank you if this is not allowed please delete
@@pacificmike9501 thank you. I put a 110 big bore kit on my 96cu ultra put adjustable push rods in high flow pump new cam plate Newbearings 585 easy start new valve springs. And Vance and Hines fuel pack the bike runs good but if I stay at a steady speed it acts like it wants to have more gas I have to give it the throttle because it’s fluttering I did not change the heads I just put new valve springs in and inserts
Hard to say, but, you did increase the displacement. You've made some major changes. We get used to the electronics balancing it all out again. Maybe this thing should be on a dyno that's going to tell you the exact air/fuel ratio. I think I'd have a talk with your local tuners. I'm not even equipped for this modern stuff.
What is the difference in handling bbetween ' 52 and ' 53 fl panhead?. Any other differences? '53 was anniversary issue I didn't catch whether baby doll was fl 74" cu or 61" cu. El ..wasn't foot shift stock on 1952? I had same color. Single exhaust. Incomparable sound. It probably would be even better with v & h clip ons. Did they make them in 1969? No othet motorcycle sounds, or ever did sound as beautiful as the panhead. What do you do about leaded gasoline?
'52 and '53 are almost the same. Biggest difference was hydraulic valve lifters. I believe, although I don't know why, check it out, '54 was the anniversary edition. '52 was the first year of foot shift being standard on big twins. Babydoll was ordered with a tankshift. She is an FL. I use premium pump gas and she still has original valve seats. I did a tour of this motorcycle on a previous video. She shows up often. She is a daily rider. Look up the video. What are v&h clip ons, handlebars?
@@pacificmike9501 I meant vance and hines slipon mufflers that mske the sound of a twin cam sound gorgeous. If I hsd another panhead or panhead engine i would put v & h.mufflers. My concern is for lower cg and how the ' 53 would handle better. 2003 is anniversary issue of road glide & harleys. The medalion shows this. H D was started in 1903. Logically u r right but not harley Davidson. So unleashed gas doesn't hurt your bike? I had trouble with '72. Honda 350 cc ovc valves. I was amazed my ' 52 handled that well. I have more regard for bydraglide hd' than had / have for. Vincent the bike of my ( then) dream.
Hello Mike according to your experience what could this dull noise depend on ? it comes from the carburetor. Thanks ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RApWB5UhOUM.html
I believe I know what you're speaking of. If I am correct, it is a characteristic of the flatslide Mikuni. It's hard to pinpoint on a video. But listening to many,many Mikunis, I blieve it to be merely a "characteristic" sound.
@@pacificmike9501 thanks a lot Mike I also had this suspicion, certainly this noise is not nice ..... I have to find a way to eliminate it thanks again
