'72 XLCH Ironhead - First Start Goes Wrong! Stupid Mistake!
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- Finally got around to firing up the XLCH after neglecting it for a month... Here's what I did wrong, and the stupidest motor rebuild mistake I've made to date. Oh well, it happens. At least I know it runs! Now just some fine tuning and fixing the issues that popped up. Don't hide anything and embrace mistakes as learning opportunities...
#harley #choppers #ironhead #xlch #xlh #sportster #sportsters #harleydavidson
Don't be so hard on yourself, we all make mistakes. We live, we learn, we move on. Just the fact that you are out in the garage doing cool shit is what matters !!! Keep wrenching and rolling Brotha. :-)
It's all good and she's dialed now! Just a frustrating thing but it's real and sh** happens. Thanks for the support!
don't apologize so much. i've done way dumber things. glad you caught it before any major damage happened.
I couldn't help it. I'm used to making stupid mistakes.. and learn more from those than anything else. I just felt foolish and haven't publicly had the opportunity to do it on the internet! That makes it real right? Thanks for watching and the support!
Ha!...don't feel too bad about leaving paper towels inside the intakes....although that's a new one. Several years ago I was rebuilding one of my bikes with a new piston. In the garage, music on, friends hanging out and distracting me. About 6 beers later, valves adjusted, timing set, I was finally done. I turned the key on ready for its first kick when I looked at my pegboard on the wall and saw the cylinder base gasket!..So yea,....it happens.
Yea man, sorry for the late reply, been slammed! But that was definitely a first for me. Oh well, at least Harley's come apart pretty easy. Valves are all sealing still and nothing got bent so we're in good shape for a quick freshen up. Thanks for the support!
ouch
Don’t feel so bad bro,We’ve all been there. I once started my 61 Chevy truck on fire and had to push it out of my garage so it didn’t set my house on fire😂😂😂
I hear that. I was so frustrated at the time. Now I look back and laugh about it.
Hay man you got it done. it runs. Most of all you did not give up
Done "ish". Still lots of loose ends, but hearing it fire significantly helps with motivation! Thanks for watching!
I just came across your channel in my feed actually. I'm happy to support your efforts and those of other fellow moto content creators. I look forward to seeing and hearing more from you in the future ; keep up the great work and ride safe out there.
Thank you! I'll be posting all the old junk I keep tinkering on. Mostly old "hardley's" but if it's got two wheels and a carb, I'll play. Thanks for watching! Maybe I'll catch ya on the road!
@@WrenchingWrecked youtube.com/@WrenchingWrecked👍
Hey, nice Hi Jivers T-shirt, kewl band!
Thanks! Glad to hear someone else knows of them!
Did the same thing with the paper towels. trying not to get dirt in the engine.
At least I'm not the only one! HAHA. I felt so foolish, but it happened and there's nothing to hide here! Thanks for watching!
A procedure for extracting a paper towel from a closed cylinder bore: Turn the motor so that the piston is at the bottom of the stroke. Ignite the paper and let it turn to ashes.
That would definitely work too. I ended up fishing everything out the hard way and got her going proper, but that would have been good to think about when slapping this together.
I had a 78 XLcH, fun bike really enjoyed it.
I'm a sucker for old sporties. I had a 73 chopper that I regret selling, but now I have a garage of shovelheads. I said I was done with ironheads, but what can I say, I'm addicted... Thanks for watching!
had similar problem with piece of rag in the stuck in the cylinder I was lucky enough to get it out with a shopvac Bonus!
It's rough. Nothing makes you feel less intelligent. I hate having projects get put on pause like this, but too many other things happening and you're bound to miss something. Thanks for watching!
Shit happens. No harm no foul. Kinda funny though. Good save 👍🏻
That's how I look at it. Could have been way worse (even then, a couple valves and guides), but I got lucky. Thanks for watching!
Happens to the best of us 😊
Thanks for the support! We'll get it sorted soon! Thanks for watching!
Your bike is pretty and I really like that front wheel
Thanks! It's an old OG Hallcraft Mini Drum. Thanks for watching!
Man that's not a problem, when we screw up a mechanical issue, you fix it. When ya screw up on a human level or physically it's harder if impossible to fix. That iron head has no feelings or a conscience (despite how we feel) my 72' loves me I know she does. You did a great job beatn urself up bro. Lol fuckn damn dude, paper towel?? Jk.
Right! Hardly the end of the world, and it could have been much worse, but at least when you know how everything works you can still fix it. She'll be on the road soon! At least it fired! Thanks for watching!
Oh man!!!!! Paper towel!!!!! That sucks!!!!!
Fools will be fools, but I guarantee I wont be doing it again! Thanks for watching!
Had a 70 sportster wrung bolts off oil pump. Got good with easy outs
That's not a fun one. I've had 50/50 luck with easy outs. Sounds like you got it though!
yr. freind has a good feel for what the machine wants i like to see young guns get it some never will HAPPY TRALS
He does. I've had a few ironheads, but am slowly running out of steam as I get older for playing with kicker. There's a reason I switched to Big Twins, even though I still love the old sporties. Happy Trails to you and thanks for watching!
Don't use .016 thick head gaskets. Get the thick ones. .045
.o16 lowers compression or something?
@@whydahell3816 lol. Close but it raises the compression which would be good it it would actually seal. Most of these old ironheads have about .018 clearance between the head and cylinder. Better safe than sorry. Unless your building some kind of racing bike, you'll never notice the minute compression or power difference.
It's a pretty mild build with factory P Cams, so I never checked the thickness on the head gasket. I do know they have an effect on the compression though. Blue gasket will be going back in for this one.
Thicker would lower compression I believe. More gap between the chamber and the crown of the piston. It would definitely be a very small change with a stock motor/stock cams. Port and polish and P cams is a good setup, but nothing wild by any means. Thanks for watching and input!
@@WrenchingWrecked yes, thicker equals less compression. Do yourself a favor, lay the head on the cylinder and measure the gap between the two, the make sure your gasket is at a minimum several thousands thicker. When I say between the two, I mean the two mating surfaces. I just learned this myself. The hard way. Lol
a couple more kicks.. good times
She went!
ON TO THE NEXT CHALLENGE!
Like fixing my mess-ups... but at least she fired and now I'm motivated again! Thanks for watching!
You have some balls standing over that bike trying to start it. My '72 likes to kick, many times I've limped around the yard cursing. I've always stood to the side, just felt safer😂😂
Side kicking my old XLCH Chopper had me on the ground in tears more times than I can count. Not from kick back but from the kick starter gear slipping and an immediate hyperextension of the knee. If you stay on it and kick her through, most of the kickback is right back on the center of the foot in my experience. It's all preference though. Thanks for watching!
Which is why the electric start was a "hell yeah brother" moment in time.
It's ok ,more fun you'll ever have.
It was so much fun the first time why not do it again right? She'll be back together and running soon. Thanks for watching!
Why not just pull the intake manifold off ?
I ended up pulling it off anyways to pop the head gasket, but I had a kicker helper and was able to get it before the manifold. Had I known the head gasket would let go I would have start there, but hindsight is 20/20.. Thanks for watching!
Are those Wyatt gatlin exhaust. Was gonna get some but was scared the goose neck would interfere with the kick start.
They are the the Wyatts. I have barely any clearance, but it doesn't hit. I have a video somewhere showing how close it sits now. Had to modify/make some lower bracket mounts though. Did not line up to stock exhaust bracket.
@@WrenchingWrecked hey, thanks for the reply man. I really enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work.
my first Harley a 77 ELCH Just button start, I wish I had a kicker fucking generator burned out about once every two weeks I got so sick of having the Taiwan rebuilt, So I moved to a place up on a hill so I could bum start the AMF! (Another Man Fucked!)
Oh man, that's great. I mean terrible, but I hear ya. I've been blessed with good electronics on my '79 FXE (knock on wood) but I try to use non-repop parts when possible. Thanks for watching!
Stupidest thing I've ever read.