The Chopper Compendium

Hi guys,
I've fabricated the links for my girder, and the hole in them is a tight fit with the Oilite bushings (I have to put them in place with light taps of a plastic mallet).
Instead, I have some slack between the bushings inside holes and the girder shafts... is it acceptable to have some freeplay in there, or should it be a really accurate fit?
Many thanks,
nero

I checked your saddlebag fab. Nice job. I like metal rather than fiberglass.

How much slack do you have. You should not be able to 'wobble' the shafts inside the bushing. The shaft should be a firm push fit in the bushing when the assembly is first put together. You can buy 'oversized' bushings if necessary or buy the next smaller 'standard' size and ream it to fit with an adjustable reamer.

I'll try to measure the slack with a feeler gauge, but in the meanwhile, if I understand correctly, if I have to push the shaft inside the link+bushing assembly with a little effort, at the beginning the link shouldn't turn as easily as if there was a roller bearing in there, correct? Then with the bike weight and after some miles, everything should set up correctly by itself... right?

@hansgoudzwaard:
I've just had them powder coated, then I've glued some foam inside. Now it's the black&red stripes turn (no Guzzi logo on top for now, the bike owner said) and they're done... I'll post the final result when they're completed..

Exactly right. You want it snug and a realtively tight at first assembly but you should still be able to move everything with some 'mild' hand pressure on the forks. If the fork just flops around it's to loose and if you have to bust a gut to move the forks then it's to tight. To tight will take care of itself over time but to loose is a non-starter.
Once the bushings get worn in they should last for about 50,000 miles without needing replacement. I find that bushing will outlast bearings by a 4 to 1 ratio on springers and girders so I still can't figure out why some builders still insist on using bearings. A good adjustable reamer is a fork builders best friend. If push comes to shove you can use a brake cylinder hone.

Many thanks Gary, now it's perfectly clear.. that I have to machine some new shafts.. but luckily I did only 3 of them...
BTW, I've never used an adjustable reamer before, for some reason I've had always thought that they weren't any good (not accurate enough, or just to cumbersome to adjust to the right measure) but maybe it's time that I give them a shot..
Thanks again!

Desperate Copyright... bit of tube ..rod, with a slot

I didn't want to mention the 'garage' methods of sizing holes as we here get all to many comments on other boards about being 'rude and crude' and 'unprofessional'. I personally think those comments are actually a compliment but I don't want the site visitors to have that type of thing attached to their own methods of doing things. I'm the King of jury-rigging so nothing bothers me with respect to procedures but other people can get pretty anal about stuff. Most folks here actually do stuff in the real world so they understand about wrapping emery cloth around your finger but at some other places most people just talk about doing stuff and some of our 'workarounds' just sound weird to them.

thats why we are on this site and they are on the other sites just talking about it

hansgoudzwaard wrote:I checked your saddlebag fab. Nice job. I like metal rather than fiberglass.

Saddlebags completed, you can check them in the sheet metal section of the board if you like.

gww25 wrote: "snippage" I'm the King of jury-rigging so nothing bothers me with respect to procedures but other people can get pretty anal about stuff. Most folks here actually do stuff in the real world so they understand about wrapping emery cloth around your finger but at some other places most people just talk about doing stuff and some of our 'workarounds' just sound weird to them.

Now thats a statement I can relate to.

gww25 wrote: I'm the King of jury-rigging so nothing bothers me with respect to procedures but other people can get pretty anal about stuff. Most folks here actually do stuff in the real world so they understand about wrapping emery cloth around your finger but at some other places most people just talk about doing stuff and some of our 'workarounds' just sound weird to them.

I like to call it Bush-Tech. When you're 65 miles from the closest parts store, you make do with what you have.
(It might even entail drilling a big ass hole in an aluminum bell housing to tighten the clutch plate bolts to the flywheel and plugging the hole with a whittled branch.)

or a coke can!! lol

railroad bob wrote:

gww25 wrote: I'm the King of jury-rigging so nothing bothers me with respect to procedures but other people can get pretty anal about stuff. Most folks here actually do stuff in the real world so they understand about wrapping emery cloth around your finger but at some other places most people just talk about doing stuff and some of our 'workarounds' just sound weird to them.

I like to call it Bush-Tech. When you're 65 miles from the closest parts store, you make do with what you have.
(It might even entail drilling a big ass hole in an aluminum bell housing to tighten the clutch plate bolts to the flywheel and plugging the hole with a whittled branch.)

Ya can't argue "Field Expediency" especially when it works so well.