The 2 the Max Project

[matt glascock]

Great work, Maxie. I sure love seeing your projects evolve. Semichrome is readily available. Most Harley shops I've been in carry it. Its easily obtained through many internet sources. I've always used it with great results. In addition to being a great metal polish, it is also a good preservative. If you have trouble finding it, let me know. I always keep a tub and a few tubes around. I'll send you one.

[hodakamax]

Hey thanks Matt! I did find some Semichrome on Amazon. This is the stuff I polished BSAs with in the '60s! (Maybe even the Jawa Scrambler). Good stuff and thanks for the offer!

Maxie

[matt glascock]

Glad you scored Maxie. The stuff is just shy of magical.

[Bill2001]

Sweet! Nice work on the chrome.
And yes, Simichrome is the #1 go-to for fine polishing. For cleaning or rough polishing use a "coarser" grade of paint rubbing compound, it cuts faster. Grade 000 or 0000 steel wool works well, too.

And nice job on the brake linkage.

[matt glascock]

Made in Germany but imported by Competition Chemicals right here in good 'ol Ioway - perhaps our one claim to fame .

PS - Maxie, I wish I could have polished BSA's and a Jawa Scrambler!!!!

[hodakamax]

Hey thanks Bill and Matt! You guys are good support! I've been on a search for BSA and Jawa pictures in my mixed up photo filing system. They are here somewhere, the search continues, be patient.

Max

[hodakamax]

Ha. I'd forgotten that both the Jawa and the BSA were featured in the Resonator Volume 2, number 18. The name of the article is Kodachromes from the Past by Yours Truly whoever that is. Check it out for Max's Simichrome polished early rides, Scary!

As an added effect, here's a shot of the original Simichrome that's been floating around in an obscure drawer since the '60s. Hey, top that! Were you guys even alive then?

[Bruce Young]

Max, yes we where, "remember" this brand well, Sold it when I worked for a VW and Porsche dealer in the 60,s and 70,s, before Motorcycles came into my life. Then came along the Flitz brand, works just as well. Both from German Manf. Thanks for the memories Bruce Young

[matt glascock]

Yep, that's the original potion in the original packaging as I remember it. Same dope now in a yellow/pink tube. Back in the 70's, after I realized that the stuff could turn a toaster tank into a mirror, I went in search of cool things to polish. Hmm...Mom and Dad's antique silver coins and Indian Head pennies seem to be a good place to start. I was told not to, but thought the reason was the time and effort involved so I did it anyway as a surprise. As I recall, that day I got to select my own engine of execution (willow vs. asparagus switch). My Dad was an old school "Spare the rod" man.

[hodakamax]

Back to the pipe. Final welding of the pipe mount and a bracket to mount it to the frame. The DPO had used up the previous mounting area with a series of holes, all not in the right area and I'd moved the manufacturers pipe bracket slightly to fit all this new linkage in. I did ventilate the pipe bracket while it was off and got one more ugly ounce off of it.

First I built a two hole steel bracket for pipe to frame that looked weak and tacky for sure. The bracket and frame needed more than one hole each and a mount that exploited our theme of mechanical complication. Right or wrong this is how I did it. Remember our new standard of "Better to look good than to be practical"

Well, that was fun and entertained me and does look somewhat mechanically complicated, even functional. Two or three requirements met.

I think it's ready for some VHT flat black coating.

Maxie

[Hydraulic Jack]

Since the point of the exercise is to look good rather than be practical, I won't point out to you that at least half (if not just a bit more) of the welded bracket is pointless at this point because you welded right up to the midpoint of one of your lightening holes, reducing the strap width to a small fraction of the original width, and creating a stress point at the midpoint of that half supported hole, which will sooner or later result in a fracture at the point the weld ends on either side of the hole. And because your bracket looks really nice, I won't point out that the bead material on the too long strap weighs more than the metal removed by drilling really lovely holes. This opinion is worth every nickel you paid for it.

[hodakamax]

Buzz off Jack, seriously.

[Bullfrog]

(tee hee) I thought the rule was something like "Simplicate and add lightness." But "Complicate and add lightness" at least has a similar sound.

Ed

[taber hodaka]

Those sure are beautiful wields.------------Clarence

[hodakamax]

(tee hee) I thought the rule was something like "Simplicate and add lightness." But "Complicate and add lightness" at least has a similar sound.

Ed

Ah, the theme and rules are like a river, fluid and ever changing.

[Bill2001]

Zen and the Art of Hodaka refurbing.

Max has to be the Burt Munro of the new Millennium.

[hodakamax]

Hey Clarence, Yes! Rod Blackburn at his Hot Rod Shop is quite the welder. What an asset for a project. This is why Max doesn't weld. I think he likes my projects and puts up with me as a walk in customer. He also did all the welding on the Day One Project. I'm really looking forward to the frame part of the project which will require a lot of his expertise undoing the DPO work and fabricating fork stops and such. Art for sure!

Maxie

[hodakamax]

A minor report to keep things more or less current and to show how a DPO can add hours if not days to a project like this. I mentioned awhile back about the DPO apparently losing the rear alignment dowel and making a replacement with some kind of piston pin. The O.D. was perfect but as I discovered in the mock-up the rear engine mount bolt wouldn't go through the engine. No problem for the DPO, as he probably just used a smaller carriage or square-headed farm bolt.

Seems like a somewhat simple fix, let's just enlarge the hole through the fake dowel. Hmm, this thing seems to be made of Kryptonite. Metal files come out with no metal on them. After rounding off a couple of drill bits even with thread cutter oil, I've only about a millimeter of progress along the length. OK, let's grind it out with the Dremel tool, I only need a a few thousandths. After turning three bits to sand and using up some of an hour, It's time to try something else. I've go lotsa expensive die grinder rotary files but if it's that hard I'd hate to dull something that eats cast iron. More digging and I find a worn rotary tapered file that the large end is exactly the size I need. Wow, this file is harder than Kryptonite and eats through the hole enlargement in seconds but not without finishing off the well worn file.

We'll that's how you spend two hours reversing the negative progress of a DPO and why these projects take so long. In reality its just about problem solving, minor challenges are good for the brain and part of a project.

Maxie

PS--Hey, the engine is on the bench!

[hodakamax]

Now that I have most major mechanical linkages, forks and such figured out, It's time for some frame repairs and fork stops. Were do I start? Plenty of options here. I did get the swing arm plates back to spec awhile back when figuring out the wheel combos. Let's move forward, so to speak, and start with the upper rear shock mount that has quite a mis-alignment with the swing arm end.

I'm beginning to think this specimen was ran over by a truck or fell off a trailer rather than a racing accident as some of the things I'm seeing would be hard to do. The main frame measures straight but there's several things tweaked. The plate holding the rear shock is where the twist is in this case. One step at a time here. The plan here is to straighten everything I can and then go to the blaster to prepare for welding.

Minor report here.

Max

[hodakamax]

Termites.

[hodakamax]

My, that Sawzall is a mean machine! I did get the broken rear fender bracket cut off. Again, it was broken where the DPO had re-enforced it. I broke the top part off with my hand. I also got most of the fork stops and other crudeness removed. A bit of work with the die grinders and I think I can save all this. My wife said (not too seriously) that I'd made enough noise and that I should give it up for the day. Yes Dear, I said. I'd already had enough fun already.

Maxie

[Bruce Young]

Merry Christmas, Max, yes maybe its time to take a break. Too much noise just before the holidays. Might scare off Bambi. You need to take a break and step back and re-look at the project again, you are going in the right direction, and I am sure the finished project will look better than with the special "MAX" touch. Great work, Bruce Young

[hodakamax]

Hey thanks Bruce! Always good to hear from you! I did have a good day attacking problems with the Sawzall today. A manly machine for sure! Hey, have the good holidays, best to all.

Max

[Hydraulic Jack]

Replace your steering head bearing races.

[matt glascock]

What would account for the symmetry and consistency of the ball bearing indentations seen on the race other than an epic impact? I thought they were free to skedaddle around the race at will.