Dusty's 37 Indian Bonneville racer

[DustyDave]

took a sawzall to the tubes and brackets on the Ninja neck then spun then off.


Ready to weld.

Dusty

[DustyDave]

Lower frame rail with the 45 welded and the neck kinda mocked up. Will need the bearings to get here so I can reassemble the wheels and forks before I can fit the neck

Dusty

[DustyDave]

Took awhile to talk myself into drilling holes in brand new pistons.

Dusty
OBTW all those holes have peek buttons now and are fitted where even after warming on the wood stove they fall to the bottom of the cylinder.

[DustyDave]

Startin ta looks like a really clost ta da ground bike.

Actually will adjust from 4" to 7.5" of ground clearance with the lower tube parell ta de salt

Dusty

[Dragstews]

This thread is way freaken Cool ...

Attack on the Salt from the ground up ....
And all of us has a front row seat ...
............... .................

[DustyDave]

Got the rear upright, oil fittings and the cross bars for the rear section welded today.

Dusty

[nuklhd]

Thanks for the update Dave. If I beat the cancer i'll be in Bonneville, I have wasted to much time.

[DustyDave]

Made a dozen little PEEK buttons to go in the piston skirts.

Parting off the little bowl was an important tool

Lots of fiddly work for something this simple

In place!

Dusty

[DustyDave]

Still gotta clean up the edges but they slide right in.


Dusty

[DustyDave]

Started mocking the lower end up to check Fit etc.
I will use the drive side case.

Hit the mains a tiny bit with the line lap.

Vaselined up the cages and loaded the rollers

Crank assy slid right in and spins free!

Slipped the pistons without rings.and cylinders on, amazing how free it is so far. A quarter turn by hand and it will coast a round ands a half.

Started inspecting , right off the rear piston is .005 lower at TDC than the front. Really pretty close for 80 year old cylinders that show to have been surfaced and I did a minimum cleanup on the base gasket surfaces. Need lots more checking then I can make the thrust washers and balance it.
Dusty

[DustyDave]

The left tank. Just seemed like a day to weld

Cant do the other until I get some more .040 tig electrodes.

These will make the top frame rail and be outboard of the cylinders One for gasoline and one for methanol.

Dusty

[flatman]

Where did you get the round endcaps for the tanks? Are they sheetmetal like thickness? I found some awhile back but really thick wall.Thanks!

[DustyDave]

Where did you get the round endcaps for the tanks? Are they sheetmetal like thickness? I found some awhile back but really thick wall.Thanks!

I got them from Bung King and they are probably 12 gauge. Thicker than I wanted but not terrible. Time you count all the weld metal probably about the same weight as an orange peel and way quicker.
The fill bung and cap and coupling were from https://coyotegear.com/
Dusty

[flatman]

Thanks for the info!

[DustyDave]

Got the frame standing on its feet. It's adjusted as long and as tall as it gets.

Started fitting the right tank -top frame rail

Proly leave the tanks just tacked up untill I get the engine in it.

Dusty