New to site with questions on My K

[starcain]

Erik has a good idea but it seems a little too subjective. If your not use to K cams and don't have another example to look at it may be hard to distinguish what you have. You have a very rare situation and a guess even your best guess could never be completely conclusive. An extraordinary claim (52KK) should require extraordinary proof. It could change everything of what we think we know of the KKs. Just my opinion. Stan

[55khkjoe]

You could screw a pushrod cover up and look at the valve spring collar. KK had WR valve trains. the collar is not completely round, it has notches in it for oil flow, I guess it would look like a cog if it were laying flat. Just a thought instead of pulling the cam cover. Be care full not to mess the threads up.

[Tony]

Thank you Erik and Stan. (great advice) I may try to look at the Valve spring collar? We'll see if I get some time in the next week (self employed, 4 kids, wife, dog, chickens). I will keep up with this post. I really appreciate the help. I assume Harley Davidson did not keep records detailed enough to help in this situation? (only because no one has suggested I contact them). I have purchased a few other bikes from this collection and have been very happy with what I got. I only mention this to help establish some credibility for the bike itself. If the bike ends up to be a K that's ok by me. But if it is something else, that would be cool. Over all it is what it is, a mystery machine for now.

T

[thefrenchowl]

Hi all,

Without ant tools, the easiest way to check if a cam is a KK/KHK/KR is to look at the width of the 28 teeth drive gears, they are much thinner than the K/KH/XL gears... The lift and shape of the cam are also obvious once you've seen a KHK cam... K/KH are puny and pointy and look like WL stuff.

Since the KK came out in 53 as a Speed Kit, I don't see anything extraordinary for a 52 K to have been converted, either by the dealer or returned to the factory.

From personal info gleaned over the years, it appears all motors were machined with the moniker 52 K or 54 KH or 55 KH or 56 KH stamped on its own. Then belly added, then serial added.

I also believe a KK or KHK between 53 and 55 wasn't a full special built.

A std 53 K or 54 KH or 55 KH would be taken off the assembly line when a KK or KHK order was received and brought wherever the speed kit was installed and the 2nd K in the serial added at this stage. Close examination of the original/undisturbed/OEM serial of my 54 KHK shows the 2nd K don't quite fit in with the rest (depth, aspect, orientation, it suggests a different hand stamped that 2nd K)...

56 KHK seems to be a full new model as shown by advertising and numbers built.

Patrick

[starcain]

Here are a couple of pictures to illustrate some of what Patrick was talking about on the cams. I used number 3 cams to compare simply because that is the number that I had all three of. Patrick makes a lot of good points that makes sense to me. However, Patrick you didn't mention if you have in fact ever seen a 52KK. Since you didn't mention that you did I must assume that you have not. In 43 years of foolin with Ks neither I or anyone I know have ever seen or even heard of one. I find that extraordinary because ordinary it is not. Patrick, thanks for the information. Can't wait to hear the rest of the story on this motorcycle. Stan

[JerrryR]

Hi All
Stan since you went down that road with the cams Im interested on folks thoughts on the khk cams. Here is what I think not necessarily what is correct. I beleive the numbered cams were kk cams used in 53 and in 54 for the early khks. I believe the cams marked khk were used on the 55 and 56 khks. This assertion for the most part is based on the 56 parts book treatment of cams as single replacements versus set replacement. I have attempted to mic the two to verify the suspected difference in them but i have no confidence in the measurements i took.
JerryR

[starcain]

Jerry, The whole cam thing in the parts book is rather confusing and difficult to make sense of. Your assertion could very well be right. I personally have no clue. What is the suspected difference between the numbered cams and the KHK cams? The parts book shows the individual cams fit 53-Model KK, 56-Model KHK. Can we assume that 54 and 55 are included in that? It appears then that they used the same cams so not sure why there would be a difference in them. We all know that the parts books aren't always 100% correct so if someone knows for sure lets hear it. Stan

[Tony]

If I remove the side case I will need a gasket to put it back together. does anyone have a good source for a gasket kit?

Thank you

T

[EKHKHK56]

The cam set is listed as a set including 54 and 55. These are the same cams yes. My stock 55KHK came with them also. There are no other cams. Erik K

[starcain]

Tony, I have an original Harley NOS cam cover gasket you can have if you decide to crack it open. Stan