Generator and jug removal questions, KHK

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Generator and jug removal questions, KHK

Postby ClintsMotorcycles » Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:59 pm

Hello,

1956 KHK.

I am going to paint the jugs on my 56 KHK. They are painted black at the moment.

The exhaust, intake and heads came off no problem, but I think whomever put the bike together before me did not use the correct fasteners and spacers. The bores look brand new, .040 over pistons and I can still see the hone cross hatch on the cylinders.

Anyway, I can not get a wrench on the right front jug base nut and am going to have a heck of a time getting to the rear right jug base nut.

For the front cylinder, I thought I would just remove the generator and that would give me enough room to get the right front base nut off. However, the generator will not come off, at least not easily. I have the two bolts out and I can pull the generator back a bit, but it seems to be stuck on the oil slinger. I never had an issue removing a generator from a panhead or a UL. What is different about a KHK?

The nuts are 9/16. If I cannot get the generator off without removing the cam cover (which I really do not want to do), is there some special weirdly bent wrench or some other technique to get to all the cylinder base nuts?

I understand that Harley did not publish service manuals during the model K era. How did mechanics of old work on these bikes without one?

Thanks for any advice, tips.
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Re: Generator and jug removal questions, KHK

Postby gearhead1944 » Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:19 am

You will have to use a curved wrench like a craftsman starter wrench.You may have to rebend it also.Those nuts are really hard to het to.You should be able to lift the oil slinger up over the gen. drive gear to get it out.Is the gen orig. or is it a 65a?
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Re: Generator and jug removal questions, KHK

Postby ClintsMotorcycles » Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:22 pm

Thanks for the advice. I had to heat, bend and grind a wrench to get the jugs out. Now, I have to remember to label that wrench and put it my box of special tools for the next time. If I had to fabricate a wrench for my panhead or UL, that wrench never made it into my box of special tools.

Regarding my generator. My generator looks like it has been double or triple stamped with each stamp being slightly to the right or left of the previous stamp. I can see what might be 52K but the way it is stamped makes it questionable. For example, where it should say "Model" looks like "MOODELL" where the second O is overstamped or understamped with a D.

Not sure if some previous owner tried to misrepresent what model the generator was, tried to make it more clear what it was (and screwed it up), or it came from the factory the way it is (doubtful).

In looking at the technical forum for generators, it looks like for the 1952-1955 bikes there was a tag that was rivited on the generator body but on the 1956-1957 it was stamped on. Mine does not have the tag and there are no holes in the generator body where a rivited tag might have been removed.

So, bottom line is that I have no clue what model generator I have, but hopefully it is 6 volts and it actually works. The next time I fire the bike up I will have to check.
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Re: Generator and jug removal questions, KHK

Postby starcain » Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:31 pm

Assuming that you have a 52K generator and the correct oil slinger and idling gear it should come out. It can get a little frustrating but the way I remember it you have to move the generator towards the front of the bike while lowering the front end of the generator and angling towards the back of the bike. Should slip over the idling gear with a little finesse.
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Re: Generator and jug removal questions, KHK

Postby gearhead1944 » Wed Feb 24, 2021 5:27 pm

If the gene is a 65a the drive gear is held on with a nut and the threaded shaft sticks out past the slinger.Its not likely you will be able to get it out without pulling the cam cover because of the spring loaded shield in the cam cover.I had to cut the shaft off flush with the face of the slinger on mine. ....mike....
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