1925 JD Cannonball Bike

[Jerry Wieland]

Here is the brake anchor all finished and ready for paint. It isn't perfect but it will work just fine and probably fool most JD guys once it is painted.

You will probably notice that I did not braze around the top of my bracket. The reason is that I know of 2 forks that are broke and they broke at that point. I suspect that the braze created a stress riser and that normal flexing eventually caused a crack to form.



Now I have to get back to that front fender which is getting to be a real dilemma.

Jerry

[Jerry Wieland]

OK Here we have a real 1925 fender (top one) which Mark Masa was very generous to loan me to figure out what I need. Mark also loaned me the strap brackets that are used on a 1924 and up fender. I probably will try to buy a couple of these from Tom at Replicant or else it will be something else I need to make.

The bottom fender is a reproduction from Replicant Metals which is listed as thru 1925 replacement but it would not fit a 1925 without a bunch of work. Lucky for me I am not doing a restoration - I just need a fender that looks the part. The Replicant Metals fender is probably more appropriate for 1923 and down.







Two things keeping this fender from fitting my fork and tire. #1 this fender was made for a pre 1925 fork which is approximately 1' longer than a 1925 and up fork. #2 this fender has reliefs to clear the fork which I cannot have because my tires drags on it.



So I started cutting the brackets....

[Jerry Wieland]

I've got a question - today I was digging thru my bucket of intake valve pockets and noticed these.



The one on the left came out of a 1928 cylinder I bought at Davenport. The 2 on the right I've had for a while and do not know where I got them. My question is: what do they fit? They same to be of the same approximate size as the other but are definitely opened up more plus they are front/rear cylinder specific.

Jerry

[MMasa]

I've got a question - today I was digging thru my bucket of intake valve pockets and noticed these.



The one on the left came out of a 1928 cylinder I bought at Davenport. The 2 on the right I've had for a while and do not know where I got them. My question is: what do they fit? They same to be of the same approximate size as the other but are definitely opened up more plus they are front/rear cylinder specific.

Jerry

The early large pocket 74's had the housings on the right, and yes they are cylinder specific. You will notice that they have an R or an F stamped on the top. (Rear and Front). The top pin and orientation notch are also F or R specific.
The style on the left is later.
Exactly when and why the change was made is something I've not looked into yet. I know that early 61" intake housings also had only one rib and breakage was an issue, presumably due to there being insufficient support if the clamping nut was drawn down too tightly.
While I've never seen a single rib 74" housing broken in the manner that the single rib 61" housings broke, that had to be part of the consideration since they increased the number of ribs at the expense of unimpeded air flow. I would also suspect that making the housing universal (same for front or rear) was part of it too.
Mark Masa

[Jerry Wieland]

Mark Thanks for the reply. Shucks and I thought maybe I had something good -- Oh well. I am finished with the 1925 fender and brackets that you loaned. Thanks you very much - it was very much help. I got all the parts made I needed and if my vise grip pliers had not slipped at the last moment, I would have had the fender done except for the reliefs to fit a narrow fork. Just need a few minutes tomorrow night and it will be.

Jerry

[Jerry Wieland]

Today instead of doing typical 4th of July things I worked on my front fender in 90 to 100 degree heat. I had called Tom at Replicant on Tuesday and he did not have the strap pieces I needed. He does not make the JD fenders but merely sells them for the guy that does.

The first thing I did was to make the strap brackets using the NOS ones that Mark Masa loaned me as a pattern. I basically traced them with black marker and then cut them out on a vertical band saw. Then I shaped them close using a floppy disc grinder and also a dremel. The original ones from Mark were approximately .144" thick and I have no idea what fractional thickness that is but I used 1/8" (.125") hot rolled flat stock.



Then it was a matter of fitting and trying the wheel numerous times to make sure that I positioned the fender right as compared to the travel of the wheel. I also had to heat and bend the straps because the reproduction fender has the straps mounted in a slightly different place plus the difference of 1" in the length of the fork.







It was probably more work than these pictures let on.

I am a bit worried about trying to straighten the narrow fork relief. The metal is probably stretched and I might have to slit and reweld to accommodate the extra metal.



Jerry

[BigLakeBob]

Making any progress? You must be working and not posting, a good sign I hope. Bob

[Jerry Wieland]

Bob That is basically it. We are at the point where everything is trying to come together. We are waiting for the sheet metal and the engine crank assembly. Frame, fork, foot controls, tailight, transmission, both wheels and front brakes, headlight are done. Horn is almost done. Waiting on a repop rear drum from Europe, haven't started on the handlebars. Some of the plating is done and some is ready to go and what I miss is going to get spray can. Engine rotating assembly will be done Thursday, sheetmetal should be back on Friday. Cylinders are done and valves will be done tomorrow night.

The thing that has really set me back is my job. We have been slow for 3 years until this spring and now they want 12 hour days.

I have a ton of pictures but haven't taken the time to load them.

And yes I am worried about not getting done.


Jerry

[Jerry Wieland]

Here is the sheet metal back from the painters. Chad Clapper of Clear Lake, Iowa did the body work and the painting. He removed the dimples that were in the front fender to clear the early fork and it is impossible to see where they were. They look much better in person than they do in my lousy pictures.

[c.o.]

Lookin' good Jerry!!!