Building the 1931 Harley-Davidson VL Part by Part- Complete 3 Speed Transmission Disassembly - Ep 8

DISCLAIMER - I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC OR RESTORER. I AM A HOBBYIST ONLY. I HAVE NEVER BUILT A HARLEY DAVIDSON, SO I WILL BE LEARNING AS I GO...

Here I am going to completed disassemble the transmission I have. Once done, we will be left with all the parts and an empty case.

And no new parts were added here, so my running tally will not change.
So far, here is my running tally:

1. Front springer - $1500
2. Spring set - $150
3. Front Rockers - $299
4. Nuts and bolts for springer - $24
5. Two wheels - $349
6. Paint - $24
7. Spokes - $276
8. Three bags of coal slag media - $38
9. Used Tire - $50.00
10. New inner tube - $9.00
11. Rim Strip - $9.50
12. Zip Ties, Bag - $2.49
13. WD 40 Silicone - $12.49
14. Frame - $1825.00
15. Ball Bearings - $27.44
16. Chassis Paint - $12.49
17. Upper Race - $29.22
18. Front Axle Assembly - $88.00
19. Transmission - $250.00
20. New bearings for transmission - $22.49
Total So Far: $4,998.12

As for the cost, I may have said that I purchased a frame, front springer, transmission, and set of handlebars for $3,500. Right now, I have $3,350.00 listed in my running tally for parts just on the front springer and frame. In the case at hand, I'm using the price I used on eBay for a frame I bought to give a more realistic price. But in reality, based upon real cost, it would be closer to $1,000.00.

Welcome, thank you for watching. If you want a vintage Harley, one that blows away any other motorcycle and is a masterpiece, here is your chance.

Sourcing the parts and building the bike will definitely make you the most popular guy in your neighborhood! Now is the time for me (and you) to own a vintage Harley. And what better way for me to own one than to build it myself. So yes, I’m going to build a motorcycle. Part by part. Not just period correct, but with the original parts. All original parts except perhaps like bearings or washers or bolts or cables or pistons. An original, period correct, year correct Harley Davidson. And the one I’m going to be building is a 1931 Harley Davidson VL.

I’m going to record it step by step, for the most part, and I’m going to tell you the prices that I spend or have spent for the parts. 90% of this build is going on a treasure hunt and learning how to build the motorcycle. How to determine what parts are correct and how to assemble the parts. 10% is actually doing the build.

I needed an engine – so I bought a set of engine cases, then acquired another set, then found a good deal on two sets of flywheels and connecting rods and found the cam gears and low an behold, I have two complete engines.
Same with the transmissions. I bought parts, one by one, that morphed into four complete transmissions. I did buy the occasional complete transmission, which is a great way to buy bulk parts. Finally, buying wheels and a front end and I basically have 85% of a motorcycle built already!This is what I am going to go over today. This is how I started. In this video, I’ll go over what I did to get started. This is just a brief overview, and at the end of this video, I’ll give you a tour of the parts that I’ve collected so far. They are really just a pile of rusty parts. But over the course of 60 to 90 days, we’ll media blast them, vapor blast them, assemble them, and build our own motorcycle worth so much more that what was invested in parts.

Now to get started, Here is what you and I need to know…

You need to buy a book to start - and the book is

Harley 1930-1936 Big Twins: Buying, restoring and riding a VL by Steve Slocumbe
Buy it at www.HarborVintage.com or www.ReplicantMetals.comYou can build this bike about 95% with this book. The 5% that’s not detailed, you can email the author and he’ll answer your questions. He did for me.
So now I will be attaching a short tour of the parts I’ve purchased. After this, I'll start posting videos of the work I’m doing. I do not plan on posting videos of media blasting or cleaning. I have videos of that and it’s not that exciting.
But here is my game plan:
1. I’m going to build the front springer assembly2. I going to lace up the wheels and rebuild the wheel hubs. This includes truing and adding tires and balancing.3. I’m going to install the front springer assembly and the wheels.4. I’ll install the handlebars then.5. At this point, I will build the engine and install it.6. Then, I will build the transmission and install it.7. Then, I add the clutch basket and start adding all the small bits.
8. I’ll do the carburetor and then electrical and will finish will the tanks and the small pieces.

That is my general plan…
Along the way, I will tell you the priced I’ve paid for the parts. And I’ll try to keep a running tally... So thank you for watching and enjoy.