New Swingarm Busings

Here is an area that provided several learning opportunities (I am getting tired of saying this). It started with the removal of the old silent blocks which is detailed in my “Rebuilding the Swingarm” post. New bushings were pressed in with the only observation being that you should press on the large diameter of the bushings to get them in. I accomplished this on a small hydraulic press using a couple of large washers to provide clearance for the inner tube.

The washer mounted for clearing the center tube. 

One was put on the opposite end before moving to the second bushing. 

A small press was used to push in the bushings. 

My first learning opportunity was that new bushings should have been fit before painting the frame. The new bushings were a bit too long and removed some paint upon installation. Lesson learned. I filed a bit off of the silent block small diameter tubes which let them slide into place. The frame is too rigid to press apart for the assembly to slide in. (Lesson two learned).  The third lesson is that Cadmium plating adds enough thickness to the spindle diameter that it will not go in. I filed it on a lathe until it was a tight slip fit. It went together well and was tightened until the silent blocks flexed for swingarm movement and not slippage on the spindle shaft. New shocks were fit, completing the process.  Now it’s on to the steering head and tapered roller bearings.

Recovering the Seat

The seat was in pretty bad shape; torn, painted and the pan was cobbled together with course thread studs and braze. This was done with the seat assembled which wasn’t kind to the foam. The braze was removed from the pan and threaded inserts were turned and mounted to plates that cover the damaged metal. This was tig welded into place and the pan was painted with my other frame parts.  A picture of this fix is in my “Fixing Metal Parts” post. My seat edging, which keeps the pan from tearing the cover, was worn through so I purchased new edging from McMaster car. It is very close in dimension to the original.

New edging going on the pan. 

A cover was purchased from Northwest Classic Seat Covers, an ebay store. After it arrived I stretched it out over the foam and let it sit for a while to ease out the wrinkles, which were not too bad.  The cover is very well made and I found it fit the original foam and pan well. Directions were provided and marks on the cover indicated the location of the edge and trim holes. A tip of heating the vinyl was closely followed and key to good results. 

The simple fixture I made to wrap the seat. My best friend the hair dryer along side it. 

One thing I did not like was wrapping the seat with it upside down on the table. I did not get a sense of how well it was being pulled over the pan. I made a fixture which put the seat in its upright position. I found this to work well and like the final results. Pictures follow. 

Chrome Plating

While working with my painter I inquired about chrome plating sources. He had tried nine and liked two of them. One he recommended was a thirty minute drive from my home so I decide to give them a try. Other local bike restoration folks used them which was a plus. Proctors Custom Chrome Plating in Muskegon Michigan was the source chosen and I am not disappointed with their work.

I took my parts to Proctors and when they found out I worked in automotive prototyping they gave me a tour of their facility. I found the process quite fascinating and their system very good. They had an assortment of parts in process. From antique bicycle, boat and car restoration parts to new furniture and chopper parts. They spanned a large array of customers.

They offered two grades of chrome, OEM spec and show chrome. Show chrome was about half again more than OEM. My Hornet is being taken back to its original form so I chose OEM finish. My budget is stretched to the point of not getting my money back if I sell the bike which is another reason I went this route. The show chrome was also wavy and heavily buffed distorting original features. I was not disappointed with the route I chose and will use OEM spec again.

Although the lesser spec is cheaper I found good reproduction parts less expensive than plating originals, even if you already have the part.  When I started I set out to use as many OEM parts as possible but this will be one area for me to ponder in the future. My previous post “fixing chrome parts” shows pre-chrome finishes and repairs made to parts. Pictures of the final results follow. 

Parts fixed and ready for plating. 

Finished fender and chain guard. 

A spot where a dent was removed. 

I requested that the stamping remain. The down side is that some tiny pits were not removed. The pits are barely visible but something to consider for future jobs. 

Ready to lace.....my next adventure. 

Small parts came out great but plating was more expensive than purchasing good reproductions.