Author Topic: Engine and Frame Numbers.....  (Read 6158 times)

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High On Octane

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on: January 27, 2013, 04:57:59 pm
Alright, I finally got off my butt and decided to pull the numbers off my 58 Indian this morning.  I'm interested in knowing just what exactly I have here.  Thanks in advance.

FRAME:
CAST into the right side of the front tube is: 4759
STAMPED into the left side of the front tube: 12015

ENGINE:
Stamped into the front of the right case half: HDU 558
Stamped into side of the left case half just below the cylinder: SM 5153 PA
2001 Harley Davidson Road King


ERC

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Reply #1 on: January 28, 2013, 01:34:08 pm
Just got a responce from Graham at REOC.The motor is a Nov. 57 Trailblazer, frame is 64 MK1 Interceptor. You should join the club they are a wealth of information.  ERC
2-57 Apaches, 2-57 Trailblazers, 60 Chief, 65 Interceptor, 2004 Bullet, 612 Bullet chopped.


High On Octane

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Reply #2 on: January 28, 2013, 04:34:50 pm
Cool!

Though I must say, that seems to be a bizarre combination.  Granted, I still don't know a whole lot about these vintage Enfields.  And it still doesn't explain the auto-adavance being present.  I'm beginning to think I might have a Frankenstein bike!   ;)  I'm going to take your advice and join the REOC club and try and get some more info and this bike.

Thanks ERC!
2001 Harley Davidson Road King


ERC

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Reply #3 on: January 28, 2013, 11:32:03 pm
It's easy to join here's Grahams email, he can run you through the whole process. graham.scarth@gmail.com.    ERC
2-57 Apaches, 2-57 Trailblazers, 60 Chief, 65 Interceptor, 2004 Bullet, 612 Bullet chopped.


rotorwrench

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Reply #4 on: January 29, 2013, 12:32:02 am
Most of the RE and Indian sales corp bikes here in the USA ended up bitsa bikes. My first one was a Trailblazer frame with an un-numbered 700cc case. I'll never know how old that one was. The second one I purchased was a 1960 model frame with a 1964 Interceptor motor. The third one along was the first I ever purchased that was relatively complete and original but it was a 58 Tomahawk 500.

That engine number begining SMPA  was made in late 1957 and was likely sold here in the USA as a 1958 model Indian Trailblazer. They were the first ones with the removable cams. Graham knows a lot more about the numbers on the frames than I ever will but I haven't seen a USA interceptor yet with a number beginning with 12 as the first two frame digits but things got tricky after 1959 in the frame numbers. Most of the ones I've seen begin with 10 or 11 as the first two digits for the early Interceptors. The ones with the 10XXX may have been late Chief models or perhaps Galaxy models or something like that. USA twin models were always a bit different than their UK counterparts early on.

Some folks converted manual advance/retard models to auto advance/retard just to make life easy for themselves. Royal Enfield just wanted the customer to be able to start the machine easily so they would be happier customers. That was also likely why they went to the distributor ignition with  the Mk1A bikes. More reliable and easier/cheeper to fix.

« Last Edit: January 29, 2013, 12:40:40 am by rotorwrench »


High On Octane

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Reply #5 on: January 29, 2013, 05:45:14 am
Sounds like these old Indians are a bit of a mystery to just about everyone!  I just found it interesting that the frame is stamped as a 64 Interceptor when the bike is registered as a 58.   ???  I must say it has been an amazing adventure so far trying to figure just what exactly I have and the whole restoration process.  I've learned so much these last couple months and I know that there is so much more to learn.  I don't think my wife is quite as thrilled as I am though.  Every time I put on my shop clothes she says "Oh.  Going to the garage to work on the bike?  See you at midnight."  LOL   ;D  I'm pretty confident that once I can afford that electronic ignition conversion and get that installed, I'm going to have a great little gem of a bike that will be handfuls of fun!  And I can't thank everyone on this forum enough for all the help you have been, so thanks again.
2001 Harley Davidson Road King


triplethreat3d

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Reply #6 on: February 02, 2013, 07:36:00 pm
http://www.ozemate.com/interceptor/k_baseIndian1.htm

try looking at this chart, page has listings of engine and gearbox numbers  by model and year

http://www.ozemate.com/interceptor/k_baseIndian0.htm
this link provides  the explanation of the chart.   Note that this site
is devoted to Enfield Interceptors but has other useful info as well


rotorwrench

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Reply #7 on: February 03, 2013, 05:42:57 pm
I first got that chart from the REOCNA hack in the 80s. The chart i have includes a small amount of frame number information but that fell off soewhere in 1957 so they don't list the later frame numbers because things started to get complicated with changes in some frames. it required them to start with different number arrangements for subtle frame changes that they had'nt needed to use before. The arrangements were still numeric succession but they were grabing a large lot of frames to modify for different brackets & swing arms to be attached to. In 54 they all pretty much used the same frame.