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Original Speedster windshield post repair

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  • Original Speedster windshield post repair

    Due to time and moisture the windshield posts on the speedster can typically become fused into position and can be very stubborn to remove. Alot of guys get impatient and resort to sawing the post off at the base rendering the part completely useless and very difficult to repair correctly. When you consider the mount face of the post is angle cut and the shank is set at a specific compound angle coming out of the post bottom you are faced with a very difficult challenge of "reshanking" this part accurately. Alot of guys try the reproduction W/S posts that have been on the market for years but I have heard the stories that thier posts are set at the wrong angles and lay back too far causing misalignment with the original frame and its mounts. Not to mention originals are so expensive now that they are well worth saving.
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    I had this left original post which suffered this fate. Because it is so critical to get the post in right position there as only one guy I knew who would be capable and willing to take up the challange; my good friend and machinist Bill. I had a prestine original for Bill to work off of to set all the angles. It would have been impossible to set right without this example. He built a special holding jig based off the good one and found the exact upright center of the shank. Once established he drilled out what was left of the old shank. He was right on the money; as it bored into the part it completely ate up the old shank affirming the he had the correct angle dialed in. My inital thought was to press fit a new shank but Bill said the force required to do that properly might damage the part and due to its shape would also make very hard to hold into position. He recommended we tap it, use lock tight and really crank it in there, "it will never come loose". So this is what we did. Pictured above is the new drilled and tapped hole for the new shank.
    Justin Rio

  • #2
    Good thinking Justin, so easy to ruin a part. Good to have the correct part to compare. Nice work by Bill can't see it moving!!

    Roy

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    • #3
      Thanks Roy! Yes it would have been impossible without an undamaged example to go by; The angles are so compound.

      Bill told me to take a run down to the hardware store and pick up a bolt big enough to fit the new threaded hole and to provide a shank big enough to be turned down to the corrct 14mm size.
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      New bolt/shank installed here. It will be machined down to match the original and the end will be threaded for the Stock metric allen bolt.
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      With the bolt in position you can see hwo Bill got the approach angle right on with the undamaged example. This is where we are as of today. Bill will turn the bolt this week and wrap this repair up. Will post that shortly. Thanks for reading this! Justin
      Justin Rio

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      • #4
        Shank finished making this repair complete.
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        Big bolt made for the perfect replacement shank once turned and tapped. The mount threads here can be galled or lock tighted for a more permanent fit into the post body.
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        Bottom was drilled and tapped for the correct original metric allen head bolt.
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        Bill came through again! Another dead original part brought back. Thanks for reading this! Justin
        Justin Rio

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