003 - The rarest panheads of all?

Talking about 1955 Harley Davidson Panheads with ‪@blockplanestudio‬

[@paulvincent8842]

Great information! Thanks for the lesson.

[@dalebender7726]

Right? This I did not know

[@panheadsforever74]

I dig the 6 hole pans. I got a 48, 50 , and a 61. The 61 came with dual points and dual coils, stock .only year to do it. PANHEADS FOREVER.

[@PanheadJeff58]

That's incorrect. From 59 to 64, they had dual point point distributors. I have owned a 64 for decades, I also have a 54.

[@panheadsforever74]

Thanks jeff

[@DestroyerGarage]

This is incredible!!! thank you for the knowledge now I know what to look out for

[@charlesrainey6830]

TAUGHT me something new.

[@johnhargis4566]

As far as appearance the Pan-Head is the best looking motorcycle engine of all-time IMHO 😮

[@PETER-rj4he]

..back when GENUINE..meant something..pans 4 all my days😎

[@theThomandEricshow]

Darn right! ❤

[@vk7408]

Love the panhead info do some more. Can you use a camera so we have full screen video?

[@theThomandEricshow]

We’re still messing with cameras and gonna try a gopro next. Guessing you mean more square 4:3 instead of widescreen 16:9 format?

[@vk7408]

@@theThomandEricshow Thanks actually the 16:9 is what you want. Its coming up 4:3 now and looks like a cell phone filmed "short" you tube video. Going full screen would allow us a better viewing experience by being able to see everything. Thanks

[@johnlennon8653]

I have a full rolling chassis of different years of panhead that I’ve collected over the years, starting with a factory’57 frame that’s never been cut. Only thing I can’t find that is affordable is an engine. tanks are 51, 61 duo glide front end, 48 oil tank and the list goes on with parts from 48-65.

[@theThomandEricshow]

Yep. Engines are getting crazy. Especially nice correct ones. Keep looking man! You’ll find one! 🙏🏻

[@rickfry6031]

Panheads sound the best.

[@theThomandEricshow]

I concur!!! ❤

[@pb68slab18]

the '55 Pan was one of the lowest production and had a lot of one-year only details. First year for the Timken twin-cone crank bearing and a one-year only sprocket shaft w/o flange. 6-bolt valve covers, most were upgraded to 12 by dealers.

[@theThomandEricshow]

Yep. 54 was the lowest production rigid year, but 55 wasn’t much higher. The actual lowest production year was 63, but 55’s are a lot cooler. They found out pretty quick that those 6 bolts weren’t gonna do the trick with stopping the leaks, so the 12 bolt was phased in by the end of the production year. Still have yet to see an original 55 with 12 bolt covers though, but all 56’s left the factory with 12.

[@pb68slab18]

@@theThomandEricshow The book I saw mentioned less than 10,000 '55 OHV Big Twins. Don't recall the exact number but 9xxx. Might have been the big restoration book. FWIW; Same book shows a few Knucks with 35Exxx numbers on the case.

[@DonDyarprecision]

63 to 65 heads you can see through the ports, highest hp. I prefer EVO after getting tired of that early stuff.

[@jackwillson8099]

I'll take a knuckle over turd pan anyway. Still got my 46 knuckle sold my 56 pan to my young brother

[@blockplanestudio]

Lucky guy! You’re right, panheads are turds, so next time you see one for sale just hit us up and we will buy it! 😊

[@johnanderson8140]

absolutely wild take there Jack. For sure cool factor, but insane to say that mechanically a panhead is a turd compared to the knucklehead.

[@raymondladue1140]

I've had many panheads but I could never find a 55 that is my birthday 1955 and I wished I would give my shovelhead my ultra I give a lot of stuff up to have a 55 Pan

[@theThomandEricshow]

You and me both! If you find an extra one let us know! 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@atrain882]

Inside oiler, Panhead are the best, not the outside in my opinion all they had to do was change the D rings for the gaskets for the upgrade

[@blockplanestudio]

Internal oiling panheads are the worst idea ever! Stoked that you like them, but it will go down in history as one of their worst engineering shifts ever! Which is the reason they went back to outside oiling in 63-84.

[@atrain882]

@@blockplanestudio sorry I just went back and read the comments. I thought I put outside and not inside so I apologize on that that’s what happens when you spell everything out in text or you use voice text like I did and it makes things not word properly.💯

[@atrain882]

Let’s be real the movie bike riders now increased Panheads by probably 75% on price for the motor. That’s all these movies and shows do they show old Harley engines and now the price skyrockets yuppies

[@theThomandEricshow]

That movie would have been a lot better if it was more about panheads!

[@blockplanestudio]

Definitely no price increase as of yet, but I like your optimism!!!

[@atrain882]

Believe me it’s going to increase the price of the Panhead. I promise you that just like the three episode story leading up to the knucklehead on 36 made it even more valuable. Just watch and see laugh at me if you want.

[@rickfry6031]

Harley prices and desirability have been affected by popular culture for years, but Nothing equals the Willie G. years for the influx of moneyed individuals driving the prices upwards.Every doctor, lawyer and corporate chief wanted to ride with Willie G and belong to HOG. Dealers had to adapt to selling more clothes than bikes or parts except for accessories. Everything fun gets ruined by money eventually. I saw Jay Leno and the Tool Guy complaining about the price of Muscle Cars during an interview on TV. The irony was too much.

[@panheadsforever74]

​@@rickfry6031well said

[@rickyricardo976]

So if they leak worse than the 12 hole, why use them?

[@theThomandEricshow]

You certainly don’t have to use them like this, as most have already been converted to the 12 hole setup. We are highlighting the history of why they did it, as well as showing people like you a head that’s survived this long without being converted. The factory never sealed the boxes, so now a days, you could use several different sealers and never have to use a single bolt after setup, but these heads are being preserved for a restoration I will be completing in the future.

[@greenhandle]

How about we tig the extra holes on the heads and yes finding original D rings is harder than finding tins. I am still missing one d ring for a set but i will not resort to welding and drilling a set. You may notem although not a head buy the very early 48 right case is rare. Looks like a knucklehead.

[@denverfowler5290]

@ 0 3 : 2 4 : 16 , loss of Audio ?

[@johnranallo424]

So if the 6 hole head with the 6 hole thick D-ring still leaked, why do you think it's so special? Is it just that they did it in '55 only? So the one year only 6 hole set up leaked and all the other Panheads, before and after, leaked. Hmmm. My buddy rides a '55 Pan with black chrome tins built by Arley Ozborne who years back worked at Atlantic Chrome Plating in So. Fla. It leaked so bad that I painted "SS Valtez" on the front right downtube. This was over 30 years ago. He still rides it, it still leaks. I'll ask him if it's a 6 hole or a 12 hole.

[@johnranallo424]

By the way, I ride a 1969 XLCH in stock form. It doesn't leak.

[@blockplanestudio]

Amazing story! Thanks for sharing! If you listen to the video, it’s rare because they leaked and everyone drilled them for a 12 hole d ring to stop the leaking! So to find a head that hasn’t been redrilled for a 12 bolt, it’s a miracle! We explain it pretty thoroughly in the video, so sorry if this is a redundant answer ;)

[@panheadsforever74]

It was the ss Valdez. U spelled it wrong on the bike.

[@tomhenderson1662]

You guys are too slow. Keep it moving or you won’t have viewers

[@blockplanestudio]

@@tomhenderson1662 thanks? 😁