Brookfield Odyssey - The Final Chapter

Your eyes look fine don't worry about it...the medicine worked.

Really? You wouldn't lie to me... would you?

FLICKS

Back Home.

The culprit!

Back to the story...

I made it back to Brookfield...barley. It was now about 7:30 PM and I decided to continue the search for a good distributor in the morning. More of the Jersey crew showed up and we were off to FLICKS Tavern (walking distance) to spend the rest of the night celebrating.

Early in the morning I dug up a good distributor and cleaned it up. I set up a work area away from the crowd so I could get this done in peace (not a chance). Every one that looked at the broken shaft could not believe it. No one there had ever seen one snap like that for no reason. It had to be 60 years of metal fatigue and a factory defect that finally let loose... I guess.

Well everything was ready to go back together. The old one was out, the new one was inspected, cleaned and oiled. Just before I slid it in another friend came up and for the 100th time I showed him the snapped shaft. He asked if there was anyway you could check for a crack in that spot on the shaft? I held the broken one up next to the new one and said nope the steel thrust washer is right there between the gear and the housing and you wouldn't be able to see it.

Oh SHIT! My stomach churned a little...the steel thrust washer... the steel fuckin' thrust washer! During all the mayhem on the side of the road did I forget about the steel thrust washer???Where is the old one? I dumped out all my tools and everything else that I had out on the side of the road. Did the washer come out with the gear? SHIT I don't know. Is it in the motor?

Son of a bitch! Only one way to be sure. Off with the cam cover ...again. I stuck a magnetized screw driver in and fished around in the oil... nothing, I tried it again, hhhmmm what's that I feel? Sure enough out it came. That friggin' washer was laying behind my oil pump gear the whole time! I rode thirty miles with a piece of steel 1/8th of an inch away from my oil pump drive gear! Damn!

It could have been worse!!! A lot worse.

Well I installed the new (old) distributor and after a few more minor trials and tribulations the Pan was up and running. Sam and Petey had already taken off to get lunch and a beverage at the Rockdale 50 miles away. I was to meet them there and down into PA we would ride.

I jumped on the bike and test rode it up and down the road once. Fuck it...good enough.

I started packing up my tent, tools, etc. and was getting ready to pack the bike and wouldn't you know it, the sky opened up! Rain, thunder, lightening, the works. I pushed the bike under an over hang. Disgusted I waited 45 minutes until it slowed down. Finally I packed the bike and hit the road.

I got to the Rockdale at 3 Pm and the boys were gone. I was heading home anyway. I called them to let them know I was up and running and I hit the highway. The bike ran flawlessly for the next 250 miles.

What a fuckin' trip! I can't wait 'til the next one!

Hey what the hell... it could have been worse!!!