Kirk;
Most EXCELLENT tutorial work!
I'm curious about the ending (at this point), because I have not seen it come out this way in the past.
This might seem like an odd question, but...can you post a picture of the packaging that the bearing kit came in? I'm interested in the verbage and branding, in particular, if legible.
Last Fall, before the rush started for the HM ignitions, I was building some 10 bearing "kits" for these bikes. I have them almost finished: they require machining of the stock bearings now, to make them fit (back in the 1970s you could buy off-the-shelf Timkens and Bowers to fit, but those sizes aren't made anymore). I hope to avoid whatever caused this issue, and maybe if I can compare the (above) pictures to my notes I've been compiling, I might find the "why did this occur?" answer.
Somewhere in the back of my (foggy) memory, there was an issue about the lower spacer. What I can't remember at this moment is: was it that I had to make thinner spacers than everyone else, to make these fit perfectly? I remember selling these spacers to people at one time, years ago, and sold the last one to someone here at SOHC4 (don't remember who, now). I have to make some to go with these kits.