Ron

What model is your bike Commander? WD/L?? Anyway the standard Enfield mag pinion part number is 18575 (probably not readily available). But Hitchcocks sell an Indian made repro for just £11. #140165 (number34 in their illustration) http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/partsbooks/pages/249/Royal_Enfield_Engine_-_Contd._(1)

It's just a breather Andy. The general consensus is to poke it in the hole in the top tube under the saddle. Any mist will then stop your frame from rotting from the inside out. Ron

Hi Andy. The stamp under your saddle is indeed the build date of the frame and is in fact "TEC" (Triumph Engineering Co). This date will only roughly coincide with the bikes manufacture. Here is the valve lifter lever. Nestled between the two rockers. Ron

Hi. Your frame number is from the last contract for the 3HW. It's the 134th bike from contract S6680 which was for 8000 bikes produced from Feb45. The contract was reduced to 5200 and completed by Sept45 . I calculate it's original census number to be C6101551. Your engine is from a slightly earlier contract S5340 in 44. I think I'm correct in saying that war economies dictated that the last 3 contracts of 3HW's where supplied with 7/8" handlebars and no steering damper. My own 3HW is from one of these late contracts.(1944) Ron

Hello Chris, long tome no hear! I doubt I'll be wearing this engine out in my lifetime, but wouldn't mind hearing the story about this other engine, or contact details. I got the stand finished and in primer, and a mate of mine has prepared me a couple of T batteries with side clips (one is for sale). But I need to get my G3 back together to free the bench up. Still waiting for my new big end flywheel assembly to come home. Apparently the job is done, but the bloke has gone on holiday before posting it back to me. I paid up front..... beggars belief!! Ron

Are you mad Tony? Do you think I am going to give you the phone number of the woman I love?? Not much has happened to the WD/L in recent weeks. I've been busy on a couple of other projects. I have rebuilt the engine and had the barrel checked for size, which only required a hone. Just got to do the final assembly, which I will do in the frame to save my gammy limbs from lifting a complete engine. Also I am welding and fettling the rear stand that Jan has made and donated to my project. More to come. Ron

There's no way you can win a war without a baseball bat and wailing sireeeen!! Ron

I'm not sure I believe that myth about the police officers firing at villains whilst wobbling around on an Indian. ha ha! Anyway here is mine which I've owned for at least 15 years. For the sake of sanity I've reversed the grips to right hand throttle. I understand it was common practice during the war with Brits. It's a fact that our units didn't like them much and some were even fitted with Norton 16H bars in an attempt to make them easier to ride. Although I can't see how that would help. Most of the 741's were supplied to lower echelon units and the RAF. I've also recently fitted an original NOS blackout mask and a wireless interference screen. My pannier bags are WW1 cavalry bags stamped "Lanarkshire Yeomanry" and owned by J R Wilson. I just learned this weekend that he died in 1917. So they are in his memory. Ron

I assume the 8cwt bodies were all fairly similar. My 4x4 Morris has it's original body although the rear mudguards are a much simpler option. The sides are steel, the floor and tailboard are timber. Just shout if you want a measurement or conformation. Ron

A friend made me some new top spindles with their left and right hand threads and I oil blued the ends. The side damper knobs have been altered from WD/CO 7/16" threads to 1/2". and just need a top coat now. The forks are now fully assembled with new steering races, friction discs and spindle lock nuts. Ron

Funnily enough I have parts of a 5SW here to eventually build into a bike for a friend. The silly sod has supplied me with a lovely set of 3HW forks. I am reluctant to proceed until I have the correct Triumph forks. So if you find some pre war Triumph lightweight forks, we could swap!! With some minor difference, the Web forks fitted to Velos are the nearly the same. Ron

I think the government funded the relocation of Triumph. Perhaps, apart from any need of mechanisation, There might also have been a sympathy or moral boosting exercise............Or maybe it was back handers??? Ron

I can't add much to the information supplied by Steve and Rick. But those forks are from a BSA M20. After the bombing in 1940. Triumph continued production of the 3HW with the use of Web forks instead of their own made forks. here are my 3HW forks. Ron

Ha Ha! Yes Steve. It's just like a good book to me.....Can't put it down. I've been busy cleaning and blasting nuts/bolts/levers and stuff, to get off to the cad plate firm I'm going to try for the first time. I've heard good reports....fingers crossed. Graham, the usual procedure was to fit longer links at the bottom. Royal Enfield did list them for some of the girder models. I doubt you need worry about it though. These things are more important for an outfit that is being heavily used or carting the family around. Ron

I couldn't understand why the bottom fork spring mount was removable? I'd never come across this before. Then over the weekend whilst cleaning up the other fork parts, I realised that the steering stem is reversible. Apparently it was a feature of some 1930's Royal Enfield models. It's so you can alter the rake of the forks for side-car or solo use. The bottom spring mount can be adjusted accordingly. You learn something every day! Ron

A friend of mine is thinking of selling his Fordson WOT 2 GS truck (V8) But he doesn't really know what it might be worth? I'm hoping to get some pictures soon. But it's in a maintained and rallyable condition. From memory I think it's hand painted Olive Drab with Black Cammo patches. You might have seen it at south UK rallies, where he usually tows a WW2 four wheeled trailer with it as living quarters. Anyone care to hazard a rough figure? Or if interested in the vehicle, I can put you in touch. Ron

Sounds a bit boring Steve! Bit like my 44 3HW.....all down to economies! Ron

I didn't know that about the standard 7/8" bars Steve? Mine has the clamp on type (not the troublesome rubber mounted type) But has the strange 1" in the middle tapering to 7/8" for the levers. Then there is that hard to find double mag/valve lift lever!!! Gareth, I might be able to sell you a pair of original pannier frames. PM me. Ron

Looking good Chris. You should have it well run in and fettled in time for the big gathering in Normandy 2014 (70th). It's compulsory to be there! Gareth. Draganfly are probably your best bet for repro mudguards and other parts. Also try John Budgen. Ron

I wrote an appeal to DVLA over the Easter weekend and popped it in my local office letter box. This afternoon I got a phone call on my mobile from Jemima. She apologised for the failings of another member of staff and said that an age related number would be issued to me within a few days.......I think I'm in love! Ron

First application of Nitromoors to the frame reveals more army green paint. God I hate this part!! Today I went through some of my old tins of paint and by mixing and matching some Dark Olive/Olive/ American Light Olive/ and Service Brown. I have ended up with nearly 5 litres of 'Goose Turd Green by Moonlight' that is a bloody good match for the colour I have found on this bike. Ron

Thanks Steve. I'll be on the hunt at Staffs. At least I won't be competing with Henk, Leon or Rik, who all have eyes like the proverbial hawk! Yes Ashley Popple is still going. But seems to live in his own time zone?? I finished stripping the bike today, and I don't think I can get it any smaller. Some heat had to be applied to a couple of places for some removal persuasion. The saddles on these Enfield's also appear to be unique, with that large D shaped plate at the nose. I have the same saddles on my C and CO. Any idea who made them? Also I found Khaki paint on the inside of the brake plates and also under the black paint on the saddle frame. Ron

Hi Jenk. If you look at the first picture in this thread. No damper knobs or star washers were present. However the previous owner had sourced some NOS CO damper knobs which I must modify. I'm also looking for a rear stand if anyone has one to sell. Something like one of these. Or a post war Model G stand might do it. Ron

Hi Steve/Pino. I have emailed the 'Tap & Die Co' but no reply yet. I was just thinking of Tracy Tools next. A good engineer friend of mine can do it if I supply the L/H tap. He has a standard tap. I haven't really stripped much of this old black gloop off yet. I went straight in with paint stripper on the front guard. Hitchcock's have the star washers listed, but at £21 each plus post and VAT!! I thought I'd look around first. David Woods just phoned me about the speedo. He's got the necessary helical gear to reverse the rotation, but the trip will have to go as he hasn't got the complicated parts to reverse it. So I'll live with that. What about DVLA? This bike is registered in the new V5C as 1943. But it has a 1963 number (With an A). I phoned Swansea on Saturday. Pleasant guy called Tom. Said " no problem boyo" Just put the V5C with a covering letter through the letter box of your local DVLA office and they'll issue an age related number without inspection. Local office just wrote back telling me I must restore the bike first??? Been on to Swansea again and now waiting for a call from the local office. I don't understand how individuals in the same establishment interpret the rules differently. Ron

Yesterday I stripped the forks apart and am comparing part numbers with C and CO models to determine what might be universal parts. Some are, but not all. The main difference is the size of the fork spindles. These are 1/2" whereas the C/CO are only 7/16". I have a pair of CO side damper knobs which will need drilling and tapping out to 1/2". Which means I need a 1/2"x26tpi left hand tap for the N/S knob??? Also I need the star shaped damper springs if anyone has any to sell. One strange feature I have discovered. Is that the front wheel speedo drive, rotates in the wrong direction for a conventional speedo. Apparently it was a Royal Enfield thing on some of their pre war models??? During my short period of research on this model, I have come across two WD/G's that have had their front wheels turned round in the forks to counteract the rotation... I wont be doing that! David Woods (speedos) is going to have a go at reversing the rotation of the Jaeger type speedo that came with the bike.....No inner cable was fitted, so it was just an ornament. Ron