Davey089

Hi Dave... You can't beat keeping it simple and the brown will look great... I am still into minds about Mickey Mouse cammo... It's very nice looking but is very restrictive on what you can use the vehicle for once it's done...

 

3rd Div South Lancs? Nice! Was your dad in the assault wave? They landed wearing the special canvas assault jerkins...

 

I'm wondering what the original colour of mine would have been... I've got all the info on its original contract and its carrying its original Z number... But I've got no more info on it than that... Built in 1943 it came out of the army in 1961! So 18 years of service!

 

It went to Normandy this year done up in 43rd Wessex Div markings (4th SOMERSET LI) and is currently marked up for 3rd Div East Yorkshires... But it'll be changing its markings again this next year a couple of times!

 

The desert cammo you found is very interesting... It must've been overseas at some point... I'm surprised it ever made it back as most transport would've been taken up into Italy and Iraq / Persia...

The Micky does look good , wasn't this introduced late 44 ? . Yes he landed with the 1st wave on Queen White along with the East Yorks on Queen Red .

I e mailed the RLC christmas 2013 and never heard anything back from them in relation to my truck ,so I'll give them another go next week ,I would like to find out if I can exactly where it was used etc . It possibly could have been Desert painted/modified but never actually made it out there , hope RLC can shed a bit of light on it .

Dave

Thats interesting Nicky . The bags are a good idea, you'll have to keep us updated as I might go for some of these myself if you don't mind passing on the supplier details , what's the costings of the items your having made if you don't mind me asking .

Dave

Hello there... I've been reading this thread with great interest... Just got onto HMVF and I own an MW...

 

You asked about markings on the MW in your initial post but I'm unsure if you got a response...

 

If you were doing it up as late war British Army... Then you'd need the Divisional markings front and back... Mine has removable metal plates on the back board for markings...

 

The Z numbers go along the top of the doors (or along the bonnet - both are correct) and there is also a Z number on the rear...

 

by late late war it was stipulated that all vehicles were to have a large five pointed star (in a solid circle for British - this appears most common) on the largest horizontal surface... Usually the bonnet... It would be as large as physically possible...

 

Also so stars on the doors... No circle...

 

I actually haven't marked mine up with any stars as yet... Apparently drivers didn't like stars on the doors as they created fantastic aiming points!

 

There is also the question of whether to paint it 'Mickey Mouse'...

 

Have you decided what you are doing about a tarpaulin and canvas?

 

Have you got the correct 2 ton Ern Lake / Britool Jack?

 

Kind regards,

 

Pete

Hello Pete

Welcome to the forum , you'll find some very friendly and knowledgeable people on here who have helped me no end with my projects .

Thanks for the info on the stenciling .Interesting you ask about the "Micky Mouse" , an old comrade of my dads (ex 156 Ind para ,Arnhem asked me ......his words "are you going to Micky Mouse it "? . When strippiong the paint off we found mass's of Desert Camo , underneath all the paint and on hidden panels and under the regulator we found SCC2 brown , so I'm putting it back to its original "factory colour " and marking it up as British 3rd Div SLANR (my Dad's old outfit on D Day).

It came with the door tops and rear Canvas but the rear tarp looks to light so will probably replace that , I'll see when I get it back together as it might just be faded .I have a jack but i think its post war,I have just been offered a correct Wartime one , so I'll put the other one up for sale on Evil Bay, or someone might be able to use it off the forum .

Dave

John - And Davey... Any luck on sourcing these lights? I currently have Land Rover lights fixed on mine which I'm happy with... But ideally I'd like them to be able to fold away (I've got fold away indicators on the front)...

 

any my decent pictures of a correct rear light configuration with some detail would be very much appreciated...

 

Also, do I need lucas reflectors on the rear?

 

Sorry to clutter your thread, Davey...

Hello Pete

No luck as yet , I'm off to quite a big Auto jumble on Saturday so I'll have a good rummage around and you never know I might just be lucky...........even one would do to start with .What I'm going to do when out on the road is hang a trailer board over the tail gate and discretely hide the socket underneath. As far as the reflectors on the rear I don't think they had them War time but possibly post war ..............someone on the forum will know for sure

Dave

Back to the shock renovation . The suspension arms arrived back today .............some bad corrosion was found on the pins and luckily they had some NOS ones on the shelf , one of the drop arm links was also badly corroded and again they had one on the shelf . They re- bushed the links replaced the seals in the suspension units and refilled them with nice new oil . £395.00

The bush's in the links were a problem in not being able to source enough , they managed to find some of the correct diameter but are an 1/8" short in length , the main thing is though the bush's fit and work fine .

Pictures of the corroded pins /drop link and NOS drop link .

would the MWC (tanker ) have the same hand throttle as the MWR (radio truck )the one on my MWR has no kind of calibration to engine speed ?

Nicky

Having a chat with someone earlier about the plate , MWR came into conversation as possibly having the same plate fitted , not 100% on that though but someone will know :-). The label is actually moulded into the plastic .

Did you ever get an answer to the question of Battery Lead size?

No , still none the wiser

Related to a MWC Water tanker with pump?

Thanks Richard

Anyone have any thoughts this , its attached to the drivers side panel of the dashboard would imagine post war ?

Points assembly is Miller (a type FL18 I think) and hasn't been available for a long time.........I bought my last set from Ebay (search under "Miller points" in motorcycle parts........) and my set before that from Vale Onslow..........

 

The set is pretty much unique to the Flea although one of the packets that my points came in stated "RE125" and "Sarolea", but I'm not sure of the later model or what is was.........I can't help with points or condensor sorry....

Thanks Steve

Dave

I think I have a spare set of points. PM me and I'll have a look. Villiers stuff is easy. Ron

Thanks Ron , appreciate all the help and info

Dave

Rang Hitchcocks today ordered some bits and pieces and tried to order points and condenser.....not available :shocked: ,does anyone know where to source them from ? Parts for the Flea are harder to come by than the Welbike , I thought the MW was bad for parts ,but this little devil is a challenge :nut: .

Dave

I'll look for a gearbox sprocket and possibly a tool box clip (only one used on the WD version, two in the civvy) but it won't be until January at the earliest..........

 

Ron is correct re: the rear brake spring attaching to that extension of the silencer stud.............:-D

That's great, January is fine. I'm trying to source as many of the parts I can that are missing/need replacing so I have them all at hand . The clip(if you can call it a clip) on the one I have is a home made , which doesn't even clamp the frame and has 2 philips screws holding it in place ! I just hope they haven't used/forced metric screws into the box .

Dave

There is an extended stud shown in the parts list which fits through the silencer to exhaust pipe clamp. I have hung the rear end of my spring on that stud. No 25. If you click on any number of the Hitchcocks on line parts books, it highlights the part with price and whether it's available. Ron

 

http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/partsbooks/pages/2123/Crankcase_Studs_&_Bolts_,_Decompressor,_Engine_Sprocket_&_Exhaust_System

Thanks Ron

those parts are missing too so I'll get those hopefully ordered , I can't find a reference to the rear sprocket is it a 34 or 35 T .hopefully I can get hold of a front sprocket as that's worn too

Dave

I don't think a gearbox sprocket nor gasket set will be an issue for Hitchcock's..............if they are then I might be able to help..........

Spoke with Hitchcocks today, gasket set and rear sprocket on stock (they have the 34 and 35 tooth sprocket ), but no front one , if you have one that you could sell me I would be very grateful :-) .

Tried to get the toolbox clip but they don't have any so probably have to make one of those along with the headlamp blank .

Can anyone tell me where the rear brake return spring attaches .Its been bodged with a jubilee clip and the spring is probably the wrong too.

Dave

I don't think a gearbox sprocket nor gasket set will be an issue for Hitchcock's..............if they are then I might be able to help..........

Thanks its much appreciated . I'll give them a ring tomorrow and see what they have and also while I'm on, see if they have a rear sprocket too its looking a bit tired (the teeth are worn to points) .

No Davey! Apart from the carb there is nothing Villiers about the bike. First try Hitchcocks.http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/partsbooks/269/1946_RE125_(Flying_Flea)

But bare in mind some of the post war civvy parts are different.

 

Ron

Thanks Ron

Help Anyone know where I can get a rear sprocket for the Flea ? , gearbox sprocket and full gasket set hopefully Villiers Service's will have them on stock .

Engine now taking shape , body cleaned off ready for stripping and the replacement of the rotten/damaged woodwork.

It's Steve who is getting confused! He's confusing my frame number with yours, and he's even miss quoted that!!!..........Poor bloke is getting on in years you now!

 

Ron

I was getting a bit worried there , thought it was me that was losing it :nut:

If frame 4752, then this Flea has a first contract frame with a second contract engine fitted (and contract plate !).....this makes me think that the bike was rebuilt either prior to disposal by the War Department or after disposal...........If it just had the engine replaced then it would be a simple matter of a later engine in an earlier frame but because the latter also has the later contract number on the rear mudguard this makes me feel that this is a rebuild, and not too uncommon either..............

 

The dilemma now faced is do you build the bike as per the frame number or do you build it in accordance with the matching engine and rear-mudguard contract plate ???!!!

 

If 1st contract (going by the frame), the colour choice is SCC. No.2 Brown.........if 2nd Contract (by the engine and rear-mudguard contract number) then the colour Sept/Oct 1944 would have been British Olive Drab..................:-D

I'm getting a little confused the frame number is 8753 the contract plate reads S6602 Cat No 28

"Thanks for the info , when you say the frame number is stamped on the engine , does it also have it stamped on the frame somewhere ?"

 

IF frame number 8753 then this bike is part of Contract 294/23/S.6602, Catalogue Ref 28, for 735 WD/RE's........frame numbers ran sequentially from 8171 to 8905, WD serial "C" numbers from C 5816151 to 5816885.....(you should be able to work-out your "C" number from this).....delivery commenced at the rate of 350 per month from September 1944.........this was the 2nd out of 3 large contracts for the Flea, S.6602 being the smallest..........it is entirely possible that this bike spent it's military career in storage, most machines in use being from the first (large) contract of 1943..........

The contract plate is attached to the rear mudguard and as you say its S6602 Cat No 28 , the number stamped on the engine is 8753.

The Flea was purchased from the MOD in 1946.The son of the man that purchased this originally has been tracked down and his father bought this to "civilianise" but never got around to doing it .

The actual engine number of a Flea is stamped on the rear engine lug and should start with a 'V' ( For Villiers carb). An engine was taken from stock and once fitted to a frame, the Royal Enfield system was to then also stamp the frame number on the crankcase.

Effectively giving it two engine numbers. Ron

Just looked again and the 4800 has a V .........V4800 , strange the "old" logbook and new one lists the engine and frame number as 8753, as can be seen in the photo they don't match !

Having restored two WD Flea's now, one early and one from the last Contract, it's no easy job to do if parts are missing.......the WD Flea is significantly different to it's James ML WD and civvy counterparts............

 

Re: the headlight - it's a standard Miller unit with the riveted-on side bosses and two holes on top for the switch and blanking plate.........the plate itself is a pressing in either 1/16ths or 1/8ths gauge steel and as Lex has mentioned is contoured to fit the headlight shell pretty closely and secured in place by a thin steel strip spot-welded in place........as for the switch, good luck ! It was unique to the WD Flea and has "Ch H T P" positions...........although the top of the switch is unique, the bottom is almost common with all other Miller switches and they are easily disassembled so if you can source a top, you can cannibalize a similar civvy switch for the rest............reflector and bulb holder are also standard Miller........blackout mask is also of Miller pattern and although similar, not the same as the Lucas type......

 

Tail lamp also very hard to source...........

 

WD handlebars are also different to the civvy ones, so best to check that yours haven't been replaced at some point..........

 

Engine should have the frame number stamped on top beneath the carburetter.........note that the latter is almost the same as the James ML but has a different (non-standard) needle and jet block...it is a Type 3/2 rather than a 3/1.....the choke assembly also has a different part number but I'm not sure what the differences are here.............

 

Rear wheel sprocket also has one tooth difference to the civvy versions..............

 

Later in the war some manufacturers were lucky enough to have the Serial numbers running in-line with the frame numbers, but not all...........in the case of Ariel, their parts lists carry frame, engine and serial numbers in editions from about 1942 onward but not necessarily matching the frame or engine numbers ! :-D

Thanks for the info , when you say the frame number is stamped on the engine , does it also have it stamped on the frame somewhere . Interesting I've just looked at the engine and found another number 4800 ???

What will the actual year of the Flea be ? using the census number and frame/engine number , I understand it to be 1944 is that correct ?

It should be quite easy to make the blanking plate. By using a piece of steel bar or socket or something of the same diameter as the hole as an anvil and with a slightly bigger disc of 14-16 gauge clamped to the top of it and gently peen the edge round. Ron

I thought about that but was after an easy fix , then again probably not an easy fix because none are available .That looks like the solution is make one.