matchlesswdg3

I had a problem with an old sealer coming away in lumps and cure was to remove it and then just leave the tank alone.......not sure why the tank had been sealed in the first place! If it does not leak, dont use sealer and if it does leak, then, if practical, get it repaired properly IMHO. That said, I have a tank that has an inherent design fault that encourages corrosion, especially with ethanol fuels that attract water. I got that welded up and then treated it with "Slosh" as the bike does not get much use. I had good reports on this stuff and everyone has reported it has worked OK over a couple of years so far since the new ethanol resistant formulation came in.

I think answering my own query, there is a Mitchell booked in to fly at the Flying Legends airshow this weekend at Duxford. Looks like being a very good show. Must do that one, one of these days!

A twin engined, high wing, twin tail WW2 bomber just overflew our house in Ashford, Kent, heading northwest......possibly the Dutch Mitchell?? In UK for some shows? Sounded nice!

For those who missed this, I think there is a repeat of this Landy episode today at 5pm on Discovery.

There are a lot of parts still available as NOS (at least in UK, but I guess you can get them mailed, eg from Russell Motors or AMC Classic spares) or good repro, including that battery carrier. Check out eBay. Things like cables and consumables are readily available. The speedo is trickier. Unless you are very lucky, it will be hard to get and expensive. The dealer I got mine from only did exchanges (chronometric for chronometric) and that seems to be common, but the cost of swapping need not be high and I guess it gives you the option if buying a more common postwar speedo and swapping for a WD one, which is what I did. Check some instrument dealers in the US and see if they can help.

Looks a pretty good bike to start fixing up. There are plenty of things to sort out but you can work through them bit by bit. The toolbox is mounted in the wrong position, the exhaust pipe should curve over the footrest, and battery holder is wrong. Not sure about your petrol tank, but that would have a pie crust type cap same as on the oil tank, but it has a lot less wrong with it than the bike I started with! There was quite a lot of variation in the ancillaries and fittings through the production life of the WDG3L, so beware of pulling off parts that maybe look different to those on another WDG3L, but are actually correct for your bike! Good luck with it.

The latest edition of Wheeler Dealers on the Discovery Channel showed their "restoration" of an already pretty tidy military Series 2 L/R in California (did I see various Lightweight bits on it?). Quite entertaining as Ed China comes up against the good old British Army bitumen finish on the chassis he has to remove. Then he decides to complete the Landy with a bare polished aluminium finish.......but comes up against the usual multi layers of camo and decides it will look MUCH better if he leaves it with the "urban" cool look of partly stripped patchy paint! It would be nice to do a job like this with all the tools and vehicle lft they have at their disposal! Good entertainment for L/R fans.

Jim, Richard Farrant worked over my MW engine for me and once he had sorted the head, valves, manifolds, etc (!!), that left a rather worn Zenith civvy carb (supposedly a better performer than the military lump) which he managed to get functioning reasonably. I sold on my MW, but I think the chap who bought it was intending to install electronic ignition and I am told this transforms the running, which tends to be a bit lumpy due to all the rather worn ignition bits that have to whiz round and make contact (sorry if I am getting too technical). Richard does no quite approve as he likes the "beat" of the Bedford motor, which is evened out to a steady purr when you put in an electronic box.......but once installed, it does remove a potential source of unreliability. Spitting back still indicates you are getting a weak mixture......air leak at carb/manifold.......fuel pump not up to scratch? Good luck with it.....I parted with my MW with some regret, but that truck made my military L/R Defender feel like a 4WD Rolls Royce!

Converting to electronic ignition comes highly recommended......whether or not your problem lies in fuel delivery or ignition.

The original dog's breakfast! Truly deliciously horrible. Look at the pic of the dash......I love the way the vent screens are gently vomiting a deluge of rust over the scuttle! And the fleabitten TD motor sitting amid remnants of Series ancillaries. Frankenstein's monster....or motor! I also love the barefaced cheek of asking £5k for this rat heap! Someone shoot the poor thing.

Julian, I agree, and I cannot see that any if the remarks are at all "bitchy". People should actually read what folk post rather than make it up in their heads as they go along. It is precisely the point that these two events clash.......surely needlessly? Military World has chosen these dates and make of that what you will. But to paraphrase Julian, this clash is certainly not in the interests of anyone in any practical sense.

Interestingly, I just received an emailed promo for the Military World show which makes me wonder how they got my email address. But not for long. As I said, its a shame for the MV enthusiast.

As Richard says, this new show ćlashes with the IMPS flagship show, Combined Ops at Headcorn, about 15 miles from the Hop Farm. The Military World show is organised by the chap who organised the Combined Ops show until early this year, when he resigned due to some sort of a management bust up. Now, irrespective of the rights and wrongs that led to the bust up, it seems to me that setting up a new show on the same dates a few miles away is not in the best interests of MV enthusiasts. I am sticking with Headcorn as I am an IMPS member and it has always been a great friendly family show that deserves ongoing support. I would have quite liked to have tried the new event at the Hop Farm as well......a pity.

Finally.....forgot to say....under the jet block on the 276, there is a tiny drilling that must be clear......and that can block. So have a careful look and check against a 276 carb diagram.

Another thing to check, which is allied to checking that the carb float is set up correctly......ie correct level......is the fuel supply to the fuel bowl in which the float sits. If you have any blockage or partial blockage in the fuel lines or taps, then of course you will get the fuel starvation problem. Fuel filters need checking if you have one fitted in the supply tube or as "top hat" mesh filters fitted on the inlet side of your fuel taps.....unscrew these from the tank and inspect. This is a common problem with rust flakes or old tank liner material which is attacked by ethanol in the petrol. If the latter is the culprit, you need to take off the tank and get the old liner out......and if needed, reline with the new generation ethanol-proof liner gloop. This happened to me, with the old liner deciding to slough off when I was riding to a show! The engine gradually died but restarted after five minutes, only to die again after another 200 yards......as the part blockage allowed the float chamber to fill when the engine was not running, but could not sustain enough flow when the engine got going. Needs sorting, though as lean fuel mixture is bad for pistons! Good luck!

Neil......see my entry above. I dont think you will be receiving any entry packs. I think all you get is what you can print online.....your receipt.

When you book online, you should get a receipt for your payment which states that this is the only......and required......bit of paper for admission to the site. But presumably there will be a master list held at the gate so if you have ID they can verify you have paid up.

I guess the engine could be from a pre-war AJS Model 26 or more likely from a 1946-ish Model 16 but I concur that it is highly unlikely that the engine and frame were ever united as a WD bike. As I said, apart from that, pretty much all the ancillaries and tinware are not WD pattern. Main thing is that these rigid frame AMC machines are really nice to ride and there is nothing wrong with a nice "special" like this. I think if it was my bike, I would maybe tweak it a bit to a classic trials type configuration, avoiding the naff trick of painting the barrel to make it look like it's alloy! Enjoy it!

Neil, you express exactly my own impression of the viewpoint of the new W&P show owner. He is keen on motorcycles and has been expressing on another forum this very firm public-oriented take on the show......which is fine....he can do what he likes of course and the show has to pay......BUT I have taken exception to his Judgmental views on what he clearly sees as MV owners ripping off the former system. I am sure that W&P was started up and thrived on the back of burgeoning and enthusiastic MV ownership rather than the Public demanding more. As you say, let us hope an accommodation is reached as the new team get stuck in and gain some experience. To be cynical, it may have been advantageous to put a lot of folk off attending.......just look at the new layout map with all the Public parking inside the ground, cutting down space for MVs and support vehicles by......40%?

It looks like a marriage between a wartime WDG3L frame and a post-war AJS engine. It is certainly lacking most of the tinware and ancillaries fitted to a wartime bike. The engine numbers look mucked about with. If this is right, you would have a lot of work (and money) to put it into reasonable WD trim and maybe better to just enjoy it as it is as a nice bike to ride.

John, I absolutely agree and I have signed up for Headcorn. Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of the tussle between Mr King and the IMPS committe, putting on another competing event is......to repeat....not doing anyone else any favours.

Here is the latest report from the IMPS meeting this week, from Bob Ellis. It seems the two shows go there separate ways, on the same dates, which is IMHO, NOT in the members best interests: "Some weeks ago, I asked you all to let me know your concerns about the Combined Ops show at Headcorn, and the 'rival' show at The Hop Farm, amid all the rumours and misconceptions. Thank you to those who responded. I collated all the emails and made a list of concerns, with the intention of getting answers from the Board, at the AGM yesterday. However, in the days before the AGM, a number of things happened: among them, it was made public that Dave King had resigned from the Board on 28 Jan, and Andy Neal resigned as Chairman just before the AGM. Fortunately, Tim Hewitt has stepped in as (acting) Chairman, and Nick Cowles has come back as Vice Chmn. As Tim's post as Events Secretary became vacant, Rex Cadman put his name forward to take up that post. In addition to the other existing Board Members, this Board format was voted for by the members present at the AGM. The attendance at the AGM was considerably more than normal, with those from East Kent as the largest contingent. This means that we now have a Board fully committed to the welfare of the club, and the Combined Ops show. The agreement between IMPS and HSE is that the club receives £1000 per show, plus a percentage of profits. In addition, all IMPS members can attend the show without charge. It was confirmed by HSE last night that this agreement is binding, with no risk to the club in the event of a poor show. However, even though we have to do nothing, HSE would be happy to make use of IMPS volunteers, if you wish to do so. The changeover of the Board went very smoothly, with all attending seemingly happy. Therefore, I had no need to ask for answers to the points raised by some of you, as those that could answer were no longer in position to do so. The Board has assured us that, should a similar situation occur in the future, the membership will be fully informed. What we must do now is put this behind us, and continue to enjoy our hobby, and our club show at Headcorn."

Looking at this mess pragmatically, it is a shame that the situation that members now face is to attend one or other of these competing shows. It surely is the case that the members......and both shows.....would have benefited by not having the dates clash. Does it have to come down to a slugging competion? Apparently, yes. My feeling is that the show at Headcorn was beginning to creak in terms of the limited space.......acknowledging that last year did have the big draw of the Vulcan display. But with all the uncertainty associated with the War & Peace event and the likelihood that this will shift out of Kent soon, there will likely be an opportunity to rethink "Headcorn" as a starting point for a new national/international show, rather than purely a club event. Easy to say, I know, but "snatching defeat out of the jaws of success" seems somehow appropriate to describe the current situation! Come on guys and gals, get your act together!

I am no expert on these things (Richard fixed my MW motor!), but it occurs to me that it is possible that the water in the sump got there when you cracked open the head, as this is surely a heck of an accumulation for a running engine? Usually you get that sort of mousse/mayonnaise stuff forming in the rocker box, etc when water gets into the oil? Not much to do with the failed gasket, though.

But we are not talking about club magazines which are a completely different kettle of fish to commercial hobby magazines. The former are very variable in quality and of course reflect the nature of the club they serve. Windscreen is a professional looking mag that makes a pretty good fist of it, I agree. But I would quite like to subscribe to a good MV mag that is prepared by professional full-time journalists who know their subject........so we could expect a range of consistent quality articles appealing to a wide range of people.........supported in part by adverts that are relevant, actually useful and interesting. All I can find at present is a mag that seems to go through the motions only in order to extract nearly £5 from me for each meagre issue.