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Royal Enfield ......Rare find No. 2 (really No.3)


welbike

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Maybe Chris. As it happens the front wheel was a very rare Triumph 'heavyweight' girder wheel and the tank from a KM20 so both worth quite a bit.

Talking of rare bits. As you know I was asking around, trying to locate a WD/C ally rear brake plate for my bike. Just on the off chance, I put the part number into Hitchcock's search box. Luv a Duck, Stripe me Pink guv! They had one NOS!!!???  £31 delivered!!!  Ron

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I've split the flywheels to reveal a badly worn, non standard crowded roller big end. Fortunately the shafts are about perfect. I've ordered one of Hitchcock's caged roller big ends a small end bush and new rollers for the mains. 

I've also stripped the mag to reveal some loosely assembled new parts, but what looks like very poor condition armature windings. The points housing is the wrong hand but I have the correct housing. So will drop the whole box of bits to my mag guy tomorrow. Ron

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Edited by Ron
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As explained in a previous post, the bike was found with a pair of Triumph wheels fitted. We found a pair of WD/C wheels, but needed an early aluminium brake plate for the rear wheel. Fortunately forum member Niek who owns a late spec WD/C wanted to swap his perfect alli brake plate for a steel brake plate, which would have been correct for his bike. We didn’t have a WD/C steel brake plate either, but a steel brake plate from a post war Model G (which was available) could be converted…

 

The back plate is identical, the front plate had to be replaced. Drill out the spot welds, clean the back plate, make a new front plate, assemble, job done.

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Edited by rewdco
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And here’s the aluminium brake plate that we will be using for this early WD/C. It came with a triangular bracket for the anchor rod, this was a later factory modification. So one hole in the aluminium plate had to be plugged, and the anchor rod is now in its correct (early) position.

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Edited by rewdco
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The early WD/C uses Amal’s “Clean Handlebars”, where (some of) the cables run inside the bars. Unfortunately the handlebars on this project had been replaced, so we had to find / make a correct set. Lex found handlebars with the correct shape and dimensions, but they needed quite a bit of work… They had to be straightened, repaired, a slot for the internal twistgrip had to be milled, a few extra holes had to be made, and the pivot clamps for the levers (from a set of donor handlebars) had to be welded in place.

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I Stripped the gearbox today for inspection and drill out a snapped bolt. All looks good inside and the nice outer cover from ebay arrived. All the fixings have been stripped and cleaned ready for chemical blacking.   Ron

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I've gone as far as I can go with Lex's frame and engine, until the fasteners are returned from the platers. I was pleased to find that the steering head races are in excellent condition, so just replaced the steel balls with best quality British balls.  Ron

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Just some pictures from the the previous French owner , how he purchased the bike, it was used after the war by a priest, so it could have been baptised….

The prev. owner(s) thought, or hoped the bike was from 1937, and the French papers confirm that, don't know how that came to be, probably because it was taken from some British depot, where it was stored, and just after the fighting in 1940, it must have been "liberated", and hid for 5 years of occupation, and to avoid any questions, the date of 1937 was "invented" just after the war, and the bike put to good use!

Cheers,

Lex

 

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On 11/9/2019 at 9:35 AM, Ron said:

I've gone as far as I can go with Lex's frame and engine, until the fasteners are returned from the platers. I was pleased to find that the steering head races are in excellent condition, so just replaced the steel balls with best quality British balls.  Ron

 

 

You got the balls Ron!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've collected the first batch of fasteners I sent for plating so able to do some assembling. I've assembled lots of girder forks over the years and I think I might have said it before, but Royal Enfield WD/C's take the biscuit for the most awkward!!🥴  Ron

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Magneto fitted and timed, cylinder head fins repaired, and fitted, rear number plate painted and fitted, original exhaust cleaned, painted and fitted, speedo fitted with the cable, not bad for an afternoons work Ron!

Thanks,

Lex

 

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Edited by welbike
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May I suggest POR 15 from Frost UK? Have done three fuel tanks so far, including a Zundapp one and have had no issues whatsoever. I also use the stuff on Jaguar radiator expansion tanks because they tend to rust easily and have had no problems with them either.

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Yes much as we try to avoid tank liner/sealer, we have decided to probably go that route. Thanks for the suggestion as I've been studying the market for the best Ethanol proof option. 

Today's efforts after some more "three steps forward and two steps back" include the primary case foot rests brake pedal and a start on the wiring.....Dynamo and regulator at least. Ron 

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