Ron Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 (edited) That is the military tnspectors acceptance stamp. Absolutely WD. Each inspector had his own Identfying (3 digit) number. In your case it's miss stamped and only showing th #2....Which was quite common. Here is the inspector in the Welbike factory. Later in the film that this still was taken from, you see him stamping the frames. Possibly your engine was a spare engine, hence the plate. I expect Jan will know. I'll be interested to see what the plate says. Ron Edited February 26 by Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewdco Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 As Ron says: this is a spare engine. Easy to recognise: engine number without a duplicated frame number, M211 is the typical inspector's number for the spare engines (WD/C, WD/CO and WD/RE), and the ID plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewdco Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 This is the footage that Ron was talking about: On 1.55 you can see him putting his 419 stamp on the headstock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewdco Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 Inspector 419 moved around a bit, as he's also checked some early WM20s and the late war Kitson Pease gearboxes (Albion gearboxes made under license by Kitson Pease in London, there had been a lot of quality problems so they got an official inspector). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerryjeeprichard Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 Chaps, That’s very helpful. I’ve just learnt quite a bit, So next steps to try and strip the engine down for vapour blasting. I’ll try and remove plate and clean this up by hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerryjeeprichard Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 2 hours ago, rewdco said: As Ron says: this is a spare engine. Easy to recognise: engine number without a duplicated frame number, M211 is the typical inspector's number for the spare engines (WD/C, WD/CO and WD/RE), and the ID plate. I remember seeing an engine like this coming up for sale 15 years ago, and not buying it. Regretted ever since. What a priceless piece of history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 (edited) Nice stuff Jan and Ron! Jerry, the metal plates are etched, and very shallow, so be careful. Similar plates were fitted to the James ML's. The NOS engine was for sale at the War and Peace Show, many moons ago, sadly I had not enough money to buy it. Cheers, Lex Edited February 26 by welbike spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 The plate on my ML is lubrication info. Ron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 Yes, I did say similar, have to check what exactly it says on the Flea plate, there seems to be a number stamped?? Lex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewdco Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 THE ENFIELD CYCLE Co Ltd Art N° Series N° 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 So, Jan, and was this only used on replacement engine, this plate? as I have seen many without. Cheers, Lex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 My Flea has it's repeat frame number stamped with no plate. I've never noticed an inspctors stamp but will take another careful look. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 I don't think many had the inspectors stamp Ron, mine doesn't. Lex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewdco Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 (edited) Enfield spare engines can easily be identified by the fact that they do have a "true engine number" (the V-number in case of a Flea, or the number just below the magneto on a WD/C or a WD/CO), but no "duplicated frame number". For as far as I know, "all" the Flea spare engines had this dataplate, "normal" engines never have. I've got several WD/C and WD/CO spare engines in my Register, all inspected by M211. Looks as if he was in charge of the surplus to contract spare parts department. WD/C: WD/CO: WD/RE: Edited February 27 by rewdco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerryjeeprichard Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 9 hours ago, welbike said: Nice stuff Jan and Ron! Jerry, the metal plates are etched, and very shallow, so be careful. Similar plates were fitted to the James ML's. The NOS engine was for sale at the War and Peace Show, many moons ago, sadly I had not enough money to buy it. Cheers, Lex Lex If I remove the plate prior to vapour blasting the engine. This will give the best protection possible to the plate. I think my best option is to try and clean this up by hand. However it’s heavily corroded. Not sure how it will turn out. Interestingly the images you have on the engine in the case, the HT lead is a yellow and black cloth type, do we think this is wartime? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 Ok, yes, best to remove it, but not sure if they used steel drive rivets, or soft aluminium ones? best be careful there. I would, not sand the plate, but just put it in a vinegar bath, that's the least corrosive method I think, just eats the rust. The yellow cloth HT lead is surely postwar, just as the cap! the Lodge caps are getting very hard to find now! Cheers, Lex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewdco Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 If you want to clean that data plate without causing further damage, I would put it in vinegar for 24 hours. Rinse in water with a spoonful of washing soda to neutralise the acid, dry with a hair drier and preserve with some WD40. Any other treatment will cause further damage… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerryjeeprichard Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 Jan /Lex Noted..🤩 Tricks of the trade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerryjeeprichard Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 4 hours ago, Ron said: My Flea has itsrepeat frame number stamped with no plate. I've never noticed an inspctors stamp but will take another careful look. Ron Ron I have 6 WD engines (V prefix) 4 have engines with the frame number stamped like yours. 1 has two frame numbers one WD frame number stamped like the above. And one above the flywheel. Which is 46 dated frame number. 1 engine fitted with the data plate. (The engine in question) Only the engine with the data plate has the factory acceptance stamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerryjeeprichard Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 Weekends progress. I’ve built this bike to simply just move on, No plans to take it any further on than where it is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 Well that's an easy project for someone to finish off. Is this your post war frame? Usually the front saddle mount would be different. It seems that the inspector only stamped the spare engines? Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerryjeeprichard Posted February 27 Author Share Posted February 27 17 hours ago, Ron said: Well that's an easy project for someone to finish off. Is this your post war frame? Usually the front saddle mount would be different. It seems that the inspector only stamped the spare engines? Ron All the hard work has been done, should be straight forward enough for someone else to pick-up and get over the line. Just not sure where to pitch the price. Frame wise, 3267, not WD contract, but early, the bike had the correct “white” tank badge. Early hubs with ball bearings, correct rear sprocket, folding foot pegs, folding kick start, V prefix engine and WD tyres., I bought the bike off original owners grandson who grandfather used as an every day driver up until the late 80s, sat in the back of his garage till I purchased late last year. I’ve cherry picked some of the best bits for my “keeper bikes” tank badge kick start and rear sprocket.. The rest is there for someone to finish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 Ah I see! Not post war! War time production, but not within the WD contracts. Maybe Jan will have some information on those? Were they still being produced for the civilian market or perhaps for other essentual services? Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 (edited) I have a list of early WD machines from Jan, but the numbers are lower (the first 20 delivered) than 3267, so best for him to comment. 3267 falls between the first and second contract. Lex Edited February 28 by welbike additional info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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