Welbike fuel pipe

[Red Rimshot]

Hello everyone, 

Does anyone have a decent picture of an original Welbike fuel pipe please. I have used cloth covered rubber with an inline filter.  Now I wish to make the proper solid metal type. 

Thanks all, Kingsley 

[Ron]

As far as I know, they always had rubber hose connecting to the carb and between the tanks. Ron

 

[Red Rimshot]

Hello Ron, my mistake... I meant from the tap to the carb. Sorry.

Kings

[Ron]

Just a short piece of 1/4" copper pipe at each end Kingsley. with some 1/4 bore rubber hose between them. Ron

[Red Rimshot]

Ok Ron, that's what it'll have. 

I made a copper 'curly  one for the Flea today. Soldered a union and a banjo on each end. I  thought the WB would have had something similar. I have some fuel tap gauze so I'll make a new tap filter ... although, thinking about it now ....as it's pressure fed the dirt, rust etc will be more likely to stay at the lowest point, ie in the tank. I think a tap filter will be sufficient.

Thanks Ron. 

[Ron]

Since you brought the subject up and I've been studying pictures, I've realized that the rubber fuel hose on my MK1 is too long. I'll remake it with a copper bend at the tap end. Ron 

[Ron]

This morning I found enough bits in my parts boxes to make up a more reasonable looking fuel pipe.  

Ron

[Red Rimshot]

That looks nice Ron. I used cloth covered hose, and used lock wire instead of clips. I haven't got any of the ferruel/swage ends. 

Ron, I possibly need help with another subject, can I please pm you ?

Thanks, Kings  

[Ron]

Feel free. I'll help if I can.  Ron

[welbike]

Not good Ron! no ferrules were ever used, just thin wire.

[Ron]

Well why didn't you say so earlier Lex?  Most of the pictures I'm looking at are very grainy. None the less it will easily be rectified in the morning. 

I've also been distracted wrapping up heavy little castings for a Dutchie who keeps disappearing. 😕 Ron

[Red Rimshot]

Hello Lex, thin wire ?? I used lock wire on my WB (I do that on Alfie's race bikes). 

[Ron]

I remade my fuel pipe today with tying wire. Ron

[welbike]

Ah, Ron, you never asked me, and as the bike is with its near side to the wall, I never noticed!

Here a picture, it seems no locking wire was used at all, (but I did find it on some originals)  so only some real heavy thick walled grey rubber tubing.

Let me know if you find something, could do with 2 yards or so, to replace all the fuel lines on the bikes......

Lex

PS, while I'm at it, the carb should be painted bronze, not plated, same for float chamber, no plated parts anywhere.

 

Edited June 27, 2020 by welbike
additional info

[Ron]

Lex information was not very forth coming when I restored my bike over 20 years ago. Even studying the current literature available now, which includes mostly grainy B&W pictures is a struggle to determine lots of details.

It's time to lift my engine out to paint it, but I think I'm right in saying that it's not a complete overall paint job like an ML. So I need to do more research or gain pictures/info on what is correct for a MK1.  Ron

[welbike]

I always paint the engine completely, flywheel and all, but leave inlet en exhaust manifolds off, otherwise it's difficult to reach inbetween the fins, MKI's always green, I found a RAL mixture that is supposed to be exact, but haven't tried it yet, I had paint mixed from an original paint MKI. it is the dark green on the chart.

So better paint the whole bike Ron! also no transfers were used for the C number, or other markings, that came with the MKII, so use a cut stencil font, see picture.

Only things that seem to be not painted green are fuel pump, canvas grips, cables, engine to frame mounting bolts, engine circular oil recommendation plate, HT lead and Lodge cap and plug, saddle stem and saddle cover, tyres and valve stems and the rubber for the fuel lines, what started this conversation off.

Hope this helps,

Lex

[Ron]

Yes that an option Lex. But I'm still unsure, as if I do it, I'd like to know it's correct. For instance, I'm sure I can see an ally head and brass flywheel in some pictures??  Ron

[Ron]

Lex the more I study pictures, the more I see a black barrel and ally head. Also, how are you so sure of the colour "Dark Green"? Is it just the Salerno bike, which might have had some of the brown pigment bleached out by 50 years of Mediterranean sun. There can't have been many others with their original paint!

In his book, Rob Van Meel quotes that some early bikes might have been army green but the safe bet is Earth Brown. Welbike UK also seem to have opted for brown. 

Ron

[welbike]

OK, well whatever colour you make it, or leave it brown, it's your decision but my observations are different, maybe the one prototype Welbike (also green traces on that one) had an unpainted engine, and unpainted carb, but my MKI has had everything painted green, cylinder head and all, lots of traces were left, also other MKI's that had definetly traces of green on them, have had close to 100 Welbikes gone through my hands, and still have 2 MKII's in original colour, one brown (the Salerno one) and one sand coloured, same as the one Welbike UK has, who by the way, when they have questions email me about it, the one brother, (forgot his name now) is not working there anymore, due to health reasons, so it's my mate Carl making the parts, and the other brother selling them. 

And then I have the partly original paint MKI also from Italy, but more northernly than the Salerno one, see picture of handlebars. (not some faded brown, real green!)

So it's not only hearsay that they were green, it's really true! 

I checked all my MKI black and white pictures, but most cylinders etc. seem to be painted, but there's only about 20 pictures of those, and many more MKII pictures. 

It's a fact ofcourse that the paint burned off over time, especially the exhaust manifolds, and the cylinder head too.

Another interesting detail is that at least 2 MKI's had no silencer box under the engine, but a small round thing, see picture, I have 2 of them, but not the longer tailpipe, but will check if a standard one fits directly on there when I finally get the engines done.

Anyone else seen this??

Last picture, the green I used, very happy with it!

Cheers,

Lex

[Ron]

If I don't ask, I won't find out Lex! I just want to get it right if I strip it. Most of the pictures are useless for detail. I've got about 4 litres of "Very Dark Drab" that I bought off Preston Issacs years ago which could be ok ( It's BS 337) so probably an ex service colour. Do you know how your new paint compares to that wheel? Is the exhaust green or black? Where can I find proper carrier tyres? Ron

[welbike]

OK, I don't know those codes, so no idea what colour it is. 

My wheel is painted with paint made from the handlebar sample, looks spot on when you hold it next to it. Exhausts never ever black, same for MKII's. See picture of a MKI.

Might be getting some more NOS Carrier tyres in, but you won't like the price!

Then another thing you don't read in books, about half of the MKI contract that weren't delivered yet, went back to the factory, to have the near side petrol tank retrofitted with a filling opening, and cap, as the multi-tool often got lost, and then it was near impossible to fill the tanks.

Cheers,

Lex

[Red Rimshot]

Hello all, proper Dunlop carrier tyres ...  now there's a thing. I too would be interested in those. 

[welbike]

Like I said, extremely expensive, I paid 350 a piece 20 years ago, so it ill be triple I guess. But they are lovely!!

Cheers,

Lex

[Red Rimshot]

Hello Lex, triple x 350 is 1050 each, is that correct ?

[welbike]

Yes, but honestly, I have no idea, I will check! I was also talking to someone to have them made, but need to buy a minimum of 300, and the Dunlop brand name is a problem, we had other Tyres made, but still  around 300 pounds a piece, but this was a US brand, and it didn't exist anymore, so that was easier.

Cheers, Lex