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Restoring RE WD/C 1942


PaulJager

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I am looking for an exhaust for my WD/C, does someone maybe has something for sale? If not, maybe I can also add something to a Hitchcock order? I'm also looking for the valve lifter setup because it turns out that it is completely missing. (numbers 44, 45 and 46 and the corresponding cable)

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  • 4 months later...

Is there anyone who can tel me how to fit the clutch rod into the gear housing? I ordered one from Hitchkock, but when I stick it into the hole behind the arm to which the clutch cable is hooked it won't go in completely. I still have about 4cm left. The 1940 wd/c we have at the hangar has the same gearbox as far as I can see and also the same lenght rod. I can remove it and place it back with no problem, but mine looks like having a blockage of some sort. I need help.

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43 minutes ago, PaulJager said:

Is there anyone who can tel me how to fit the clutch rod into the gear housing? I ordered one from Hitchkock, but when I stick it into the hole behind the arm to which the clutch cable is hooked it won't go in completely. I still have about 4cm left. The 1940 wd/c we have at the hangar has the same gearbox as far as I can see and also the same lenght rod. I can remove it and place it back with no problem, but mine looks like having a blockage of some sort. I need help.

Have you had a look at the mushroom in the clutch end? It could be jammed or possibly the wrong item.

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15 minutes ago, Chris Hall said:

Have you had a look at the mushroom in the clutch end? It could be jammed or possibly the wrong item.

Hi Chris. Can you show me or tell me what I should look for or how it should be assembled? I have no idea with my limited knowledge. 

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Something is obviously amiss. But it's quite simple to remove the outer chaincase, them take the three bolts out to remove the clutch cap and front plate #55 #52 to expose the mushroom end of the pushrod #57. 

Then you can put your pushrod through the mainshaft and push out whatever obstruction is in there. Ron

10-11.jpg

Edited by Ron
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/16/2023 at 6:54 AM, Ron said:

Something is obviously amiss. But it's quite simple to remove the outer chaincase, them take the three bolts out to remove the clutch cap and front plate #55 #52 to expose the mushroom end of the pushrod #57. 

Then you can put your pushrod through the mainshaft and push out whatever obstruction is in there. Ron

10-11.jpg

Thank you Ron for this clear explenation. Excuse me for not getting back to you sooner, but tis should help. Also the pictures make it easy to recognize the parts. Number 57 I ordered new from Hitchkock, but maybe I will find it burried somewhere behind the cap and plate, like you describe. I'm really curious about what the obstruction could be. Is there any experience within this group of what could be in the way of the rod being pushed in like it should?

 

Besides this problem to dive into, is there anyone who has a valve lifter available for sale? Or knows how to re-make one? (nmber 32 on page 7 partnumber 25567)

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21 minutes ago, PaulJager said:

Thank you Ron for this clear explenation. Excuse me for not getting back to you sooner, but tis should help. Also the pictures make it easy to recognize the parts. Number 57 I ordered new from Hitchkock, but maybe I will find it burried somewhere behind the cap and plate, like you describe. I'm really curious about what the obstruction could be. Is there any experience within this group of what could be in the way of the rod being pushed in like it should?

 

Besides this problem to dive into, is there anyone who has a valve lifter available for sale? Or knows how to re-make one? (nmber 32 on page 7 partnumber 25567)

Nothing should block it, it’s just a hole right through. Disassembling won’t take long, it’s such a simple design.

 

As for the valve lifter, Jan may have a repro one.

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Thank you Chris for your reply. I will have a look asap. The 1940 WD/C in our hangar does have th whole assembly there and of that one I could take out the clutch rod and place it back without any problem. I was just wondering if maybe some sort o ball/bearing of droppin of some sort of part within the clutch assembly might be the reason for blocking. But I will lokk first and post the outcome here. Thanx guys.

 

PS. I will ask Jan for a valve lifter, but I think I already askd him before and he didn't have one. They are also not available from Hitchkock or elsewhere as far as I could find. They are rare I'm beginning to believe. And model specific I think.

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I think Jan fabricated one or two. But they are too time consuming to make and much stronger in their original cast form. It's the old story as I've found to my cost by getting parts cast and then machined. The low demand and cost, often reults in being stuck with stuff.  

There was a cry out for center stands, so I got 5 made at a cost of over £1000 for the foundry/post/machining. I still have 3 left. There are several other parts that I've also had made, which I wont be repeating. 😒Ron

 

DSCF5098 (2).JPG

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12 minutes ago, Ron said:

I think Jan fabricated one or two. But they are too time consuming to make and much stronger in their original cast form. It's the old story as I've found to my cost by getting parts cast and then machined. The low demand and cost, often reults in being stuck with stuff.  

There was a cry out for center stands, so I got 5 made at a cost of over £1000 for the foundry/post/machining. I still have 3 left. There are several other parts that I've also had made, which I wont be repeating. 😒Ron

 

DSCF5098 (2).JPG

Even though Klaas and myself still have to arrange something with Lex to get them to us, but we are very happy with our stands. I can't believe there is nobody else who is looking or in need of one. Sorry to hear that you are now still stuck with three of them and having money in them. Hope you can find someone for them soon. 

If Jan hasn't got a repro lifter I will have to try and fabricate something myself. We will see if it works out.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Can anybody tell me if the edge of the motor case should be straight and all the way round should exactly line up with the other half or not? I was filling up the engine with oil, but even 1 Litre wouldn't fit. I looked in the CO workshop manual and was thinking the C should also need about 4 pints, so just over 2200ml. But besides spilling the oil over the edge at the fill opening, the is oil dripping pretty much through a slit in the housing. Should the slit be there and should it be spilling oil there? 

20230621_101623.jpg

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2 hours ago, PaulJager said:

Can anybody tell me if the edge of the motor case should be straight and all the way round should exactly line up with the other half or not? I was filling up the engine with oil, but even 1 Litre wouldn't fit. I looked in the CO workshop manual and was thinking the C should also need about 4 pints, so just over 2200ml. But besides spilling the oil over the edge at the fill opening, the is oil dripping pretty much through a slit in the housing. Should the slit be there and should it be spilling oil there? 

20230621_101623.jpg

That looks good, the halves are cast separately but are machined as a pair. When they were machined, a matching number will have been stamped on both halves at the top rear above the bolt lug. So if they match, you are good. If they don’t, the halves need the main bearing alignment checked and machined to match (a simple job for a machinist).

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53 minutes ago, Chris Hall said:

That looks good, the halves are cast separately but are machined as a pair. When they were machined, a matching number will have been stamped on both halves at the top rear above the bolt lug. So if they match, you are good. If they don’t, the halves need the main bearing alignment checked and machined to match (a simple job for a machinist).

I will look at the numbers to make sure the halves belong to eachother. But besides that, should there be some kind of overflow gap between the halves to let excess oil out?

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19 minutes ago, rewdco said:

The WD/C needs 3 pints of oil, the WD/CO needs 4 (due to the extended oil compartiment in the crankcases).

00-01 2.JPG

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Hi Jan, thanx for the information. Then, still I couldn't get 1 Liter in or am I using the wrong conversion? 1 pint is about 568ml as far as I could find with Google. Even with 1 Liter there was already spillage over de rim of the filling opening and besides that also from the gap between the 2 halves of the housing.

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On 5/26/2023 at 1:55 PM, Chris Hall said:

Nothing should block it, it’s just a hole right through. Disassembling won’t take long, it’s such a simple design.

 

As for the valve lifter, Jan may have a repro one.

The clutch is working again by the way. For some reason there was a rod pushed into the shaft already, but not the right one. I replaced everything as it should and it works again fine now. Thank you all.

Could also replace the rubbers while I was at it. They seemed to have the original ones still there, completely mushy and spongy. So, another job done.

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Another extra question: should there be a bolt present within the cilinder head in the bottom of the valve and valve lifter "cabinet"? In my WD/C there was a bolt present, but I think that the valve lifter, when slided onto the spindle, will not fit anymore the way I have it now. I already reduced the head of the bolt, but when looking in the parts list I even couldn't find a bolt of which I would think that it is the one I have. Or does the hole in the bottom of the "cabinet" have to be left empty to let oil find it's way back into the motor housing below?

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1 hour ago, PaulJager said:

Another extra question: should there be a bolt present within the cilinder head in the bottom of the valve and valve lifter "cabinet"? In my WD/C there was a bolt present, but I think that the valve lifter, when slided onto the spindle, will not fit anymore the way I have it now. I already reduced the head of the bolt, but when looking in the parts list I even couldn't find a bolt of which I would think that it is the one I have. Or does the hole in the bottom of the "cabinet" have to be left empty to let oil find it's way back into the motor housing below?

If I remember correctly, there is a hole to allow oil to flow back into the timing gear chest, perhaps someone put a bolt in it.

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6 hours ago, PaulJager said:

Hi Jan, thanx for the information. Then, still I couldn't get 1 Liter in or am I using the wrong conversion? 1 pint is about 568ml as far as I could find with Google. Even with 1 Liter there was already spillage over de rim of the filling opening and besides that also from the gap between the 2 halves of the housing.

That sounds a bit odd, you should be able to get 3 pints in. Spin the engine over to get some oil into the timing gear chest (but it doesn’t take that much).

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Paul the slit at the rear is the breather come overflow for the oil tank. If oil is spilling from that slit, it must be full. Also once you run the engine after a drain and refill, oil will be pumped up to the timing chest. 

 

If the bronze bush on the crankshaft is in good order, the oil will hold in the timining chest, if it's worn, the oil will leak back to the sump, but will soon pump back when you start up again.  Ron

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