Indeed Rik, this is another M419 stamp! Must have been the busiest inspector of them all! :grinning:
Richard has sent me a picture of his engine number as well, and indeed, this one has clearly been restamped. So unfortunately not useful for the acceptance markings file...
On the other hand, Richard's engine has a ^51 marking that is identical to the one on WM20.96341 in my list above. This looks like a BSA inspection mark, and this could mean that Richard's engine originally had a number close to this one…
No idea Gino... A couple of years ago we've had a thread here on the forum with all kinds of unusual marking on BSA engines. Unfortunately all these pictures will now be useless due to the new Photobucket policy...
Thanks Jan,
The thread has already been a great help to me.
It appears to me there are basically a couple of reasons how this engine ended up in my bike.
As mentioned in an earlier post, maybe after the war ended a surplus WM engine was restamped for use in a civvy bike.
Or, maybe at some point in time, the original engine was damaged and a WM engine was put in the frame and stamped with the original number.
Anyway, it’s part of the bike now, target for back on the road is before Christmas!!
Thanks,
Gino.
Ps, I also found this under the paint on the top tube.
Don’t know if this has any relevance, another stamp not too far away from the other.
https://ibb.co/FHMf0tz
Thanks,
Gino.
BSA engines are literally littered with stampings.
Ones with a broad arrow were done by governement inspectiors.
All the others are normal identity or fit marks done at the factory so that parts which were machined as an assembly can be reunited for final assembly.
The other thing is parts were subjected to testing with a series of go / no-go gauges and in many cases would get a stamp according to which gauge fitted best then when assembled, the assemblers could pick parts that were the best fit with each other.
You will find them all over the inside of the engine.
And then there were date stamps.
Gino, that looks remarkably like weathered Khaki Green No.3 on your top tube...Have we seen a photo of the whole machine and of the frame number ? Is that an original stamping ?
In my experience of ex-WD bikes, it's not that unusual for owners in the 1950s or so to have replaced a damaged / bashed / blown up bike or major component with cheap old ex-WD stock and then simply transferred over the number from their logbook...far less trouble and expense but a puzzle for us, sixty years down the line...
It's a mystery!
It does look like faded green in the photo, I'll take a proper look in the daylight to confirm. There is also some light blue in their!
Thanks for all your input & comments,
G.