I'm looking for some advice on which oil tank to fit to my G3L, I thought they were all the same with the piecrust type filler cap (how wrong I was!) I've put the photos below as you can see they are all correct for the rigid frame and all have the pie crust filler cap type neck.
Picture 1 shows one with a flat front to it and a large oil pipe fitting
Picture 2 shows one with a more rounded front to the tank and a small oil feed pipe
picture 3 shows one the same as picture 1 but it has a small oil feed line.
Tha main question is, which one is correct?
I'm also aware there is another type with the oil drain pointing more to the floor is this the correct one?
I have the parts lists but with them jiust being line drawings it's hard to tell which one it is. I'd only like a reply if yours is definately correct as I've seen all types fitted to ones I've googled.
I also came across a different type of rear brake pedal that is the same as the WD one in shape but the pedal is a lot wider where your foot sits, I know it's not the correct one for my G3L but what model does it fit, it has traces of green paint on it and has the early style part number, but I can't quite read it it is in the same format of part number as the G3L's but I just can't quite read it. The spare ones that are incorrect will be up for grabs if anyone wants them
email (option): davmax@ntlworld.com
Hi Dave,
Here is one of them. Have others that are similar. G3L from the war year as I best know. John Tinley should have the final say.
email (option): unpob@yahoo.com
I now have visions of every Matchless owner ripping his bike apart to find the exact part!!!
email (option): davmax@ntlworld.com
Took some better photos of the bottom side. I think all of those are similar.
Correct observation on the drain plug, two of those tanks, are shorter and also have a steeper angle to compensate for it.
email (option): unpob@yahoo.com
Dave my G3L seems to also have your option 3! But has a longer drain spout.
Like Mick, the previous owner had owned it for a very long time and it came to me with all the correct WD bits in place.....Who knows?? Ron
Whereas,next post.....
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
My G3 has a straight down drain spout. Both tanks have the same 1/4" BSP fittings, with a female nut on the rear pipe screwed to fitting and a male nut on the front pipe directly into the tank.
I need to learn up on posting multiple pictures
Ron Next post.....
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
Sorry about this! Can someone explain how to post multiple pictures? Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
Hi,
Hope this snippet is of use as a piece of information.
My father was born in South London and knew a couple of people who worked at the plumpsted factory. They always said that the production process at the factory was a bit hit and miss when it came to assembling bikes. They would fill up a bin at the beginning of the day with the parts they needed to bolt on on the production line. If the correct parts were not available they would just use the closest item. Hence post war singles would come out with oil tanks from the twin, etc. Also if they hadn't filled thier bins up with enough parts in the morning then a trip back to the stores in the afternoon was in order and again mis matched parts could easily be fitted.
This admittedly was post war but I can not imagine it was much different at any other time.
I have heard simmilar stories from other people related to the Plumpsted factory so it could be that the factory were producing 'unoriginal' new bikes off the production line.
Regards
Clive
email (option): cliveandjo@lineone.net
My M20 has the same oiltank as all the other M20s.. ...
...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
The Matchless disigners just couldn't get it right first time Looks like they made a different one for each day of the week
email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk
thats a bit of a bind to drain the oil and change the oil tank every night well it get a regular oil change then
email (option): roger.beck@node6.com
Tim it is for that reason that Henk altered the tital of this site from WD WM20 to WD Motorcycle. So all WD motorcycles are welcome......even Norton Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
That way of thinking isn't peculiar to the AJS/Matchless Club.
The BSAOC seem to be mainly interested in the later bikes as well...ironic really as BSAs products got progressively worse through the 60s into the early 70s...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Sadly, among the computer-literate enthusiasts at least, there seems to be a major backlash against the much despised rivet counters at the moment and most WD motorcycle owners seem to regard it as a badge of honour to say "There is no such thing as a standard service motorcycle, they were all modified" and use this as an excuse to use any old part that'll fit.
Quite why they should resent so much the existence of those who wish to ride a museum exhibit, I don't really understand.
Mind you, I got caught out last week as my Dad was here (Royal Signals 1943 - 47) and we sat outside where the 16H was gently cooling off and sank a few beers. Eventually, he stood up, walked round the Norton and said "Do you know, that's only about the third clean army motorcycle that I've ever seen !"
I was thinking that it looked quite dignified and dusty. It's not my fault that it hadn't rained !
Ron, if like me you tend to find that you lose the lot if you go back to link a second image then the best thing to do is to post the first one and then go back in under 'Edit' to add the rest. If you're quick, no-one notices.
Thanks for the information on pictures chaps. I'll keep practicing. I must admit I use the edit feature at times, but never thought of that Rik
Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
There is no doubt the WD 'mixed and matched' parts from different production years as a matter of course when so many parts were directly interchangeable.
The arguement for a bike built in this way does make life a little easier when sourcing parts and the result can be said to be representative of a typical machine somewhere in its WD service.
Once again though this is entering the area of 'ex factory' versus 'in service' spec.territory. Niether way is really more 'correct' than the other.
However, if everyone chose the latter path the 'as built/designed' specification would soon be lost in a world of 'REME specials'.
It is important therefore, that at least some bikes are built as closely to an ex factory spec. as is currently possible and that those specs. are recorded.
My view is that a 1942 M20 started off with a 1942 set of parts and that was the intended specification, so I tend to want to put the bike back visually into the approx. format it was in when it left the BSA factory. That was a 'fixed point' where the specification was known and recorded.
Without a detailed history of any particular machine, both in service and afterwards it is impossible to say who altered what and the final spec. becomes a guess at history.
I don't expect many to agree with that view however, by far the majority of bikes are not rebuilt using that theory!!.....Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com