I have made contact with Mike Starmer who has some Khaki No 3 Gas paint. He is painting a card with this and sending it to me. Once received and providing it is the right colour I am sending it off to a chap in St Helens who will make me up a litre of synthetic at a very good price to match for the M20. Once I have this I will post his details on the forum.
Non return valve in timing cover.
On removing the cover and the non return valve screw I have found only the spring. No ball. I have only done maybe 5 miles but I do not know how many were done many years ago without it. What are the consequences of running the engine without the ball in place?

email (option): araine11@hotmail.com

Hi Arthur,Good news to hear the old girl is running at last.When you first started
up did you not check to see if the oil was returning?.Are you sure the ball is not in there? they can be hard to get out.if you turn the motor with the kick start
by hand,and hold the valve lifter (take the plug lead off also)it may appear in the oil which should come from the hole.if not a 1/4 "ball should get you going.
A bicycle repair shop will prolly have one.
cheers Rick

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

I'm sorry, but do not understand, what do you mean, Khaki green number 3, or gas paint??

There is however Detector Paint Gas Khaki No. 1 and later No. 2, not heard of No. 3 yet??

US gas paint is M5 type 2.

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@wish.net

I got the paint name from Mike at Draganfly as he had his bike painted this colour abbout 8 years ago and I am sure he said Kakhi no 3 gas paint (whatever that means) It is a browny, greeny colour with a touch of olive and I can promise you I have searched for 9 months for this. I hope it is right, anyway I will put the colour on the forum whan I get the sample.

email (option): araine11@hotmail.com

OK, then you mean Khaki Green No. 3 used from 1939 to 1942 on all wheeled vehicles, (and more!)

Recipe has been on the website for ages now:

http://www.wdbsa.nl/colour.htm

Is also from Mike Starmer,

Cheers, Lex

email (option): welbike@wish.net

Hi Richard
I have taken the timing cover off to replace the seal at the rear of the Mag/dyno gear wheel. I loosened off the screw that fits into the bottom of the timing cover and took the small 1/8 " spring expecting to find a small ball behind the spring, nothing there. I have looked at the parts list and it tells me it is a 3/16" non return valve ball, part No S91 but that is listed only for the 1937-1939 bike. Nothing listed for 1940-1945 so I hope it is the same one.
I have had a few short runs on the bike to check that everything is working, I looked in the oil tank and can see that the oil is returning through the filter it has also turned much darker as one would expect. Nothing is simple with these especially when it is your first. All the more reason to listen to the experts.

email (option): araine11@hotmail.com

I think the official title of that early war period paint is ' Khaki Gas Proof number 3'

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi Arthur...The valve in the timing cover isn't a 'non return valve'...it's an 'anti drain valve' Its purpose is to stop oil draining from the oil tank through the pump to the crankcase.
The valve is located 'downstream' from the oil pump and when the engine is started oil pressure generated by the pump lifts the ball off its seat (at approx. 7psi) and allows oil to flow to the rest of the engine.
So, if you have run without the ball it won't do the engine any harm...but it will increase the tendency for it to 'wet sump' by draining the contents of the oil tank into the crankcase when left standing.
It is highly likely the spring has never been replaced and I would recommend replacing that as well as the ball. The ball for a WD M20 is 1/4" diameter. You can get the ball and spring as a 'kit' for a couple of quid from C&D Autos....
When you have the ball drop it into the cover and then rest a parallel punch against it. Give this a sharp but light tap with a hammer. This will seat the ball into the cover. Replace the spring and retaining fitting and you're good to go....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Thank you Ian. I will buy both.
Oh and re the paint. I want to check a paper sample as I cannot make out what colour the paint is on the web site. Once this is done then the guy in St Helens can scan from the sample and make the paint and hey ho job done.

email (option): araine11@hotmail.com

It seems to have been a concern during the pre-and early-war years that the matt paint finishes should be easy to decontaminate after gas attack. Presumably some matt paints absorbed mustard and were difficult to clean.

The 'Gas Proof' has no effect on the colour or on the composition of a modern paint.

Arthur, I would stress to your paint supplier that the paint finish MUST be resistant to modern fuels. Sadly some (many ?) synthetic finishes aren't. If he won't guarantee that then I would look elsewhere.

email (option): welbike@wish.net

will do

email (option): araine11@hotmail.com

There seems to be post after post, page after page written on this Forum about paint more specifically the colour, composition, type etc etc.
In the interests of retaining? my sanity I was thinking of doing the following:-
I have a NOS engine part (genuine) that was painted, let us say green for the sake of argument, by the Army during the war. This part has been stored hermetically and more importantly kept in a dark place for 70 years. Its colour is as fresh as when it was painted. I was thinking of taking it to B&Q getting it colour scanned on their machine or whatever it is and getting a tin or two of it made up.
I was going to use it thinned and sprayed but for the authentic army look could use a bucket and a yard brush.
Is this viable

Sounds like a plan Keith. However I'm not sure B&Q household paint would be suitable. Having said that, it might not be any worse than some of the other shite that is forced on us lately. Also it depends on what part of the war your part was painted as to colour correctness.......'Sorry here we go again!' Also! No machines where hand painted from the factories Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Whatever people are doing it doesn't work in terms of factory correct colours...If you see a few WD bikes in a line they are all different shades of green/brown or something in between!.However, it is definitely the case that most people like the 'patina' 'in service' look and it is known that not only was paint sourced locally but various colours were mixed by REME workshops when it was a matter of expedience...So if you follow the 'in service' line of thinking and aren't after a 'factory fresh' look it doesn't really matter, Shirley?.Ian...

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Ian
That's exactly the point I was trying to make! Once the original paint has gone it doesn't matter! your never going to get it back.
Keith
P.S. Don't call me Shirley!!

I over restore mine and then add patina later by using them...In fact my desert bike now has so much patina it needs rebuilding again... ..I generally pick a colour and shade I like looking at rather than getting too worked up about what the exact original spec. was..IMHO life's too short to engage in endless navel gazing over every little detail..Total originality is impossible once the machine has been rebuilt anyway...but for those that want it, there's a brand new, unused, Norton Commando on e bay at the moment...Now THAT is 'original'....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Hi Arthur

If you email your address I will post you some 1/4 inch balls as I have thousands at work.

Regards
Darren

email (option): dwrudd@lineone.net

Hi guys,
As my name has been mentioned I thought I would respond. Back in 1984 I was at Duxford looking for paint to spray the M20. there was a K2Y ambulance in exactly the colour I wanted. I asked at a stall selling paint, who responded with "yes,that is Khaki No.3 gas proof, I supplied the owner with that paint, here's a gallon." I've always assumed the gas proof meant it wasn;t affected by gas, unlike the stuff you sploge on the headlamp to warn you of gas.
As for different shades of green, my old RASC friend told me "a week before D Day we had to paint all the vehicles in our unit the same colour, but we didn't have enough of one colour to do it. So we got a 50 gallon drum and poured all the paint we had into it, mixed it up and sprayed the lot. They were certainly unique, but we did know which vehicles were ours".
I'm sure the multitude of different shades would be correct.
Cheers, Mick.

email (option): mick@motorbikemike.org.uk