Re: Royal Enfield side valve motor ID please,is it War time Enfield?
Looks like a WD-C engine from contract C8732 fot 3000 bikes, made in 1940/41, but Jan will no doubt chime in with more details.
Difference with my January 1940 WD-C is that this one has studs on the timing cover instead of screws.
Re: Royal Enfield side valve motor ID please,is it War time Enfield?
Thank you Lex and Ron,
bought it on a whim last year,but it is in Sydney 600k from my place.
It is in storage at my SIL`s.
I have a 1937 2G 350, always liked RE`s, would be nice to find the rest of the bike !!!
So C is 350?
Any one is Oz have Wartime RE`s?
Re: Royal Enfield side valve motor ID please,is it War time Enfield?
David James
Thank you Lex and Ron,
bought it on a whim last year,but it is in Sydney 600k from my place.
It is in storage at my SIL`s.
I have a 1937 2G 350, always liked RE`s, would be nice to find the rest of the bike !!!
So C is 350?
Any one is Oz have Wartime RE`s?
cheers Dave
Hi Dave,
There are two possibilities for this engine:
- #16027 may have been a WD/C from the Australian Contract. The Australian Army ordered a contract for 1000 WD/Cs (of wish only 750 can be found in the Factory Ledgers. The other 250 were found in the AWM ledgers though). Frame numbers for te Australian Contract are #15501 > #16500. The bike with frame number #16027 would have left the factory on 25/03/1941.
- But #16027 may also be a WD/C from contract C/8732. (The frame numbers that had been used for the Australian Contract were used again for this British Contract, giving double entries in the Factory Ledgers!). Frame numbers for this British contract are #15501 > #18500. The bike with frame number #16027 would have left the factory on 18/11/1941.
The fact that the engine was found in Australia would suggest that this must have been an Australian Contract engine... which is not completely true. Quite a lot of British Contract bikes with frame numbers in the 15000 - 16000 range were taken over by the Australian Army, so it could be a British Contract bike after all!
However, there are some differences... The number 16027 that we can see in the pictures is the "duplicated frame number", stamped just below the cylinder flange. The true engine number is stamped just below the magneto base. On a British Contract bike, the true engine number will be somewhere in the 16000 > 17000 range. On an Australian contract bike, the true engine number will be somewhere in the 14000 > 15000 range.
Another difference is the fact that on a British Contract engine you will find a contract number and an acceptance marking, both stamped on the left hand side of the crankcases. You won't find these numbers on an Australian Contract bike...
When I look at my Register, I have approximately 15 Australian Contract engines and approximately 5 frames registered. But you could also source a frame in the UK, they can still be found...
Re: Royal Enfield side valve motor ID please,is it War time Enfield?
Hi Jan,
the info is a bit confusing but i would imagine it is one of the 750 sent over.
When i get it home ,not sure when, i will check the number near the magy base.
I took a fancy to it as the mag and carby were still with the motor, not sure what to do with it actually.
I still have my `37 G2 350,not sure what to do with it either.
