Hi guys

I have a few quick questions regarding my restoration of a 1941 G3L.

The fuel cap, is there supposed to be some sort of rubber seal or is it metal on metal? Just thinking about fuel leaking versus vapour locking.

The exhaust. I purchased an Armours exhaust and silencer. According to my original parts list the finish for the exhaust and silencer is "UF" - Unfinished, so it it doesn't appear it should be painted/chromed, but I noticed a lot of restorations I see the exhaust has a dull silver/light colour finish. I am assuming it is some sort of high temp exhaust paint to stop rusting or am I wrong. Is it ok to leave it unfinished?

Lastly, finding NOS or original levers is a pipe dream... So it appears I will have to use some sort of repro levers, is there a version out there that is close? Everything I see is sort of close, but then I notice the bracket is totally wrong.:confounded:

I can find Amal repros, and Doherty, but never Bowden. Seems all the repros are designed for the 1950's onwards.

Cheers

Al

Alun what parts list have you got? I've got 7 G3L parts list to cover various wartime contracts including the very last contract and I can't find mention of an un-finished exhaust system. Most of the pictures I have, clearly show a dull plated finish. Here is a factory picture.

What is your frame number? To determine what Bowden controls you should have.(and parts list)
The fuel/oil caps have a cork ring seal.....If it ever works properly?
Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

re. Matchless "pie crust fuel tank cap" the cap should have a cork washer inside of the cap. The cap can be dismantled to enable the cork washer to be fitted. The cork materiel is about 1/8 of an inch thick (3mm), I bought mine from a model railway shop

I find that this does not really seal the tank, so what I have done is cut a thin flexible plastic disk that will be a reasonably tight fit in the tank opening. To enable this disk to be removed for filling the tank, I have put a loop of wire through the disk to enable the disk to be pulled out for filling the tank. The loop of wire fits flat on the plastic disk when the filler cap is in place.

Hopefully this will not only stop fuel splashing out of the filler cap, but also stop vapour lock

As for exhausts & silencers, I de-grease the silencer & pipe, wire brush off any rust and paint my exhaust & silence with high temperature matt black paint, it last a while then the rust starts to bleed through & has to be done again. I have tried apaste for blackleading stoves with, a good finish but very messy to apply



Chris Moore

email (option): millspray@yahpp.com

I've put a felt washer as supplied for Indian Motorcycles on my G3 filler neck to catch any spills. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

That's a weird colour on the left hand bike...Ian

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

I bought the bike off the family of club member Norman Brown after his untimely death. It came with a 1 gallon tin of paint that Norman used to re hand paint it with every 3-4 years, there was so much paint on it that all the cables and oil lines were painted into the frame. I spent hours with wet and dry to get rid of all the brush marks and re-sprayed it with Norman's paint, as that was how we were used to seeing him ride it for many years. I've no idea what the colour is but it's a sort of "Dark Cammo Green" and it's never offended me. It has a first contract frame and a mixture of war time parts there after. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

:laughing: ..Sorry!...I meant the right hand bike...Mental blockage...Ian:blush:

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

Ah right yes Ian. Another bike that was hand painted by its previous owner with as near KG3 as he thought correct. Initially I matched the paint and took the tank and mudguards off, prepared them and re-sprayed them. But since then, I've rebuilt the engine and front wheel and sprayed some more parts, so might as well have done a total strip from the beginning. It's definitely one of those colours that changes in different light, and maybe I've just got used to it.

You did once ride it at Kenley Airfield Ian. Ron:relaxed:

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Yes, I remember it went very well in it's 'civvy' state of tune..Odd thing about the colours....A couple of mine looked different under varying conditions....It was so pronounced with the brown 5SW that some days I liked it and others I didn't!!....Ian

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

Well as it happens, it turns out that my rear mudguard is too short and should protrude under the number plate by about 3". I'm hoping to acquire a piece of mudguard to cut and shut behind the number plate. So I might go for a complete respray at the same time as there's hardly any preparation required now.

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Al, fancy seeing you here!

Re. the petrol caps, originally they had a thick durable cardboard or maybe even gasket material paper gasket, cut in the pie crust shape, rubber or cork doesn't really work well, but the paper stuff is not ideal either! I just never fill it to the brim.

As said before, I have parts for the Bowden setup of levers, but nothing complete, it can be found though, but nothing like an online "one stop shopping experience", best to keep asking, and buy the bits one at the time.

Cheers,

Lex

The pie crust tank cap has a breather "system", ie a pinhole and as others have said, the rudimentary cork seal that does not work and beware filling the tank more than half full especially if you are going off-road, unless you are wanting to strip the paint off the tank. My word, its such a laugh when you have finished spraying a tank, adding the C numbers and Signals flash, only to have it ruined by petrol splashes. Mine also sports a "drip" collar round the cap. I have painted my exhaust system with high temperature "aluminium" manifold paint. If you want black, I have heard that the paint you use to paint those fake bits of coal in a gas grate works well. If you don't paint it will go rusty and horrible very quickly. Control levers - good luck. Mine had modern chromed Docherty style levers and I eventually found a set of wartime M20 ones - I am not proud! On the basis that they work fine and quite likely that wartime bikes were re-fitted with whatever came to hand, its authentic enough,IMHO. PS: I did not nick the levers off Ron's bike and anyhow, M20s look good with shiny new levers......

As Lex said, unless you are lucky enough to find a complete set, it's best to fit a set of cheap post war pressed steel levers and hunt the Bowdens out piece by piece, to fit at a later date. (I think I have a spare lever blade, and Lex has parts) Even the twistgrip and valve lifter are unique Bowden and most of the control cables require different to Amal nipples. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Thanks guys, slowly getting my head around the little quirks that are G3L parts.

Hey Lex. I thought it best to ask here, rather than a million questions to you every week. :grin:

I have decided to get some Doherty controls and give them a make over to look more ....old. :laughing: They should hold me over as I search for the unfindable.

Exhaust is going to be an experiment. If original was Dull Finish plating, then I will go with a sand blast finish to reduce surface smoothness to give a dull finish and then Nickel Plate to stop rust. Hopefully it works, if not, then I can always paint.

I seem to be buying a lot of ....toys. Bought a parts washer and Shop press yesterday, today it was a soda blaster for some little parts that need tweaking. Everything else gets electrolysis or vapour blasted.

Tried the shop press out, and easily pushed out a few bushes from the gearbox. Much easier process than I could have imagined.

Cheers

Al

Ron - Just looking at the levers (brake & clutch) in your photos. Are the lever blades correct as they look to be non solid pressed steel - the Bowden levers I have are the same as yours i.e. brass air and mag but with solid brass brake and clutch levers. When I acquired them they appeared to be WD as they were covered in post war bronze green paint.

email (option): keithchandler@clistandchandler.co.uk

For those of us who decide on repro levers, until I can find originals, the handlebar is 7/8" and not 1", but I see comments relating to pivot distance and have seen measurements of between 7/8' and 1'1/16" for this distance.

I assume too short and there is not enough pull for the clutch activation and obviously a big issue for braking.


Is there a specific pivot distance required for the G3L?

Cheers

Al

Keith if you look at the parts list illustration that Alun posted. Those are the exact levers I have. They were the Bowden lightweight type as fitted to G3L's until the change to standard Amal levers. That change took place at Frame 39512.

The type you refer to are the earlier (pre war) type as fitted here on my G3. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ron Pier

Keith if you look at the parts list illustration that Alun posted. Those are the exact levers I have. They were the Bowden lightweight type as fitted to G3L's until the change to standard Amal levers. That change took place at Frame 39512.

The type you refer to are the earlier (pre war) type as fitted here on my G3. Ron

email (option): keithchandler@clistandchandler.co.uk

Thanks Keith, no panic.

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ron

Thanks for that.

Al

Good evening all,

I seem to have lost the little round brass fixing from my G3L break lever (the thing that secures the actual break cable nipple to the break lever - the pressed light weight type - identical to Ron’s in the photo in this thread)

I must of lost it when I removed the break cable last year ??😐

Can any kindly advise me where I may be able to purchase another?

I’m not sure what they are called and have searched all known part lists online.

Many thanks.

Kind regards

Mark

email (option): Towersmark84@yahoo.co.uk