Pa's 42WLA Build

[Paps]

I think I set my sights on repairing my rear oem mudguard [fender] assembly at about this time. For the life of me I donÂ’t know what possessed me to buy it. Maybe I bought it because good usable oem wla rear and front mudguards are really rare and difficult to find. If you do find good ones the price is for the deep pockets person. As you can see from the pics below, it was a real mess. Note the barn door hinge and how offset it was mounted on the mudguard. Look at the crapshoot rivets used. My nos wla rear mudguard section with correct hinge is to the right.

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 4.55.11 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 4.55.29 PM.jpg

Look at the luggage rack tab mounting holes. They were miss located and a reinforcement plate had been nonprofessionally have ass riveted to the underside of the mudguard.

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 4.55.48 PM.jpg

The chain guard mounting boss was cut off of the brace.

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 4.56.06 PM.jpg

Chain guard clearance in mudguard was all tore up.
Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 4.56.22 PM.jpg

[Paps]

Lower front frame mounting area was misshaped with a half ass repair to it using a backside reinforcement plate and numerous rivets.

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.44.48 PM.jpg

These reinforcement plates do not belong there either

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.45.07 PM.jpg

Another view of the crappy front repairs.

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.45.21 PM.jpg

One more view of the mudguard. You can see a bobbed wla mudguard behind the mudguard.

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.45.34 PM.jpg

My fix for all of the damages was to first remove the braces and then measure out the radius of the mudguard so I could build a fixture to mount the mudguard on while making the repairs. I built the fixture out of wood. It had two 1” thick sides to support both sides of the mudguard and it had the area of the full sweep of the mudguard radius, which included the hinged rear mudguard section, front to rear. I next staked a pair of stops on one end of the fixture for the mudguard to rest against. I began to lay out the sides of the fixture where all hole locations should be in a wla rear mudguard and marked them clearly. I used a flexible hacksaw blade as a straight edge and scribed horizontal lines across the mud guard in the necessary hole locations. The necessary hole locations consisted of fender brace rivet holes [ which were not disturbed ]. I knew those fender brace holes were original and I could work my way forward and back in order to lay out the other hole locations for the luggage rack front mounting tab screws and the rear hinged mudguard rivets. With this all established, I cut off the front section of the mudguard containing the upper and lower battery box mounting brackets. I then cut the wla bobber mudguard, which had both oem upper and lower battery box mounting brackets in the correct locations, to replace what I cut off of the beat up mudguard and welded them together using my fixture. That was a real pain in the ass to do. Next I removed the rear hinged section, welded in chunks of sheet metal which I also cut from the bobber mudguard, and replaced the parent metals of the mudguard skin and underside reinforcement. I then cut out the correct location for the hinge. I filled in all the additional holes that had been put in to the mudguard over the years and I installed a pair of nos braces/rivets and an nos chain guard bracket/rivets. With all oem rivet and screw hole locations in place now, I mocked the mudguard up to my frame. She fit like a glove !! I finished the skin cosmetics, painted it, and set it aside for later installation. Mudguard dimensions used in relocating hole locations, including hinge rivet holes, hinge clearance opening, and hinged mudguard resting area of forward mudguard section, were taken from a drawing I did in a paint program years ago but have since , like many of my files, have lost it. That drawing is however floating around on the web somewhere. No pics of the un- mounted finished rear mudguard either but you will see it in several views on the bike later on.

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.45.48 PM.jpg

During this period of time, I picked up this nos ammo box. It is the high mount type with full length hinge which is correct for my early type III 42wla. Upper springer mounting strap was a little tweaked but not a big deal. Adjust that and paint and presto....ready to mount. I got to the tweaking after I was far along with the build to mock fit it up to the bike. As with much of my files, you will see it on the bike later. Sorry for the crappy pics. I used a flash with some and no flash with others.

[Paps]

Images of 42 WLA ammo box

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.54.13 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.54.29 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.54.48 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.55.00 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.55.22 PM.jpg

[Paps]

Images of 42 WLA ammo box

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.55.35 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.55.45 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.55.59 PM.jpg

And here was my nos rifle scabbard bracket before refinishing. Factory tag was missing when I bought it. One might ask...why did I believe the seller that the bracket was nos ? That question was answered two fold very easily. Number one, the seller is a good Australian friend of mine and his character is flawless. Number two, there are no impressions whatsoever in the mounting straps where the bracket would have been mounted to the springer. On another note, Take note of the details in rivets and welds. I will post pics of an aftermarket one to show differences.

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 5.56.22 PM.jpg

[Paps]

Images 42 WLA NOS Rifle Scabbard

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.03.56 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.04.07 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.04.19 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.04.29 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.04.52 PM.jpg

[Paps]

Images 42 WLA NOS Rifle Scabbard

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.10.43 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.10.54 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.11.05 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.11.24 PM.jpg

[Paps]

I only have a few reproduction scabbard pics but you will definitely see the differences between oem and reproduction.

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.15.03 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.15.28 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.15.45 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.16.00 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-07 at 6.16.34 PM.jpg

[pisten-bully]

I’m liking this Paps, good stuff!

[Paps]

John HD:

PA,
really enjoying your thread. brings back memories of when i did mine.
Question, are you going to install the aux. field relay for the black out lights?
John

Absolutely John. Coming up as the thread resumes.

George Greer:
Paul...
Good thread! Really enjoy the photos, and you taking the time to document this bike.
I've been looking after finding a NOS rifle holder, and tool box but everytime I see one here in Europe......well....it just don't work out. But good thing you got yours!.
Are you going to be using the leg guards as well? George

I looked for years before I obtained a real deal scabbard bracket. The rare few I tried to score in the past were grabbed up by deeper pockets than mine. My Australian friend remembered I had been searching for one and he got in touch with me with the good news he had found me one. He purchased a large lot of parts and low and behold, the scabbard bracket was in that lot. I never did find an nos tool box but I did score a decent oem one which needed a bit of TLC.

I don't remember why I documented details as I did George. Force of habit I guess. I have the leg guards and will mount them for pics but I probably won't ride the bike in winter so I'll pull them right back off. Mounting them will help line up all the mounting hardware and brackets and permit me to lock the mounting brackets in place for later installation of the leg guards.

[Paps]

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.19.37 AM.jpg


I found another lost file !! This one is on the engine bottom end. NOS flywheels, pinion shaft, sprocket shaft and rod assembly. All lapped in, fitted, and ready to assemble flywheels.

[Paps]

My springer.... I cannot take the credit for my springer. Steve Lemay put it together for me. Steve did an excellent job. I needed a brazed springer and Steve was the man to ask. Only one issue makes my springer incorrect for an early type III 42 WLA. The date code on the spring fork is a bit later than what my bike would have left the factory with. Then again I thought.....Since the theme of my bike is how it returned from war duty, Who is to say the spring fork was not replaced during the war ? After all, those men beat these bikes in active duty. Though my spring fork sports a bit later casting code, it still is brazed.

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.22.34 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.22.53 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.23.10 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.23.25 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.23.42 AM.jpg

[Paps]

Back to the subject of mudguards, Though I lost my front mudguard pics, I did find the pic below in my files. I created the pic from another oem front mudguard because my oem front mudguard was missing the upper inner support bracket you see in the pic. I took dimensions and applied them to the pic so I could duplicate the support bracket and put it back in to my mudguard. I did this and it turned out great. My front mudguard skin needed several holes filled and the front tip hammered back into shape. I also installed all nos braces and rivets. Did I mention you will see the front mudguard in this topic later on ? LOL

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.35.15 AM.jpg

[Paps]

Oley AMCA swapmeet was coming up and Michael Paquette of Worsham Castle Cycle Leather informed me he would be at the swapmeet. I figured I would take along my oem worn out wla seat and turn it over to Michael for restoration. As you can see in the pics below, my seat needed help.

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.38.48 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.39.14 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.39.37 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.39.59 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.40.26 AM.jpg

[Paps]

The below pics show the results of Michaels work. I asked Michael about the over spray of drab olive paint on the seat pans bottom but Michael assured me he has plenty of documentation showing that is how the factory did the wla seats and I am very happy with that.

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.47.10 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.47.31 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.48.05 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.48.23 AM.jpg

[Paps]

Images of 42 WLA restored seat pan

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.48.41 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.48.54 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.49.11 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 9.49.30 AM.jpg