WLA Type III detail question.

[Chris Haynes]

Bruce Palmer came up with the answer.
The replacement cables were multi fit. The military had many models with different length forks and handlebars. The excessively long cable was to be trimmed to fit. However most Army mechanics being lazy just trimmed the bottom and not the top leaving the oilier 10" away from the end.

[Ohio-Rider]

That makes sense as to the differant lenghts. Thanks Chris.
That still leaves us the question as to how would a 10" lenght be judged?

[pete reeves]

Multi fit cables could be an explanation as to why we find them NOS with the oiler much lower than on the factory photos. But if this was the case why did they not leave the oiler at about 4 inches from the top which would have been correct for most applications leaving the longer lower section to be cut to size?

As far as judging, it’s likely that the position of the oiler is not something that the judges have been focussing there attention on. Now that the subject is being discussed on this forum I would expect it to be one off the first Items they will look at.

Are there any factory Photos of original bikes that show the oiler at 10 inches from the brake lever?

Pete Reeves 860

[motorhead1]

Bruce Palmer came up with the answer.
The replacement cables were multi fit. The military had many models with different length forks and handlebars. The excessively long cable was to be trimmed to fit. However most Army mechanics being lazy just trimmed the bottom and not the top leaving the oilier 10" away from the end.

This makes the most sense. So, in theory, the oiler should be the same distance from the bottom on all of them.

[pete reeves]

Motorhead1.
As far as judging is concerned, the position of the oiler should be as fitted at the factory. not as it was fitted by a mechanic using a multi fit cable after the bike left the factory.

Pete Reeves 860

[motorhead1]

Sorry Pete, I was only making a generalizition as in new cables uninstalled.
Dan

[Paquette]

I am a saddle and bag guy, not a motorhead, but I do know that during WWII the H-D school for mechanics was only for the military models. That said, while I am sure that they were taught the proper way to do things, in practice, I don't think they gave a tinker's damn about how anything was installed, positioned, or otherwise put into use --Just my probably uninformed answer--

[Rubone]

Hi guys, just my opinion on this but the multi-fit cable is the correct type for buckhorn bars as used on the early WLAs and most civilian models. The position of the oiler ends up in the same relative location as the photos of a later WLA as shown in Chris's photos. Ohio rider yours looks wrong and the clamp location is too.On the later WLAs with speedster bars and short seat tees the oiler is closer to the lever.
Robbie

[Paps]

No doubt, as some have already commented on, it only makes mechanical sense, to lube, as much of the cable as possible. Hence...Chris's pic. It is also very logical, as Michael and I both pointed out. Mil personal probably installed them incorrectly. It is not a difficult mistake to make, since most mil personal were young men, in the process of becoming mechanically inclined, in the motorpool. This would explain the overwhelming number of military war photographs, which show the incorrect cable mounting. And as more food for thought, Can we even imagine how many times that cable needed replaced ? Those same young men of the war, were learning to ride a motorcycle for the very first time. Sure glad I wasn't born a motorcycle. Not to mention the spills the bikes went through, while in active duty. Training was as rough on the scoots as the war at times. I've viewed many a war training flick. Those boys had to lay the bikes down in a jiffy, unholster the tommy gun, and spead eagle in a defense position. There was no gentleness in lying the bikes down either. Most had to learn to lay it down while in motion. Glad I wasn't born a front brake cable assembly. Paps

[Ohio-Rider]

Let me be sure I understand this right.
If done correctly, a “multi-fit cable” could be trimmed to make an “off the production line cable” from it. If that is true than I need only cut 6” off the top of mine as shown in the photo and that would make it good. Guess I would need to know the length of the cable housing for a “off the production line” cable to be sure about that.

Mine is an obvious multi-fit cable and the cable housing length is 43”.
What is the length of the cable housing in Chris’s photo?
Does this discussion pertain to the civilian WL models as well?

[Chris Haynes]

Let me be sure I understand this right.
If done correctly, a “multi-fit cable” could be trimmed to make an “off the production line cable” from it. If that is true than I need only cut 6” off the top of mine as shown in the photo and that would make it good. Guess I would need to know the length of the cable housing for a “off the production line” cable to be sure about that.

Mine is an obvious multi-fit cable and the cable housing length is 43”.
What is the length of the cable housing in Chris’s photo?
Does this discussion pertain to the civilian WL models as well?

I don't know the length. The cable oilier in in the same position on the post war civilian bikes untill at least 1950 on the Springer models. I don't have any post 1950 photos of civilian Springer bikes.

[Ohio-Rider]

Thanks for that info Chris. I’m convinced that I need to move the bracket on mine and bring that oilier somewhere near 4” from the lever just like your photo. These are the kind of easy/cheap details that are nice to know I have correct while doing this.

I bet at the next meet all the judges will be watching these oiler cups now. LOL

[George Greer]

Ooppppss

Sorry to bring the attention to the judges eyes

I just had to know where it went, to satisfy my own little loaded down pea brain.

George

[Paps]

More evidence !! I found this in the 1950 Spare Parts Catalog. Paps

[Ohio-Rider]

Thanks Paps, It would still be helpfull to know what the actual lenght was for these cables.
I'm thinking mine was installed at some point in time with out it having been trimmed to the proper lenght. Before I go cutting mine to bring the oiler towards the lever as shown in Chris's photo, I'd like to know I'm guessing correctly.