c. 1943 B.S.A WDM20 Toolkit

Private Lugnutz · May 31, 2018

1943 B.S.A WDM20 Toolkit

As I have mentioned before on a few different GJ threads, I own a 1943 B.S.A War Department (WD) M20 500cc motorcycle.

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My priority - if you can even call it that given my snail’s pace of progress, has been on getting the old single side-valve warhorse mechanically sound and back on the road (or off-road, as the case may be...) again. (More on that and the bike’s history at a later date.)

I told myself that the toolkit, which was stored in the heart-shaped compartment with the toggle handle that you can see just behind and below the oil tank, could wait.

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The tools had a different plan, though. Almost like the scene at the very end of the animated movie, The Iron Giant – when the various pieces blown to bits high above the earth start crawling toward the homing mechanism in the head, which landed on the Arctic Circle – the tools started to come to me, one or two or three at a time, whether I intended to collect them or not.

The first one that showed up, at my favorite flea market back in 2016, and subsequently shown in a GJ 2016 Garage Sale thread post, linked here, was the Tecalemit brass grease gun.

Last November I found a pair of DUNLOP tyre spoons at the same flea market, shown in a GJ thread I started to try to better date them, linked here. I posted some photos of the toolkit from the WWII era BSA Maintenance Manual in the ensuing conversation, which prompted bluebolt to get out a lot of vintage Brit bike tools he had purchased on fleaBay from someone in Wisconsin a few years back. He sent me some photos and together we had some fun visually comparing the tools in his lot to the figure of the tools in the manual, as well as to photos of examples of the actual tools on Henk Joore’s world-renowned W.D. BSA site, linked here. As it turned out, he had several correct BSA spanners, which I purchased from him.

A month later Oldtuleguy started a thread on a vintage Billings & Spencer adjustable wrench he was given, linked here. I showed a slightly different B&S that I had, and before too long a few others showed up, including one owned by Mintgrun, made by King ****. It turned out to be spec-, vintage-, and supplier-correct for my bike, and it's now in my kit!

The rest of the pieces I have so far came in bunches very recently from a couple of Willys jeep mates of mine in England.

As you'll soon see, I’m still missing some items. But I thought it might be fun to start the thread now and update it with my progress from time to time.

To keep track of what I have, where I got it, and what I still need, I marked-up the parts lists and diagrams that are in the maintenance manual into an inventory, and I took a photo of my tools laid out in the same format as the diagram so it’s easy to compare and see what’s missing.

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Note that the roll of electrical tape is modern, just a place-holder for the vintage friction tape.

(Cont'd next post)

Private Lugnutz · May 31, 2018

I’ll eventually post a close-up of every individual tool, but for now, here is a tighter group shot (note how the spout on the oiler folds down - so cool!) and a few of the more interesting pieces.

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These spanners are the only tools in the kit that are actually branded B.S.A

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I’m tempted to find a way to carefully remove this gage from the NOS packaging in a way that it can be slipped back in, but it’s folded up to tight.

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The pocket knife I stuck in the group shot only – a Taylor “Eye Witness” with a 1943 date stamp and a Ministry of Defense crow’s foot mark – does not belong in the toolkit. They were issued to many branches of the service, with or without the marlinspike, which was used for rigging rope. Dispatch Riders had them.

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And here are a few other accessories. The rank and insignia came from England. R.E.M.E. stands for Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, which was the arm of service marking recovered from my petrol tank, and "D.R." stands for Dispatch Rider. I found the British forces canteen – dated 1943 – at my flea market long before I had the BSA M20. I’m going to rig it to the front girders or straps it in the panniers on the back.

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bill300d · May 31, 2018

Nice start on the tool kit. Now you just have to find the time to get the bike running.

Stuart in MN · May 31, 2018

That's a pretty comprehensive tool kit - it looks like you could more or less rebuild the whole bike with it.

I have a 1968 Kawasaki 650cc W2SS that is sort of a forever restoration; I have most of the tools for the kit (although it's much simpler than that one), but am still looking for a few items.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 1, 2018

bill300d said:
Nice start on the tool kit. Now you just have to find the time to get the bike running.

Thanks. It's running, no smoke, no major oil leaks, but very low compression. I was hoping to not have to really tear into the bottom. Long pole in the tent is the magdyno and finding sources for some of the little dinky parts. All the bearings were shot of course. New carb. New tires (I went over spec - hope I can get the mudguards on!

) Next up is making wiring harnesses.

Stuart in MN said:
I have a 1968 Kawasaki 650cc W2SS that is sort of a forever restoration; I have most of the tools for the kit (although it's much simpler than that one), but am still looking for a few items.

Good luck with that. I rode Enduros in the 70's so the concept of a motorcycle in the late 60's coming with a toolkit is surprising to me. That's neat.

Username already in use · Jun 1, 2018

Very cool tool kit, Lugz. You're moving right along with it. It's a bit hard to imagine how all that stuff will fit into the tool compartment. That's a very comprehensive tool kit.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 1, 2018

Thanks. Rog really came through for me like a champ. He has always liked an M17 50 cal box I have and an M5 armorers chest. I told him if I ever found dupes I would send them to him. I've got two of each now so I'm going to surprise him with a pkg. Sending him the better of the two, too.

As for the form-fit, you ain't kidding. The packing diagram (see post #1) was essential. Otherwise, I can see the DRs getting frustrated and just leaving it behind. Like jeep tools. Haha.

twertsy · Jun 1, 2018

Neat stuff Greg, you never know what I may have lying around down here......

Private Lugnutz · Jun 1, 2018

Haha. I know! I've gotten the tour! If you run across anything that looks like the tool bag, the detachable wheel spanner and tommy bar, spare chain links in a rattle-proof tin box, a K.L.G. sparking plug in a tin box, or the crank type tyre lever, let me know!

Gmonkee · Jun 1, 2018

I have an unmarked wrench in Whit just like that BSA marked gem.
The DOE with four sizes to be exact. I always suspected it was a vintage bike tool, but not for a wartime motorbike.

Thats pretty cool a kit actually.

Dave455 · Jun 1, 2018

Nice job lugz! Some of those bits are relatively easy to find here (I think I’ve got about 3 of those Tecalemit grease guns) some much less so, but I’m guessing all are harder to find in the U.S.

I see those tyre levers that lock onto the spoke fairly often - I’ll pick one up next time I do!

While most of the tools were standard commercially produced items, I suspect that the tins for the spark plug and chain parts, and the tool roll, were made specially for the War Dept. I’ll keep an eye out for ‘em though. Most likely there are loads around in blokes workshops, holding something totally different!

bluebolt · Jun 1, 2018

Glad I could help out Private Lugnutz! Piece by piece you will get it done.

Not sure why you think I got that from Fleabay from Wisconsin. It was all in a raunchy small tool box full of British bike tools, King **** and Snap On Whitworth sockets, Super Slim wrenches, a few Britool pieces and various motorcycle tool kit pieces. It came from a local garage sale here in Louisiana. I always remember that sale because there was a DEAD RAT sitting on a puller set I recognized as Snap On. Nobody wanted to touch it but for $5 I was getting that puller set! The rat was pretty dried up anyways LOL so I just moved him aside.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 1, 2018

Gmonkee said:
Thats pretty cool a kit actually.

Thanks, Gmonkee.

Dave455 said:
Nice job lugz!...[ ]...I see those tyre levers that lock onto the spoke fairly often - I’ll pick one up next time I do!...[ ]...While most of the tools were standard commercially produced items, I suspect that the tins for the spark plug and chain parts, and the tool roll, were made specially for the War Dept. I’ll keep an eye out for ‘em though.

Thanks, Dave. I appreciate that.

bluebolt: I must be getting my stories crossed! It ***** getting old. Anyway, yours - with the dead rat - is much better. :lol:

Most of the B.S.A M20's in the US were imported in the 60's and early 70's in South Carolina. The guy I bought it from bought two in 1964. (See pic.) Both of them had some of the tools in their compartments, and he cannibalized all the tools from mine to complete his kit. My bike was sitting in his shed since then. Never titled in the US. I will be the first actual owner. A true "barn find" so to speak.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 2, 2018

By request, here are some more photos of my bike.

Near side

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Far side

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Front view with hooded blackout mask

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Tail view

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Top down view (they say the long field stand is very rare)

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Tires (Michelin 3.25 – 19) with W.D. January 1951 marking – note the knobby enduro tread

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B.S.A boss

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Instrument cluster – Smiths speedometer, Lucas headlamp with integrated ammeter and 4-position switch

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R.E.M.E. re-build data plate

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Tank markings

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Seat cover

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Private Lugnutz · Jun 2, 2018

One cool thing about “Beezers” among WWII vehicle aficionados is how much detailed history is available on so many of the bikes compared to, oh, say, Willys jeeps.

Based on the mudguard serial number (14YE73), this bike was identified in British Army records (called “key cards”) that a few guys in the international BSA club have managed to acquire, enabling them to identify and keep track of survivors. They kindly sent me a scan of the key card my bike is listed on. (I plan to print this and make it part of a display at shows.)

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You see the “99925” in the next column over? That’s from the full VIN (“WM20 99925”) found on my bike’s frame. That number dates to 1943. The VIN on the engine is WM20 27715, which dates to 1940. This is very typical. It is extremely rare to find British War Department bikes with matching frame and engine numbers. The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (R.E.M.E.) would maintain and repair these bikes and at some point in time this frame and engine were integrated because their matching counterparts were probably beyond repair. But as with civilian bikes and most vehicles, it is identified by its chassis or frame number. It also has a R.E.M.E. data tag. The "4 BASE WKSHP" (Workshop) was in Berlin. That "3-11-55" (November 3, 1955) is the date of its last major rebuild by R.E.M.E. After its service in unknown capacity during WWII (no entry in "Unit from" column), it served in the British Army on the Rhine (you can see “BAOR” very lightly in the "Unit to" column) and was decommissioned in 1959, and was eventually sold as part of massive surplus sales.

This venerated “Thumper” is in 100% original wartime condition – except for the paint. The components that were on the bike (frame, engine, speedo, ammeter, horn, seat, near side field stand, panniers racks, tool box, rubber grip) date from early to mid-war. The only components missing were the battery, carb, throttle grip, compression release assembly, foot pegs, foot controls, brake pedal, kickstart pedal, and some bolts.

Back to the paint. Everything on this bike – I mean everything, look at the leather seat cover, look at the fins on the cylinder head! – was painted NATO green at some point in time, probably just before its retirement. No offense to collectors who prefer to strip their bikes of their hard-earned wear and tear and their Cold War service history to restore them to their WWII condition, but I intend to preserve it “as is.”

Typical BAOR markings are visible on the top of the petrol tank, including its storage number in a REME warehouse in Berlin (HQ REME), and the classic “DRIVE ON THE RIGHT SIDE” warning (for British Dispatch Riders in Germany used to driving on the left-hand side of the road back home in England). Careful wet sanding by me revealed the remains of a tri-color REME HQ (“40”) arm of service marking on the right side of the tank and unidentified markings on the left.

Based on this photo of a bike in service with the BAOR bearing a “YE” series serial number very close to mine and a 2nd Armored Division formation marking (crossed white keys on black square background)…

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I am going to badge the bike with that formation marking, distressed to match the preserved quality of the bike and the REME arm of service marking on the other side of the tank.

I am not touching anything else on the exterior, confining my work to mechanical restoration. I like it not despite of but because it’s so gnarly. I prefer the authentic look.

d42jeep · Jun 2, 2018

I like it!
-Don

Private Lugnutz · Jun 3, 2018

Thanks, Don.

RubiconJK · Jun 3, 2018

Forget the tool kit.....what a cool bike! I wish there was a way you could post a video here of the bike running. As an avid rider I especially love these old military models. Good luck with this project.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 3, 2018

RubiconJK said:
Forget the tool kit.....what a cool bike! I wish there was a way you could post a video here of the bike running. As an avid rider I especially love these old military models. Good luck with this project.

Haha. Thanks, Roob. Trust me, when it's ready, and I'm all puffed up with excessive pride, I will post a ton of "After" photos and a link to a YouTube video of me riding it.

RubiconJK · Jun 3, 2018

Private Lugnutz said:
Haha. Thanks, Roob. Trust me, when it's ready, and I'm all puffed up with excessive pride, I will post a ton of "After" photos and a link to a YouTube video of me riding it.

Stuart in MN · Jun 3, 2018

I've never been able to tell exactly what bike she's riding but I've always liked this photo of Queen Elizabeth taken during her training in WWII. It could be a BSA.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 3, 2018

Stuart in MN said:
It could be a BSA.

It is. The smaller 250cc C10 version of the 500cc M20. The photo is famous among BSA collectors. Princess Elizabeth at that time (1945) was 19 years old. She joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) as a driver-mechanic. There are also photos of her with her hands inside the engine compartment of a truck, changing a tire, etc. She trained along side Winston Churchill's daughter, Mary, who was the same age.

She looks very capable and confident, doesn't she?

ttpete · Jun 3, 2018

Your bike is interesting because the fuel tank doesn't have the cutaway to accommodate the air filter that was fitted to many M20s. It might have served in England and not have gone to Europe because of this.

The little tin boxes with chain repair links are made by Renold and there are plenty of them around. All dealers carried them for years.

I have a factory book of all the service sheets for BSAs before the A50 and A65 era. It's handy to have. The ball and roller bearing data sheet give equivalent numbers for many different brands. All the bearings in those bikes are inch size and not metric.

The only BSAs I currently own are a C15 trials bike and I also have a BSA Winged Wheel which is a 30cc engine driven rear wheel for a bicycle.

Private Lugnutz · Jun 3, 2018

ttpete said:
Your bike is interesting because the fuel tank doesn't have the cutaway to accommodate the air filter that was fitted to many M20s.

The cutaway for the Vokes air filter hose was a late 1943 modification, and, at first, only on bikes headed for hot, dusty climates (e.g., Northern Africa). It wasn't standard on all bikes until early 1945. My bike is early.

ttpete said:
The only BSAs I currently own are a C15 trials bike and I also have a BSA Winged Wheel which is a 30cc engine driven rear wheel for a bicycle.

Sweet!

Motorman55 · Jun 3, 2018

Stuart in MN said:
That's a pretty comprehensive tool kit - it looks like you could more or less rebuild the whole bike with it. I have a 1968 Kawasaki 650cc W2SS that is sort of a forever restoration; I have most of the tools for the kit (although it's much simpler than that one), but am still looking for a few items.

Cool. I had a couple of those early Kawasaki's. You wouldn't believe how many people thought it was a BSA A-10. Even with the Kawasaki Heavy Industry badges on the fuel tank and KAWASAKI deeply engraved on the right side motor cover.

Ole Slewfoot · Jun 4, 2018

ttpete said:
I have a factory book of all the service sheets for BSAs before the A50 and A65 era. It's handy to have. The ball and roller bearing data sheet give equivalent numbers for many different brands. All the bearings in those bikes are inch size and not metric.

The only BSAs I currently own are a C15 trials bike and I also have a BSA Winged Wheel which is a 30cc engine driven rear wheel for a bicycle.

Ever run into my uncle Larry at GT Motors in Lansing?

Farmer J. · Jun 4, 2018

Good thread Lugz, and well done for preserving the bike and aiming to get it usable but not destroying the history of it. Enjoying it, even though i know very little about bikes.
What does the screwdriver you need look like in detail? It seems familiar..

Dave455 · Jun 4, 2018

Lugz - PM sent regarding the chain spares and spark plug tin!

Dave455 · Jun 4, 2018

Stuart in MN said:
I've never been able to tell exactly what bike she's riding but I've always liked this photo of Queen Elizabeth taken during her training in WWII. It could be a BSA.

Yes, great pic!

There was a story in the National press a few years ago about some guy driving across a Scottish moor who broke down.

He was miles from anywhere so relieved when this Land Rover pulled up, but quite surprised when The Queen got out, and even more surprised when she started pulling out spanners and fixing his vehicle!

Although it’s well known that she was in the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) and I believe drove ambulances at one stage, it’s less well known that she actually spent most of her war service as a mechanic, so was trained to a reasonable standard, and obviously enjoyed the experience!

Should be an hounary GJ member!

ttpete · Jun 4, 2018

Ole Slewfoot said:
Ever run into my uncle Larry at GT Motors in Lansing?

I knew Larry Klein for 30 years. Went to the auction in Saline. You might know my buddy Joe who's been helping wind things up. We have breakfast together every Sunday morning in Webberville.

Farmer J. · Jun 4, 2018

Dave455 said:
Yes, great pic!

There was a story in the National press a few years ago about some guy driving across a Scottish moor who broke down.

He was miles from anywhere so relieved when this Land Rover pulled up, but quite surprised when The Queen got out, and even more surprised when she started pulling out spanners and fixing his vehicle!

Although it’s well known that she was in the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) and I believe drove ambulances at one stage, it’s less well known that she actually spent most of her war service as a mechanic, so was trained to a reasonable standard, and obviously enjoyed the experience!

Should be an hounary GJ member!

I heard of that breakdown story too.

Her Majesty enjoys driving her Land Rover, and still uses a 1980's Station Wagon. Here's a short film of it, she does handle that gearbox rather well. A Land Rover of that era has a carb fed V8 with loads of torque (by English standards) and a heavy spanish built LT85 gearbox.

Ole Slewfoot · Jun 4, 2018

ttpete said:
I knew Larry Klein for 30 years. Went to the auction in Saline. You might know my buddy Joe who's been helping wind things up. We have breakfast together every Sunday morning in Webberville.

I might have met him at the memorial, but I always lived at the other coast, so didn't meet too many outside the family. It was great to see some of the old iron reawakened to come out that day.

6PTsocket · Jun 13, 2018

Re: 1943 B.S.A WDM20 Toolkit

I just attended the WWII weekend hosted by the Reading Air Museum. It was crawling with WWll vehicles from two B29s to motor bikes. That BSA would have been right at home. There were encampments of the combatants. It was spooky seeing some guy taking in the show in an SS officer's uniform. There were quite a few jeeps. I thought it might be fun to restore one but then I remembered being in a convoy from Camp Drum to Roslyn, L.I. in a jeep.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Gerry Clarke · Jun 13, 2018

I have an overhead valve 500cc BSA from 1939, so not an M20. However, several of the tools are the same, since they both share the QD rear wheel for example. Here's what I've put together so far for period tool kit and sundry accessories.

Gerry

Private Lugnutz · Jun 13, 2018

6PTsocket: Reading is a big show. The biggest on the east coast. I haven't been there in a number of years, preferring the smaller confines of Aberdeen (Md.) instead, but yes, even there the enemy always shows up in a Kugelwagen or a bigger truck or two towing a camp stove trailer ready to fire up the brats. As for your Drum to Roslyn joy ride, that's a long one for a 4 x 4 on leaf springs traveling 45 mph. Like my jeep (1945 Willys), I plan to keep the B.S.A on the local roads.

Gerry Clarke said:
Here's what I've put together so far for period tool kit and sundry accessories.

Looking good, Gerry! Thanks for sharing.

From looking at the pictures on Henk Joore's BSA collectors site (I shared the link in one of my first few posts), I already suspected that my Hub Spindle Nut Spanner (66-9067) was not quite right (too short), and your photo confirms it.

I see that you have the Tappet Feelers (65-9130) and the Screwdriver (EB 261) that I am still looking for.

What is your understanding on the Screwdriver Attachment (66-9038)? What is it? Are the shanks/blades removable? Or does the attachment slip over the other shank/blade? Is there one flat head and one cross-recess? On the BSA site there is only the photo of the screwdriver itself, not the attachment, and no explanation. There's a good forum on the site, but I haven't bothered to ask there yet.

Gerry Clarke · Jun 13, 2018

Lugz, those are very good questions. I don't know what that attachment is for, or how it is supposed to attach. I have never seen one.

The screwdriver I have is a Marples with boxwood handle and it seems to fit the profile in the parts book. BSA could have used more than one source for tool kit items like the screwdriver.

The mag. spanner is neat in that it is stamped Lucas and has .012" and .015" feelers on the sides for your points gap. Looks like it was originally cadmium plated.

The chain-link breaker is a Pennant as you know. The valve grind tool is Terry's and the majority of tyre levers this size I've ever seen have been Dunlop.

I think the adjustable should probably be a 4" based on the profile in the parts book when compared to the pliers etc., but the 6" is more useful.

Seems like original tool rolls (bags actually) are very hard to find in usable condition.

Gerry

Private Lugnutz · Jun 13, 2018

Thanks, Gerry, especially for the ID and close-up on the screwdriver.

On the adjustable - I put that question to the experts on the BSA site after I acquired my King **** model, which, at 6" long, was obviously longer than the adjustable shown in the kit diagram, and the answer I got was the diagram is re-used from the late 1920's. A 6" adjustable is correct.

BSAschields · May 13, 2022

I just ran across this thread while googling a meter for my head light on my 43 WM20 and I am also collecting the missing parts for my tool kit... Your bike looks fantastic. Any updates? We are also neighbors kind of. Im in NYC and my bikes are mostly in PA. Here are some photos of the actual tools from a tool kit...

Tools

Looks like you and I both have the wrong Romac tin . But hey . Do we really want to be rivet counters ? I need to regroup and refine my list of missing pieces and finish assembling my bike...

Shiftless · May 13, 2022

I too just discovered this thread. Thanks for posting your story Lugz.

Dave455 · May 13, 2022

I’ve seen a few of those KLG spark plug tins around. Do we know for sure what colour the original was? I only ask as I’ve seen them in yellow, orange, and two shades of blue - maybe for different types of plug, or different sizes?

It does seem as though the coloured tins were supplied, which was contrary to the “utility” requirements of the time. Maybe they had a lot ”on hand”.

I actually have a few “Lodge” plugs, new in tins, amongst my own stocks, but no K.L.G.

c. 1943 B.S.A WDM20 Toolkit

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