more from the barn

[willhall]

Hi there
   further to my earlier post regarding a Douglas frame and tank i found in a barn in Cork ,after hours of searching through old carpets/beds rubbish etc.We found the engine,the seat, the forks,one wheel and what i believe is the headlight,I am ecstatic,cannot believe it was there. According to the previous owner,His father dismantled the bike about 50 years ago,and put the bits in the shed,I have no doubt that the rest of it could still be there.And will continue searching,I don,t hold out much hope for the mudguards As the shed is wet inside.On account of the roof collapsing.The wheel that we recovered is in bad condition.Would i be right in thinking,that this type of wheel would be generic of the period and not to difficult to obtain?.I must now try and locate a gearbox , carburetor,magneto,and handle bars and brakes.Any suggestions?
Bill

[David Lawrence]

Hi Bill,
Congratulations, it seems that your efforts may be well worth while, I have seen far worse finds up and running looking a treat.
Good luck with your endeavours, hopefully you may find a few more bits in your search, I am sure you find Douglas owners with help and sources of parts.
If you can post the engine number we can probably give an even more accurate idea of the age of the bike and definitely more information on the engine. We have a fair number of 3/12 and 4HP bikes on the Douglas Club machine register and we should be able to slot yours into place.
Good luck with the project.
Dave

[willhall]

Thanks Dave
    The engine Number  is interesting,I have added an image and will let you decide,But to me it looks like there has been a crude attempt to erase the serial number.And add another number.We have studied the number under a powerful magnifying glass and can't decide whether its 2155 or 2655 or 2165.
   It does look ominous and probably indicates that this is not the engine that the bike left the factory with.There is writing just after the serial number, that looks like it says "PROV PATEN"this is very faint,does that make any sense? Has anybody any images of the gearbox,magneto and rear wheel belt assembly,It would make life easier to identify these parts,among literally tons of junk,It would also help to jog the former owners memory,Thanks very much Dave for your help,This is fast becoming an obsession.And i am determined to get this bike back on the road.Cheers Bill

[graeme]

Hello Bill
The finning on the barrels above the valves show this to be a 4hp engine - so your thoughts of it being 1915/16 are probably spot on. The gearbox fits on the sloping part at the rear of the crankcase, so has a matching angled extension. Hopefully the clutch will still be attached to the box - either a cone clutch within the pulley, or a plate clutch on the primary side, I'm not sure when the change in clutch type was made. The wheel hubs will have Douglas stamped on them. The magneto is likely to be either Bosch or CAV, though I have seen machines fitted with Fellows and Ruthard - who knows what the history is here. The carburettor could be Douglas, with separate air and fuel slides with an oval aluminium domed cover, cast together with the float bowl. It could also be a AMAC. The rear brake will likely mount forward of the belt rim, wedging into the rim. The 3 1/2 machines have the brake operating on the back of the rim. I can't wait to hear what else turns up!
Cheers, Graeme

[willhall]

Hi Graham
           Thanks for your input,On the one wheel that i have found the hub is too rusty to determine any markings,the diameter of the wheel is 23 inches and the rim 2 inches with 40 spokes,would that be right for this model?.I do hope to recover more from the barn.But i am not exaggerating when i say that there is tons of rubbish in it.Add to that,the roof has collapsed in places.And you have to enter on your stomach.And i am fairly convinced that once in,you are not alone!It is not an altogether nice experience.Next time i am there i will take a photo of the barn and post it.In the grand scheme of things its remarkable that anything has survived in there.Its probably the condition of the barn that has dissuaded any scrap metal merchants entering.I suppose its time to "Man up" and get back in there.
   Cheers Bill

[graeme]

Hello Bill
Your description of the wheel sounds right for Douglas, and I can see in the picture that it has a Westwood pattern rim, which is definitely correct for Douglas.
Good luck with the search - get yourself a stout pair of overalls and just think how much worse it could be going under a house to fix a sewerage problem! 
Cheers, Graeme

[willhall]

Thanks Graham.
         I will undoubtedly Dress for the occasion,and get back in there,Can you tell me how the rear belt pulley attaches to the back wheel.I am trying to familiarize myself with what the missing bits should look like,I am not 100% sure that i haven't spotted another similar wheel,but no pulley attached. The wheel that i have seems to have about every fourth spoke missing,could that be where the pulley attached ?I really appreciate all the help and advice,I am sure that when i get to the end of this restoration project.I to will be able to give some constructive input into the forum.
many thanks Bill

[graeme]

That sounds right for the rear wheel Bill. The pulley is attached by short spokes to the wheel rim spaced as you describe, as well as sandwich plates to the spokes themselves.