VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 47 216 generator pulley color

had my generator rebuilt recently and the guy who did it repainred the generator for me and painted the fan belt pulley black. Would like to know if a black pulley is the correct color or not. I had it a aluminum type color prior to the rebuilding. Thx

I would think the pulley would be on the generator when the generator was painted so therefore I assume it would be black. Notice I said assume! I get in trouble when I do that. Anyway, mine is black for what it is worth.

Dick

The pulley was not installed on the generator when the generator case was painted, The nut, lock washer are "metal" colored and the puley was not painted but has some flat darker gray plating or coating.

Wow, new to me...Assuming 47-48 were the same, I will bet many of us are incorrect???Maybe not Russell??

Gene what about the inspection cover "that covers the brushes"

I don't remember the exact term but it was gun barrel blue or something.

Gun metal? So to recap...black body...natural pulley..& gun metal cover?Huh

Well you just had to call me out

Last night about this same time no one had replied to Rich so I wrote a long reply after a lot of searching. I hit post. Read my post, then deleted it.

I looked through all my reference pictures of '46, '47, and '48's. Found three different possibilities. After some close-up studying the tags on those I discovered only one of the five had the correct date code, a '48, for those years. For some reason the other four, 1 '46, 2 '47's and another '48, had a 1950 date code generators????

Then I remembered to look through the before pic's of MY car. The results of the 2 '48 I have pic's of, that had '48 date codes, were both the same. Both are NOT as I now have on my car. They were, black pulley, natural front plate, black body and cover band, natural rear plate.

Now you ask, what I have. Don't know why! One day I will put the red circle tag on the top post.

I also do not know if '47 and '48's were painted alike.

I Thought it was an aluminum backing plate and an galvanized cover band... I think the black pulley and front plate were up to who remanufacured it...

Welcome Kevin!I think we have once again opended up a can of worms....

Lol...Guess I'll have look at a few of my 'ol one's...Sorry I haven't been in touch....

SOOOOOO, you made parole. I don't know what else would account for you to abandon your friends for such a long time!!! Anyway, glad you're back.

Also, note the black adjusting arm. Think it should be gray.

Thanks for the picture. Fun to read all the posts and ideas and opinions that we all have. I am going to Hershey, Pa next and will look at some cars there.

Not gun metal which is a gray color. It wasnt painted but rather coated or treated. Was smooth and shiney.
The adjusting bracket is engine color as it was bolted on the engine befor the engine was painted.


I will bet that few correct ones will be at Hershey.

Gene, you have awakened a deep, deep, memory of my first car. A '52 Chevy. I do remember now that the "band" was like the blued (dark blue-black) barrels of guns. Haven't seen that feature in many, many years. Always just painted.

I wonder why after so many years we never really addressed this in detail???I have a little work ahead of me

A few early 1952 models had a band. Most had the short generator with no band.

Johnny's This is how the pictures of the 2 '48's I found. Except it looked like the pulley was dark. might have been just rust.

Have no idea what gen was on the '52. Dad bought it for $75. Came with a loud knock up front. A Uncle filed down a rod cap it lasted a year until it was traded for a '59 Chevy which used a quart of oil every 90 or so miles. Their were no mosquitos in my hometown that year!

Yeah, I'm back on the streets making trouble...To bad I tossed all my generator"s when I moved...Couldn't haul everything up to the country...I'd imagine all the new rebuild's are Cad. coated w/ black body...W/an Aluminium backing plate...I'm in the city and the car is up there, otherwise i could take a look, since the '47 is pretty much all original...

No mosquitos that year...Your killing me...City should have paid him for that...lol

Ok Russell,you being an expert on research.We need a color pic of the shiny dark blue generator band...Please!!!

Still looking. Thought, call Skip Geear 541-826-2177, Oregon. He is the tech guy for generator 27-54.

I posted a photo of a couple of bands that show the color Gene described. Sorry for the quality but it might give you the idea.

Dave

Thanks Dave. So how would say they compare to the blue used on guns. Lighter, darker, about the same, or completely different?

Your right Dave they are kind of hard to see,but thank you

Look at the back side of your present band. The blue was dark line a gun barrel.

Bruce, did you click it, then click it again to make it full size?

Beside the band, how have you decided to paint the generator. What's black and what's zinc/silver or?

51 nos

This is said to be a GM NOS with date code of 51. Note how it was painted after it was built. See the over-spray on the inside on the end shots. I believe this is right.

HOW ABOUT IT GENE??

1950

Now look at this one, Click on the large pictures to make them BIG. Study real close. See the band appears different. Look REAL close at the front and rear plates. You will see remnants of black in many of the crevices and note the two bolt heads and washers are black. Another good example.

Russell,my color choices would be as Johnny has done...My pulley is now black and will be stripped soon I will tear apart my back up unit first...It's convention season at the hotel right now so progress is slow

The pulley was installed by Chevrolet after they recieved the generator from Delco Remy.
From the book "How to restore your 1957 Chevrole" they say the following.
"It is our belief that any parts of the generator that are cast iron are painted black and any part of aluminum was unpainted" . The pulley, the main housing, and any cast iron end plates should be sprayed with black semi0gloss. Te aluminum oarts, pulley nut and washer should be sprayed with clear".
I believe that in 1948 there were no aluminum parts original and if there is they were later replacements.
Note they had doubts as it began "in our belief" and these were 1957 experts and the cars were much newer when this was written in 1987)

So Gene what you are saying..It is very possible the pulley on the 48 was black?

Yes.

Interesting...Russell,chime in

At this time I am not sure about the pulley and if all years were painted or????

I have a new old stock, in the original box, generator pulley (part number 597667 - fits 1938-52) and the pulley is natural steel and not painted.

Also, the early six-cylinder starter and generator cover bands had with a "gun-blue" type of finish. The new replacement cover bands are shiny metal and they are not painted.

Thank you, that settles that part as far as I am concerned.

Now, all that's left, was the front and/or the rear plate painted or raw??

I guess I have my work cut out for me after all

The packaged pulley may have been unpainted but the production may have been painted or unpainted.
The new ebay generator had paintend frames.
Don't rush out and do anything yet.

I am kinda an inpatient guy...good I am too busy to jump on anything right now...I will let it play out..I wonder what Johnny hast say?

His generator is picture #40 on his web site. The end frames are silver looking as is the pulley. Not sure if the end frames are iron or aluminum.

the band appears to be painted black.

The parts book shows a part number change in 1949 for both end frames. Is that the time they changed from iron to aluminum as far as parts stock goes. The frames fit back to 1939 and 1940.

You guy have forced me to do this, it is on you all. Ckick When you ckick on ckick you will be at Johnny's. Two pictures of his generator are shown. Read the text between the two that is in blue, about the gen tag. Click on the blue writing will bring up his gen. tag. Now I have known about this for years but did not want to bring this up, Very sorry Johnny!! I mean no disrespect to Johnny in any fashion as he has done a tremendous job on both his car an web site which has benefited me as well as untold others. But, If that is the proper tag that was/is on his generator, the number is a 1941 with date code of 1941, July 18th. SORRY!!! It also appears his adjusting arm is black also??

Now, Gene, it is often said one should go with their initial gut instinct. Not to over think things. So, go back to your first post in this thread {the third post}. I think that was right.

I wasn't sure of his brace and bracket colors as they look almost engine color on my screen.
Sorrry to say the transmission is painted black.
I have a 1948 parts book with new numbers penciled in if there was a number change during the year. The original generator number was 1102667 and was replaced by 1110262 during the year. Was this the aluminum end framed generator? Does 1948 have both?He has the 1102667 number which would be correct according to the 1948 parts book. That number originalted in 1940, discontinued during 1948
How do you decode the model number?

But the date code is 1G18 which means manufactured in 1941, right? Or '51 What year, '48??

My spare gen.no. Is the same as Johnny's...I removed the pulley and there is no lock pin...Where do I get one

you are correct.
! is the year, G is the month, 18 is the day of the month.
The number change was made on 4-1-49 so may not pertain to 1948 cars.....but the boook was always a bit behind.

Model number is right, just date code says it was made in '41/51, not '48.

Both my generator are...1102667

Bruce, I for the life of me can not figure why it is usually just the two of use, and Gene, in these debates.

Where are the experts? Ken, Dale, and Uncle Ed. Don't know if Ed's '48 still has the original generator or not, but if it does! Just saying.

I would have thought correctness for the 48 generator would have been a slam dunk...To answer your statement,not all of us are perfectionists...I get a charge out of getting it right!!! p.s. where can I find the locking key for my nut?

Confused, the lock washer or the key to the pulley/shaft? I would think your local parts store. Don't know if it is special.

Have you thought any about calling Mr. Geear, the tech.

When you get a chance, send me a picture of the rear end of you gen. Straight on from the back. Please?

I sent Uncle Ed a e-mail asking his thoughts and post here.

Dale has a high points car, wish he would check-in!

The key,my PC is down so communication has been a challenge

Pictured below is from a brochure from the Van Nuys assembly plant in Los Angeles California. The generator pulley clearly shows to be natural possibly zinc/cad plated. The front and back plates appear to be lighter in color but I am not definite because of lighting.



When restoring my car I took note of all these details and that is how I arrived at my version of restoration for 1948 Chevrolets. Now I’m not perfect by any means but I think I am pretty close. One thing I noticed on unrestored generators is that the front and back plates usually were nature in color and some had a hint of some black paint, depending on how well they were preserved/stored. I think, they were possibly painted along with the generator body but the paint didn’t adhere very well to these pieces. With time and usage the paint came off. This is just my theory.

I will start a new topic posting up two pictures showing the engine in more detail that I am sure will blow up into many more interesting discussions because it answers the coil bracket color and position question and much more.

Russel as far as my generator tag, thanks for the info and it is duly noted. I have always taken the approach that to have an earlier correct part is better than a later correct part and/or a incorrect part all together. Because it is hard to find a generator with an original tag none the less with the correct part number I didn’t mind the date being earlier, why because in 1948 the generator would have be available vs a generator with a later date code on the tag. Because a generator with a later date code was not made yet, it’s in the future. As a lead VCCA judge in this category I would never deduct for a date code that is earlier with correct part number.

I hope all of you continue to have these great discussions, we are all learning and documenting for future generations!!!

Excellent info Johnny...I can not wait to see what you are bring to the table next

Both my generator have this tag...40-48 per the parts book

And a darn good one too! At least that is my theory also.

Appears the front nut and washer were painted in place on the generator also.

A-MEN to that. That in itself is the reason I drag some of these discussions out for soooo long. Just trying to get the info as correct as possible.

AND...let me say one more time, you have done an outstanding job with the contributions you have made to the "47's and '48's Chevrolets.

Yes, but the serial number, make no sense????? Should be a number 0 to 9 and then a single letter and the a number from 1 to 31. The date code. At least that is what I understand for Chevrolets

Just looked at the generator on the 47 engine I have. Pulley is painted black. Gen # 1102767. Don not have the history on this engine. Pulled the engine out of a coupe I bought a few years ago for the front seat. The number tag was black.
Looked at my 48 and the pulley isn't painted looks just like the generator fan. Kind of rusty but not bad. The generator is a rebuilt without any numbers I can read from the top anyway.
Bet the number was 1102667 will have to check tomorrow.

Thanks for chiming in Keith

CC,

I suggest the following:

a. Remove your generator.

b. Take the nut, washer and pulley off.

c. Take the front and rear plates off.

d. Take the band off.

Now as this thread changes as to the colors quickly paint or don't paint the parts as information becomes available. That way when the final finally is finally reached you can quickly reassemble all the parts and re-install your generator. You will be the first one in the country to have correctly painted generator. Oh glory , what a thrill that will be to say nothing of the bragging rights!

All the other cars besides the Fleetlines are not that sensitive and will operate just fine any way their generators are painted. It is you lofty-minded Fleetliners who insist on being perfect.

I hope you take my suggestion at heart: Staying awake at night worrying whether that Little darling fleet-line has the correctly painted generator can be annoying and lead to sleep depravation. I sometimes worry about you.

Charlie

Sorry Russell I haven't had time to check my '48 generator yet but I suspect that on that old of a car with 72+++ miles it has probably had a rebuilt generator put on it. I will try and check it if I can remember!

Charlie, sleep will never be a problem for me, I work 12-14 hour a day...Yes as I mentioned before, I tend to be an over achiever. I can only guess there is lots like me in this club, not just us Fleetliners