VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Electrical - 6 volt generator paint

So I tried some searches and came up with nothing so here gores. When rebuilding a generator should the frame, poles and covers be painted prior to assembly (cleaning contact points for conductivity as required) or should I assemble and then paint the unit as a whole? Suggestions?

I can't answer that for sure, but online research I did a long time ago suggests that Delco painted generators completely assembled, and shiny! I am currently rebuilding a couple of mid 30s Buick/Olds generators, one of which had been out of circulation since 1952. They appear to support the idea that Delco painted generators whole.

I am not going to do that. It leaves too much bare iron IMHO. One of these units is for a restoration, and I guess it will have to be resprayed whole after it is done in the interest of a completely authentic look. The other is just for a daily driver, and I will probably default to duller paint on the field frame (hides flaws).

I would love to hear what others think.

I always paint them after assembling all but the pulley, the brush cover band and the cutout. I mask the shaft and the brush access area, spray the generator, pulley and mounting bracket separately, then assemble the whole thing. That has worked well for me.

All the Best, Chip

I have restored lots of generators for my customers over the past decades and I never paint them after assembly. For a quality restoration of a generator and a professional looking job, I always paint the generator body, both end frames, and the cut-out cap separately after bead basting and then I assemble the generator. I also detail the inside of the generator as well. Regarding the cover band, I install new cover bands and I paint those separately before installation too. Also, after the main body of the generator is bead blasted and painted I then install a new Delco-Remy double bar tag on the generator body. The original model and serial numbers for that particular generator are stamped on the tag before installation.

The generator pulley is painted separately also and then installed on the armature shaft. The two "flippy top" oilers were originally plated and I install new plated oilers on the generator end frames after painting and prior to assembly of the generator.

Do you know what are the oilers plated with? What is a good source? I have a missing 3/16" one.

Also, do you know if there is supposed to be a wick under the cup at the ball bearing (pulley) end? I just took apart 2 of them, same part number end plate, one had it and the other didn't.

On the rear plates I found the hole under the oiler wide open down to a reservoir, and then a wick laying in the reservoir carrying oil up to the shaft through a slot in the bushing. Does that sound about right?

Appears to be nickel. There is no source that I am aware of since the metal oilers have been discontinued for years.


Depends upon the model of generator. The earlier generators had a felt washer on the ball bearing end.


Yes.

Thank you!

You may be able to buy new oiler cups from McMaster-Carr. I know they have them but don't know the size.

I have several generators from the 40's. If you don't find any new oil cups let me know I will part-out one of them if they are 3/16".

Good luck, Mike

I recently acquired some 1/4" oilers from E-bay.

Got one from ebay, It arrived today!

I have that setup! (and a New Departure 3203 front bearing). I was wondering if the felt washer was a seal or a wick. I gather it is a wick. On closer inspection, it looks as if all oil from the oiler would be directed to this washer by the notched metal washer, as all other paths to the bearing would be blocked by the bearing itself and the gasket. Interesting.



What I still wonder about is if a short wick belongs above in the passage just below the oil cup. One generator had it and the other did not. Both use the same front casting (same part number). I am leaning toward "no" because I have not found any reference to that wick yet, nor any part number for it, yet the felt washer (and the wick for the rear bushing) are listed.

Oddly, the wick I found below the front bearing oil cup on that one generator appeared to be made of the same material as the rear bushing wick, just a smaller diameter.

DId Delco ever put a wick there in the Chevrolet generators?

The "worm" type of oil wick was used on the rear end frame for the armature bushing...it did not go on the front end frame for the bearing. The felt washer is actually an oil wick and it is used to distribute oil to the front open bearing. If you use a 6203 sealed bearing then the felt washer oil wick is not needed.

Thanks for clearing that up.

I will most likely be using an open 3203 bearing as original, I already have a couple of them in hand. I still have to get those front felt washers, a couple of wicks, some gaskets, etc. I am getting a lot closer.

The felt washer is not a wick for the front bearing. It is a seal for the shaft. Looking at the retainer for the felt washer it is designed to allow some oil to wet the felt (so as not to abrade the shaft) and more oil to pass via the indented tab directly to the bearing. Make sure you get the parts in in the right orientation. Also on mine I found the bearing retainer plate was not flat and this needs to be checked and corrected or the gasket will not seal and oil will end up inside the generator.

As I recall the washer with the indented tab only fits one way, or the bearing sticks up too high. I'll have to take a closer look at that.