The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Oil the bushing!

Growing up as a teenager back in the 50's, I started hanging around gas stations
when I was about 14. The grunts job back then consisted of grease jobs,oil change and
fixing flats on the old Coats manual tire changer in between pumping gas and wiping
windows.
So....I have an understanding of the necessary for lubrication on these old vehicles.
Unlike the new cars, which only require opening the hood every 10,000 miles to change
the Mobil 1, a stove bolt needs grease and oil every two to three thousand miles for
it's couple dozen fittings.
I just did the winter lube job a couple of weeks ago and took old blue on a trip out
west Friday. Not 'way' out west, just a 160 mile round trip.
On the return trip, about 50 miles from home, I noticed the ammeter dip down
one click to the left side of center. I'd been running with my lights on, which I
often do and normally the needle will run just to the right of the center line.
So I killed all the electric, that is, lights, heater and that juice sucking vacuum
tube radio, hoping to make it home on what charge was still in the battery.
Lots of things going thru my head, regulator, maybe a wire shorted out, heck
I rebuilt the generator about 10k back, couldn't be that.
About 30 miles from home I started smelling something 'hot' and started looking
for smoke, nota. I didn't want to stop as long as we were still running for fear
of not getting started back up again and being stranded in the boonies.
About 20 miles from home I started smelling burnt rubber, again, no smoke.
Well, I did make it home and popped the hood. checked out all the wire looms
under the hood and under the dash, no bunt wires. About then I notice the
big old fat 5/8" fan belt that usually rides high in the pulleys looked twisted
and was half way into the V-grooves. The darn generator had froze up
and the belt had been just sliding in the pulley. Luckily It was still driving the
water pump so I didn't over heat the motor and crack a head.
That's when it hit me....YA BIG DUMMY!!!!! That's why they put an oil cup
on the front bushing. Thinking back I can't recall ever remembering
to give a squirt of oil to the generator cept for when I had it on the bench
for the rebuild a decade ago.
Now I'm hoping it didn't damage the shaft or the end plate. Gonna have
Ken send me a kit for it and add that oil cup to my chart in big red latters
for the next time I have her up on the lift.
And don't forget to give the grease cup on the distributor a turn during the next
lube job, that's another one that's often passed over.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Only real problem I had on an 8,000 mile trip with my 52 was a bad bearing in the generator. It was a NOS generator installed and oiled before the trip.
Luckily we were only a few miles from and old fashioned starter and generator shop in Canada, after stopping to borrow a phone book and find out.
Hardest part was removing the hot generator (just engine heat).
They had a new bearing installed quick enough it was still warm for the install.

These generators can be had with ball bearings front and rear, different end plate.
If I were running a generator and racking up the miles these days I’d make that conversion and install two new sealed bearings. Though now I have plans for an alternator.

Good post Denny. The first thing people should do when getting one of these trucks is to completly grease & lube every part. Change all the fluids. The kingpins are especially critical. If a fitting will not take grease a guy should work with it till it does. Generators back then didn't last very long. It was real common to have one fail on a long trip. The highways back then went through every small town. Every town had a least one repair garage, often more.

George

A 45 amp Buick/Olds/Cadillac generator has a ball bearing rear plate. It will bolt right onto the Chevy housing. You could also install the high amperage generator with a simple mounting bracket change and adjust the current regulator for the higher amperage. (It's longer)
Jerry

But then it's not as it was originally built Grigg. Just my way,
not for everyone though.
And once again Jerry, it's not as it originally was built.
Modifying and Hot rodding is most often the easiest way around a problem,
and I'll admit, in many cases the most reliable. But the challenge to me
has been to keep them running like they were in the days when I first
started driving them.
As Long as Ken Warner can keep supplying me with generator and
starter replacement parts.....I'll keep them running like they were designed
to run.
I've actually had no problems in the last 15k since I finished rebuilding the
last of the mechanical parts. I find the old gal pretty dang reliable.
Even the original tube radio has been bringing me talk radio since
I rebuilt it. Now.....that was a case where I deemed replacement with
modern parts appropriate. SS vibrator, modern film resistors, fresh
caps.all round.
The kicker with 50's technology is regular maintenance.

Hope your healing up ok George, only met ya once down at KC
a few years back, but knew right off the bat....you're one of the
good guys, hate to loose the good guys, you know.
dg

Hmmmm- - - - -it sounds like your ideal vehicle would have a hand crank, an acetyline generator for headlights, and require all the passengers to wear dusters for protection from the road debris and/or mud they're exposed to. These horseless carriages are just a passing fad, ya know!
LOL!
Jerry

Come on Jerry, you know I'm not quite that ancient, dang near but not quite.
Actually the first Cyclekart I'm building is going to be a pretty accurate copy,
body, chassis and suspension wise, of a 1928 Riley Special. Not the best
handling cars that ever hit the track.
Next one will be a copy of the famed Bugatti typo 35, again from the 20's era
and not a modern design.

But.....the Stovebolts were of a "Advance Design" weren't they????
That is, at the time at least. Hydraulic brakes, albeit not power,
OHV as most modern engines were up until the recent decade or so,
power windows (man power that is), syncromesh transmissions,
Gotta throw in the towel if you look at the suspension though.
The 6v system is just fine, perfectly adequate, cept for the
heavy gauge wiring required.
DG



.

Careless.


Sorry DG. With your bloviating of never messing things up in the past (all in jest, I have always assumed), I couldn't resist issuing my one word retort (in jest as well).
I have a coworker who I only see infrequently and we trade that one word reply back and forth as needed.
My recent adventure with a supposed deadly mushroom incited the usage of that word in the form of a text from him. "Careless", he texted.
Many, many of my "friends" sent me pics of mushrooms with comments containing little in the way of comfort. I must always be prepared for such rudeness in men (some women too), as one must be willing to receive if one is also the type to dish it out. (It has been indicated in the past that I have tendencies befitting of that type.)
Of all of the humorous comments which I received due to my "adventure", that one word text made me laugh so hard that it hurt.
Carl

Similar experience this past fall, but my bearing was nice enough to squeal and let me know there was something wrong. Pulled into the parking lot of the golf course, lifted the hood and located the noise. Called wife to bring oil can, which she left on the running board while I played my round of golf. I oiled both front and rear bearings, let sit while I went into the clubhouse for customary beverage allowing the oil to soak. Still driving with no further problem.