[AT] Super M generator belt / tensioning bracket

[Dean Vinson]

Dudley, I'm also baffled about the missing bracket--it's out of character
with the rest of the condition of the tractor, which was restored right down
to new boots on the brake operating rods where they enter the brake
housings, flawlessly clean radiator with not so much as a single fin clogged
up with seeds or gunk, high and very consistent compression in all four
cylinders, manual start crank bearing free and easy to turn, etc.  Somebody
put a lot of work into it... so what's with the weird generator mounting?
It's possible somebody other than the restorer tinkered with it, though...
there was at least one other owner between its restoration several years ago
and the time I bought it.  Who knows.

And yes, funny coincidence that the generator bracket from eBay would happen
to have been modified, when it was the one part on the whole tractor I was
looking for.

Mike, I'm going to take my chances with the 13.0 volt generator output for a
while.  I've had the tractor a little over a year and thus far the battery
has never shown any signs of being run down, although of course I don't use
it hardly at all.  Next up on my tractor to-do list is take the right brake
assembly off and look at it, clean it up, see if I can get it to stop
sticking.  It works fine and holds well but if I park the tractor on any
kind of grade and set the brake, the right brake sticks.  Before I can move
the tractor again, I have to put it in reverse and back up for a foot or so
to get the brake to release.  I suspect that a cleaning will set things to
rights.

Gene, sounds like the LA is ready for show season... will you have it at
Greenville this year?

Dean Vinson
Dayton, Ohio
www.vinsonfarm.net


-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of
drupert at seanet.com
Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2011 6:18 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Super M generator belt / tensioning bracket

Dean,

In response to your' question I would say that either the original 6 volt
generator had been rewound (or that it had been replaced with an identical
looking 12 volt generator).

The reason that I asked whether the original 6 volt generator had been
rewound or replaced with an alternator was not because of any
electrical/voltage interest that I had but rather I was trying to
visualize what your' "current generator" looks like.  If it indeed were a
"modern alternator" then without a picture I was clueless of the mounting
scheme you were describing.  On the other hand if it looks and mounts just
like the original 6 volt unit then I was - well baffled.  It's hard to
imagine the guy who rebuilt the tractor forgetting to attach the upper
mounting bracket and relying on only the two lower mounting bolts to keep
the generator firmly in place.

It's interesting that the upper bracket that you got off of eBay has an
added slot which I too see no purpose for.  But, as you say, when changing
the belt it does save having to take the bolt clear out - maybe the
previous owner had lost a bolt after he took it out and he vowed it would
never happen again -

Dudley


> Thank you, gentlemen, mystery solved.  As many of you pointed out,
> generator
> belt tensioning is of course supposed to be accomplished via the split
> pulley, and that was the source of the problem.
>
> I went out this afternoon to check and sure enough, that pulley had been
> adjusted way "out" so the effective diameter of the pulley was quite
> small,
> too small to provide any tension on the belt.  I adjusted it back in,
> narrowing the overall "thickness" of the pulley by 1/8", and that restored
> proper tension on the belt.
>
> The upper generator bracket that I'd bought via eBay has a rectangular
> slot
> with rounded ends, rather than just a circular bolt hole, at the end that
> attaches to the generator.  Some prior owner of that bracket must have
> felt
> the need to cut that slot in there, and when I saw it I assumed it was
> original and was the means of adjusting the belt tension.  I guess having
> the slot would mean you could tilt the generator in toward the engine to
> give yourself a lot of slack when changing the belt, although you could
> accomplish the same thing just by removing that upper bolt entirely.
> Anyway, the tractor is back together now, and I feel better having that
> upper bracket in place.  Relying on the tightness of the two lower bolts
> to
> hold the generator at the proper angle away from the engine seemed like it
> was asking for trouble.
>
> On the subject of the 12 volt conversion, Dudley, you'd asked about
> generator vs. alternator.  It's a   generator and looks original.  I
> tested
> voltage today at the battery both before and after adjusting the pulley.
> With the engine off and lights off, voltage was an even 12.0.  Turning the
> lights on brought it down to 11.7 volts.  With the engine on but lights
> off,
> voltage was an even 13.0, and with the engine on and lights on, voltage
> was
> 12.6.  The readings were the same after adjusting the pulley.  The 13.0V
> reading with the engine running but lights off means the generator was
> re-wound for the 12-volt conversion, correct?
>
> Dean Vinson
> Dayton, Ohio
> www.vinsonfarm.net