Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Which way does the nut on the generator shaft turn to remove?
Much rust!

Can you narrow it down a bit? I see you're in the Pre-War forum, but lots of different generators out there prewar; belt and chain-driven, AutoLite, Delco, Owen-Dyneto, Westinghouse, Leece-Neville, and more.

How about year and model of Packard.

If you can clean the rust and one or two threads show beyond the nut, you should be able to determine the direction. Just looking at a couple of post-war Delco units, they are conventional right-hand threads.

DELCO. 1939 120 JR8.

Could not see enough thread to determine direction. If it IS likely RH ,
I will not be afraid to force it. Difficult to hold arbor without damage to cooling vanes on back.

Thanks,
Lowell

Place a scrap fan belt around the pulley. pinch the fan belt together with a big pair of channel locks thus gripping the pulley at near its full circumfrence. Hold the channel locks tite and remove the nut with a wrench.

You could disassemble the generator and take the armature-front bearing end housing-fan-pulley assembly to an alternator/starter shop and have them remove the nut for you.

I have done this many times by carefully clamping the armature in a vise and with a proper sized socket wrench on a breaker bar removed the nut. An impact wrench might be a better tool to use. I have found that these nuts are not difficult to remove.

It does have right hand thread.

Others here may come along with more suggestions.

(o[]o)

I usually use an impact wrench. Soak it for a day with your favorite penetrating liquid- I've been having good results with a mixture of acetone and ATF in a chemical resistant pump sprayer.

PackardV8's technique with the fan belt and channel locks is a classic method and works very well and easy to do. I looked at a couple of other Delco's, they were all RH thread.

Will try belt tomorrow. Been soaking and applying heat.
Thanks to all!

A slight variant on the fan belt method which may prove useful is to put a belt on, lay the generator lengthwise across the jaws of a good-sized vise, and use the vise to grasp and tighten the belt on the pulley. Not only to you get a tighter grip, it also holds the generator securely.

Worked like a charm! Thanks to all.