I am replacing the brushes and cleaning up an original 6 volt long style generator with a bearing in front and a bushing at the rear. My question is how is the steel washer removed that is holding the bearing in place on the shaft? Bratton's catalog lists it as a bearing retainer ring I believe but mine is not split as shown on their drawing.
Generator bearing replacement
- Thread starter MVal
- Start date
Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
I assume you have the 4 rivets drilled out and the front end plate removed. Now the solid ring you see is a spacer that rides in the felt seal near the front. It will just slip off the shaft. There are also two split rings on the shaft and they are soft steel, which can be bent apart with a duck bill snap ring pliers, or just by using a couple small flat tip screwdrivers.
I run a bolt into the front end of the shaft, then use a bearing plate (separator) and puller to remove the bearing. It's a tight fit to the shaft, and if you press against the taper on the shaft you can easily damage it.
I'll keep looking for my pictures of all this, but so far the search isn't finding them.
I run a bolt into the front end of the shaft, then use a bearing plate (separator) and puller to remove the bearing. It's a tight fit to the shaft, and if you press against the taper on the shaft you can easily damage it.
I'll keep looking for my pictures of all this, but so far the search isn't finding them.
Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
I'll just repost this picture from my old computer. Your's has the bushing on the rear, so just look at the left half of this picture and the order of the parts as layed out in the 2 rows, 3 parts on the top row and 4 parts on the bottom row. They are in order, so to reassemble you start with the bearing retainer plate on the bottom right, then work left, then go the the top right and work left again. I never remove the inner split ring by the bearing, as there is no need to.
When you squeeze the front retaining ring back together be sure it's a nice tight circle or it will scrape on the metal plate.
When you squeeze the front retaining ring back together be sure it's a nice tight circle or it will scrape on the metal plate.
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Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
Big hammer
Well-known member
Nice pictures Tom! Green back ground is easy on the eyes.
Tom I am sorry that I didn't get back to you earlier re your reply to my question but other things got in the way and I just didn't. Anyhow, thank you very much for your excellent photos and detailed reply. It looks like my situation is that the front retaining ring (split washer) is missing as all that is there is the bearing spacer up against the bearing. There is a split washer behind the bearing but nothing in front of it holding it on the shaft. Think the only thing I can is to use a bearing puller and try to remove the bearing along with the bearing spacer. The bearing is a sealed bearing (not original) so am debating whether to remove it or not as it seems to be fine. The reason the generator failed is because the brushes wore down and grounded out, not because of a bearing failure. Decisions, decisions!!!
Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
Since you have a sealed bearing and it feels good, I'd just leave it. You can go to an auto or hardware store and find a snap ring that fits in the groove. Just be sure it doesn't scrape on the end plate. You could even form a piece of coat hanger to fit in the groove. Since the bearing is tight on the shaft it would only be needed to hold the spacer, but it sounds like that is also tight to the shaft. Polish the commutator and install new brushes and you should be good to go. Don't let anyone talk you into cutting the commutator unless it is badly burned, out of round, or badly grooved.