1945 UL Generator

[Sidehacker]

Which generator came stock on my 45 UL . And does anyone out there have one for sale or trade . Thank You FNA

[Rubone]

32E with zink plated ID tag.

[Sidehacker]

RUB you have helped me before and I am going to take that as gospel. I bought a very good 32E but it has the solid brass tag on it . Do you know what years the brass tag was used. And I have a NOS zinc tag with stock rivets will it be ok to just swap it out or should I look for one with a zinc tag and start from there . Also if I put a 32E tag on a 3 brush is there any way to tell from the outside I have one off a 45 UL with a police radio . It has a 32E tag with the third brush nomenclature stamped into it . Is this normal . Sorry to hammer you with so many question but doing a perfect build is really a pain in the ass. A lovely pain, but none the less every fricken part is scrutinized. Thanks for any help on this matter. I haven't checked in in a while because ie been collecting parts. I do really appreciate the help you and fellow members give if I don't say it every time.this web site is like an amusement park for vintage motorcycle nuts .

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Sidehacker, I might be one of those scrutinising every part. The Model 32E generator body changed around 1939 when a notch was put in the side at the driven end to make clearance for the new valve covers. If your generator has no notch, then you're robbing the VL guys of a genuine part and should get hit by the judges. If the generator body does have a notch, I'd rather take the quarter point judging hit than switch the tag. While a zinc tag would be wrong on a VL, there are reasons to argue a '45UL might have had a brass one. You may therefore survive the judging process unscathed, and not have to alter an original Harley part.

While I'm rivet counting, that brass generator tag is nickel plated, so generators displaying a cleaned-off brass tag should take a deduction.

[Sidehacker]

It definitely has a notch and its a brass tag not one that had the zinc rubbed off it has the regular 32E insignia but it also has a hand stamped 2R does this mean it's a three brush, I was told it might have been off a 1945 police model UL by the gentleman who sold it to me but wasn't sure his memory was up to snuff . Does this help should I keep it,change it, or make the whole project into a police bike and if it was a police bike wouldn't it be designated in the case numbers in 1945. Sorry for all the questions but it would save me a lot of studying although I alway double check whatever I'm told just because I've been doing this my whole life and know people who would rather say crap then admit they don't know or their not sure. This is not a cut on you I'm sure we have all met a__holes like this. Any way any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Rubone]

A 32E2r is indeed a radio generator and differs from a standard 32E in several ways. They are two brush, not three and use a large 3 component voltage regulator mounted on the left side of the oil tank on a specific bracket. None of the internal components interchange as they are physically longer than a 32E. Not all police bikes used the big generator though, only the radio equipped ones had it as standard.
Police bikes have no designation in the serial number that identify them as such. Also be aware that every piece of police equipment is expensive and hard to find.
Robbie

my 32E2R Note the screw near the tag, it is to mount a capacitor


Note the notch and drive gear with ratchet to prevent an overheated and seized generator from damaging the engine. this one is on a SV gear, OHV is similar

[vph-d]

Out of curiosity, I looked at my loose generators.
#1 32E zinc tag, has flat spot and capacitor hole
#2 32E zinc tag, has flat spot and stamped letters capital PE over H near inner field coil screw on top of generator. This one also has a capital S stamped on frame end near tag.
#3 32E brass tag, no flat spot
I was under the impression that a 45 model would have a brass tag, rather than zinc.
I'm thinking #2 S stamp indicates radio suppression equipment. No idea on the PE over H stamp.
So #3 is RL/VL?
VPH-D

[Steve Slocombe]

Yup I'd agree your #3 is a VL/RL one. I'd guess the non-police 32E with the capacitor hole is a later WLA style when they went to radio suppression with the strap on the coil etc. Jerry Hatfield's Military H-D book suggests this is around Type 4 or 5, say engine number 50,000and mid-1943. He reports the move from brass to zinc tag around this time as well, but I know we have readers who are better on miltary bikes than I am.

[Rubone]

This is an NOS 32E off of an unstamped WLA crate motor. Zink tag with capacitor.

[frichie68]

Now I'm confused-er. My 35 VLD generator has NO tag at all, no holes showing where there may have been one. Repop, original or?
Rich

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Rich, maybe the rivet holes for the tag got filled, or maybe you have a 1930/31 generator which had no tag. And for Rub, thanks for the great picture, nice piece!