1958 generator

[jorrow]

Did the end cover bushing for a 1958 flh generator, the model 58, that has a oiling door externally, did this bushing have a hole in the side of it? If not how did oiling it get to the armature? Jeff

[Jerry Wieland]

I would assume so - I have a couple of parts generators that I can look at later today. Do not know off the top of my head.

Jerry

[upsrod]

My '58 does NOT have the hole but most I have seen do. Must have been added at some time.

[T. Cotten]

My '58 does NOT have the hole but most I have seen do. Must have been added at some time.

I agree Rod,

Yours has to be a replacement bushing.

How would oil get from the Gits Brothers cup to the journal without a hole?

....Cotten

[jorrow]

Now I know what to call it! Thanks Cotton. The only other possibility here is that maybe there was a channel in the end cover? All after-market bushings have no hole, but that proves nothing, and the parts manual shows no picture but lists a 30148-58 bushing, an oil cup, and 30138-58 oil wick?

[T. Cotten]

Jeff!

There would have to be a channel cut into the OD of the bushing, and indexed to the oiler.

I have never found a surviving wick in a Harley generator (so few '58s have bothered me), but many oiler cups, such as for Sharples centrifuges, DeLaval cream separators, etc., had cotton or some other fiber in them to soak up and delay the lube, metering by capillary action.

A piece of clothesline should do.

....Cotten
PS: Your cup doesn't have Gits Bros on the lid?
I've got a small jar full, but no time right now to photograph them...

[upsrod]

I misread...my end cover has no hole in the end to provide a drain.

[jorrow]

As it turns out, in the end cap without a bushing, we found a well cavity 180 degrees from the cup opening that had cotton or felt inside of it. So we put a hole in the new bushing at both the top and the bottom. I'm hoping that does the trick. jeff

[BigLakeBob]

Looking at a NOS 58 end cap I believe the bushing is made from oilite, this would explain why there is no hole in the bushing. Fill the cup and it would penetrate through the bushing. I have this end cap and another used and they both have a small external drain hole opposite the fill cup. I have not taken the bushing out of one of these but I would assume as stated in post 8 that the cavity below the drain hole and 180* to the fill cup would be filled with a wick material which would help lubricate the bushing until the cup was filled again. My 2 cents.