Generator mount

[jrvariel48]

Originally Posted by Flathead Fever

This might sound stupid but if you machined off the fins where the mount needs to go and used a piece of flat plate with a hole cutout to go over the thermostat housing or even get sandwiched between the head and thermostat housing, plus a hole for the spark plug that would get you the start of something substantial enough to build a bracket out of and still keep the generator located high on the engine where it would look best. If you use an 8BA generator bracket, with the strap, it has a locating pin that fits in a hole in the generator’s housing. If your fabricated mount is off a little you can re-drill that hole to move the generator forward or backward to get your belt to lineup. The thermostat housing neck and hose will probably hit the generator, so you might find be able to find a housing that comes off at an angle. If your interested I believe, I have an Airtex illustrated parts catalog with photos of all the different thermostat housings. I This sounds like a fun project (challenge).

Years ago, I went to Al Sharps house (Sharp Speed Equipment). He was a really nice guy. It didn’t matter who you were or what you knew. If you were interested, he would take the time to share his knowledge with you. He was designing an air conditioning bracket for a flathead Ford in his ’40 or ’41 pickup. He was one of a just a few speed equipment manufacturers that had an actual college engineering degree, and he was brilliant pattern maker. The prototype air conditioning compressor bracket he was engineering was made from wood. Its fast, cheap and if you screw it up its easy to make a new one. He said, “if you have been a pattern maker for 15-year’s you’re still a half-assed pattern maker, you’re still learning”. While I was there, he was remaking his head patterns and intakes all out of wood. Because the foundry had lost the original core boxes. You should have seen these head patterns. The fins were made from rose wood and dove tailed into the heads. Each of them accurate to within .004”. He was also working on the intake runners. All carved from wood. They were impressive!

What I learned that day was if you want to fabricate something you make it out of wood first, the old school way.

I'm thinking fabbing up something will be the way to go. I'll be using stock c8cm aluminium heads, so no fins. It should make things easier.

[flatheadmurre]

Easiest way to attach something to the heads are using 3 coupling nuts and then bolt a bracket to them....no need to change to longer studs.
When it comes to looks...maybe not the slickest way of doing it....

[Flathead Fever]

I keep thinking about this. I searched the internet for photos and came up with this photo of a vintage setup on a flathead.

Which got me to thinking you don't need to use a flathead Ford style generator mount. You could use a 12V 1957 Ford Y-block generator that pivots. 1957 was the first year for 12V. You might even be able to use the '57 mount and drill two holes in it to mount it to the head bolts. If that won't lineup you could weld it to an homemade adaptor that bolts to the head. Then you would also need a slotted adjustment bracket bolted to the front of the motor. I think it would look nice. Especially if you did the generator up with its original decals. They make a power master generator/alternator for the '57 Ford that look pretty good.

[jrvariel48]

Originally Posted by flatheadmurre

Easiest way to attach something to the heads are using 3 coupling nuts and then bolt a bracket to them....no need to change to longer studs.
When it comes to looks...maybe not the slickest way of doing it....

That's exactly the way my present set-up is!

[jrvariel48]

Originally Posted by Flathead Fever

I keep thinking about this. I searched the internet for photos and came up with this photo of a vintage setup on a flathead.

Which got me to thinking you don't need to use a flathead Ford style generator mount. You could use a 12V 1957 Ford Y-block generator that pivots. 1957 was the first year for 12V. You might even be able to use the '57 mount and drill two holes in it to mount it to the head bolts. If that won't lineup you could weld it to an homemade adaptor that bolts to the head. Then you would also need a slotted adjustment bracket bolted to the front of the motor. I think it would look nice. Especially if you did the generator up with its original decals. They make a power master generator/alternator for the '57 Ford that look pretty good.

Wow! Love that picture with the blower! I've never seen that one before. I'll definitely look into that bracket. That's a great idea and a great start to fab up a nice bracket. Thanks!