Refurbishing 1957 generator - screw removal

[57CaddyBiarritz]

Hi-

I removed the generator from my 1957 Biarritz with the hope of taking it apart for restoration.  I'm having a very difficult time removing the two side screws (see attached).  Anyone aware of a special tool and/or solution to loosen them as they're not budging.  I suppose I can drill them out too...

Thanks in advance.

[J. Gomez]

John,

You will need a flat blade 3/8” or 1/2” screwdriver socket to apply down force and torque, a hand type would not do it.

Good luck..!

[gary griffin]

I have a pair of impact screwdrivers that I use in cases like this. They are different sizes and each has an assortmant of bits. The are not expensive. You simply put the correctly sized bit into the slot and whack it with a hammer. The impact force keeps the bit fully engaged in the slot and the whack force is turned into rotary force usually turning the screw about 1/8 turn per whack. As I recall the bigger one costs about $20 at Sears and also about any good tool store will have one. The smaller one was bought on eBay. I keep them in my specialty drawer alond with easy outs and so forth. Not used often but invaluable when working on old cars. They do not tend to slip out of the slot and ruin it like a hand screwdriver would.

[Paul Ayres #5640]

Take it to a generator rebuilder!!!!!  It takes a very special tool called a pole shoe screwdriver which holds the generator case and applies a great deal of downforce to keep the screwdriver bit in the slot without tearing it up.  An impact driver may well distort the generator case.  These screws are very tight for good reason -- to keep the pole shoes in tight contact with the case.  Paul Ayres #5640

[Glen]

My question is why do you want to remove the pole?  That is usually done only when the pole has to be rewound.  You don’t need to remove it replace bearings and brushes. 

[william_b_noble]

as Glen said, it is a VERY bad idea to remove those screws unless you have a damaged field coil.

[57CaddyBiarritz]

Good question - need to ask the boss (my father) why we're removing it.  I guess he figured it would be easier to clean, paint, etc before putting back in the car.

Thanks for all the great feedback!

[Renato]

Funny I easily take it a part with a normal hand tool

[tbirdtbird]

If you don't need to change a field coil leave it alone.
If you really need to get it out: get the flat-blade 1/2 inch drive socket adapter mentioned above (like a big screwdriver tip built into a socket). Open your vise way up (this works better with 2 ppl), place the generator in there, open a little more to fit in the said socket adapter on a 1/2 " breaker bar), and close the vise down. Thus you are applying 'downward' force into the large screw with the vise, so that the bit cannot slip out of the slot, and using the breaker bar as leverage to loosed the screw. Works every time. BE SURE to put it in the same way, they are that tight for a reason, ie so that there is no deflection of the field coil when operating the gen (or starter); the clearances to the armature are slight at best, and the magnetic pull is very strong