1960 engine compartment

[Joe Maulsby]

1) Can I remove the front sway bar brackets with the car on the ground? The engine is out of the car.

2) How do I remove the generator pulley mounting nut without bending the "fins" or stripping the nut? (already bent 1 fin and rounded corners of nut a little) How do I hold the shaft from turning?

3) I want to replace the generator brushes. Are they located behind the large slot head "plugs" on either side of the main case?

[Bob Simard]

Re: 1960 engine compartment

No, the large slot head plugs hold the field coils in place. To change brushes, remove the two through bolts from the back end of the generator (after removing the tach drive), remove the end plate, and there are the brushes. It is really surprisingly easy. Just had to do this in Abuquerque at a truck stop. Ricer mechanics didn't even want to learn how to do this.

[John M.]

Re: 1960 engine compartment

Joe,
You can remove the sway bracket bolts and the bar with the car on the ground. The sway bar has no load on it except when the wheels are at different levels.

The easy way to remove the nut on the front of the generator is to use an impact. One short little burst will spin the nut off, usually without even holding the armature!

[Christopher R.]

Re: 1960 engine compartment

1. Yes.

2. For the nut, get a 6 point socket and breaker bar. To prevent the pulley from turning, get a big strap wrench. If the generator is mounted and the fan belt is on, you may get away with squeezing the fan belt to hold the pulley. Probably not, but it'd be worth a try. The impact wrench on the nut is also a good idea. A strap wrench is one of those jobbies that grips the thing you want to hold or turn with a fan belt. Get a big one for leverage.

3. The brushes are not behind those slot headed "plugs." They're attached to the case at the back of the generator. Take the 2 bolts out from the back - the ones that hold the front and rear plates on. You'll see the brushes. Easy replacement. If you have the generator out of the car and on the bench, it'll even be easier once you take the pulley off. Whole thing comes apart. It'll be easy on a bench to see and replace the brushes.