Old VW engine question
 

My friend has an old Vw motor in his speedster replica. The alternator (or is it a generator) needs to be replaced. Is it as simple as pulling the alternator right out of the shroud or is the fan bigger than the hole meaning the shroud has to come off? Just curious before we start. Here is a picture. Thanks.

It will come right out.

Come right out. Did this proceedure on my 356C following the instructions in the best VW mechanic book ever - Muir's "Idiots guide to keeping your VW alive forever". Best $21 you or he can spend - https://www.amazon.com/Keep-Volkswagen-Alive-Step-Step/dp/1566913101

IIRC a 3 arm puller is needed (been 15 years since I did it) and you will need to confirm voltage coming out of voltage regulator and tweak if needed.

(and for the purists who dropped their jaws when I said I used a VW book on a 356, I do use Elfrink's for the actual measurements - the Idiot's guide is rather well named for me, and it has wonderful "how to do it" directions. I just ignore the numbers and look up the right ones)

That's a generator.

What is this in? The ease of removal will depend on whether you have enough room to get the fan around the generator stand.

On a 356 it's apiece of cake because the generator stand unbolts and slides forward;I've considered mod'ing my VW engines similarly.

You will need a 36mm socket and a way to hold the whole mess while you break the fan loose, and then again while installing it.

^^^This!

Here's a pic (not mine). This is an alternator, but it shows the fan on the other end...
http://www.vw-resource.com/images/020_painted_fan.jpg

Here's my 356 engine with the generator out

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1528319198.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1528319205.jpg

It's in a Speedster Replica.

Will I need to remove the fan from the Generator (alternator) before I pull it out of the shroud. I just watched a video and that is what the guy did. Not sure I will get a hand back there to put a wrench on it. I hope not.

I think the owner said it was a Miami based company that built the replica. That's all I know.

It looks like you might have enough room to lift the shroud and pull the generator (with fan still attached) straight out. Trying to get the 36mm nut off the back with the whole mess installed is a fools errand.

Good time to upgrade to an alternator. you will need the alternator stand to go with it because they are different.

Before you go to all the trouble of pulling the generator, first make sure that's the source of whatever problem is occurring and not the regulator.
Here's how to troubleshoot the VW's charging system:
Fault Finding the VW Charging System

You can wrap a piece corrugated cardboard around the body of the generator and hold it in a bench vise. Don't squeeze it too tight. Put the belt pulley back on and put a screwdriver thru the slot and against the screw head on the generator end cap to hold the shaft steady while you loosen the 36mm nut holding the fan on. Be sure to re-tighten that nut to the proper torque value and use a bit of blue Loctite on it. There's also a shim stack between the fan and its mounting flange...don't lose any of 'em during the R&R. Before reinstalling the complete unit back into the shroud, check the orientation of the backing plate assembly...the open slot on the inside piece needs to face down and the generator should be 'clocked' same as it was before (this applies only if the motor has a 'doghouse' oil cooler setup where the cooler lives in a separate housing attached to the rear of the shroud)

The generator shaft is wobbly. Making a lot of noise. You can wiggle and shake by hand. I mention all this to the owner and let him think what he wants to do.
Thanks everyone.

This - and you must have enough shim to make sure the nut isn't bottoming out. On a 356 the magic number is 10 minimum either between pulley halves or pushing the entire pulley out away from the generator body

From when I did mine, I recall there being 2 woodruff keys in there as well. When you order the replacement generator, just order some shims and woodruff keys - they are cheap and it is better to have them and not need them then need them and not have them. I didn't know there were 2 woodruff keys, so my car has just over half of a '65 nickel doing stellar duty as a shade tree fix (next to one correct woodruff key)

If it was a REAL Speedster you wouldn't be pulling out the shroud. If my memory is correct, there isn't enough room under the rear deck to lift the shroud out.

check the brushes. they usually just wear out and can be replaced. not much else to really go bad on the gen,

If it was a real Speedster, it would be in a hermetically-sealed bubble with a stock ticker app running on a tablet next to it tracking the incremental rises in value.