Hi Guest!
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
Offline
Re: post no. 262120.
The problems were (1) an intermittent, loud, vibrating, groaning noise from the generator, and (2) dramatic grease leakage from the left front hub. Since many of you generously provided suggestions, I thought I should post the solution.
First, I was able to get the noise to repeat, and it was clearly from the generator. I replaced the front bearing, maybe not necessary, and the rear sintered bronze bearing, probably the cause. The generator armature was worn where it fits into the bearing--about 0.020" clearance between them, and probably in concert with the strong magnetic forces, it was kicking into oscillation. I think this was the main problem, exacerbated by taking out the tachometer drive in favor of my electronic one. I put the armature in my lathe and turned it down smooth, and pressed a sleeve onto it to make it fit closely. It is now a close, smooth, sliding fit. Today I took the car out quite long enough that I should have heard the noise, if the problem were not fixed, and it seems OK so far. Fingers crossed!
Now, as for the hub leakage--I really think I just had the brakes adjusted too close, and somehow they dragged or got hung up, heated up the hub, and grease liquefied and leaked out. The bearings were fine, and there really isn't much else possible. So, I cleaned and repacked the hubs (I guess it's possible it had the wrong grease--it seemed old, in any case), replaced the seals, backed off the brakes two clicks instead of one, and all seems well. I stopped every few miles and checked the hub temperatures, and they were cool.
Interestingly (how many of YOU have noticed this, eh?) the left side hubs run a little warmer than the right. I think this is probably from the proximity of the exhaust system.
So, it looks like we're up and running again. It was a beautiful day today, mid 70s, clear, and sunny. It felt really good to get the Sprite out, first problem-free time in over a month.
The problems were (1) an intermittent, loud, vibrating, groaning noise from the generator, and (2) dramatic grease leakage from the left front hub. Since many of you generously provided suggestions, I thought I should post the solution.
First, I was able to get the noise to repeat, and it was clearly from the generator. I replaced the front bearing, maybe not necessary, and the rear sintered bronze bearing, probably the cause. The generator armature was worn where it fits into the bearing--about 0.020" clearance between them, and probably in concert with the strong magnetic forces, it was kicking into oscillation. I think this was the main problem, exacerbated by taking out the tachometer drive in favor of my electronic one. I put the armature in my lathe and turned it down smooth, and pressed a sleeve onto it to make it fit closely. It is now a close, smooth, sliding fit. Today I took the car out quite long enough that I should have heard the noise, if the problem were not fixed, and it seems OK so far. Fingers crossed!
Now, as for the hub leakage--I really think I just had the brakes adjusted too close, and somehow they dragged or got hung up, heated up the hub, and grease liquefied and leaked out. The bearings were fine, and there really isn't much else possible. So, I cleaned and repacked the hubs (I guess it's possible it had the wrong grease--it seemed old, in any case), replaced the seals, backed off the brakes two clicks instead of one, and all seems well. I stopped every few miles and checked the hub temperatures, and they were cool.
Interestingly (how many of YOU have noticed this, eh?) the left side hubs run a little warmer than the right. I think this is probably from the proximity of the exhaust system.
So, it looks like we're up and running again. It was a beautiful day today, mid 70s, clear, and sunny. It felt really good to get the Sprite out, first problem-free time in over a month.
