I have a customer who has a starter with a broken brush plate for the starter. I checked the catalogs and they only seem to be available as reconditioned parts and we have to supply a good core.
I seem to remember new ones use to be available.
Can any suggest a supplier of new plates?
Tony I also have checked the catalogs with no luck I used to get the brush holders from Chaffins years ago if I remember right Lee
I do not believe there are new plates offered for sale. What ever is broken on yours will likely still be accepted as a core. The folks who repair/refurbish these things have tons of spare parts and can make up a good rebuild from what they have. My guess is that one of the brush blocks is either melted or cracked off of the base plate. Good originals as well as new castings are available. Most repairers think poorly of the repro brush holders as the studs are not made correctly, but they can be made to work none the less.
I, along with a number of other posters do this work, and all of the vendors supply this product. Don't hesitate to remove the plate and send off to your favorite supplier...you'll get a nice, repaired one back.
While you're at it, dig out the old babbit bearing from the endhousing and order the modern bearing/spacer kit from the supplier, as well. You'll be glad you did. Modifying the front bushing to accept a lip seal is a good idea too. If the bushing isn't too worn, then simply modifying it to accept a seal is sufficient. If you purchase a brand new bushing, you're getting into reaming/alignment issues that you probably don't want to have to deal with.
To my knowledge "new" generator and starter brushplates are not made. Quality rebuilt units can be obtained from Lang's Old Car Parts and Sacramento Vintage Parts.
Ron the Coilman
Here is some perspective on the new brush holders that are being sold by Model T parts suppliers.
For the average hobbyist these are as good as useless because you need two very specialized tools to drill or otherwise install them on a brushplate. Scott developed a neat tool for this, but unless you rebuild generators or starters it would not be cost effective make to have one made or build it yourself.
Ron the Coilman
We have used ones