Anyone have a T with a GE Genemotor on it?

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Anyone have a T with a GE Genemotor on it?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Kable on Thursday, September 06, 2012 - 07:09 am:

One of the popular units available in Australia in the teens was the General Electric Genemotor it was sold by the state Ford distributors.

A Starter/generator it was available in the early teens a good 6 years before Ford added an electrical system.

It was a purpose built unit fitted to the Model T motor driving off the front of the crankshaft by a chain.

Is anyone in possession of or better still actually using one of these units?

Here is a sketch showing its position and how it was operated. There was a switch next to the coil box for turning on the electric lights and the battery went on the right hand running board between the doors.

genemotor


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob McDonald-Federal Way, Wa. on Thursday, September 06, 2012 - 10:35 am:

I've heard of them but never seen one, hope someone has info. to post. I know that the 1909 Chalmers used a starter-Gen. Anyway the one I helped work on in the 70' did. I believe it was from factory.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Semprez-Templeton, CA on Thursday, September 06, 2012 - 11:50 am:

So did the early Dodges.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By A. J. "Art" Bell on Thursday, September 06, 2012 - 02:01 pm:



Robert W. Goff
Schenectady, New York
Assignor to General Electric Co.
New York
Starting and Lighting Set for Automobiles
Patent number: 1264634
Filing date: Aug 30, 1915
Issue date: Apr 30, 1918
http://tinyurl.com/9y7eg73


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By A. J. "Art" Bell on Thursday, September 06, 2012 - 02:28 pm:

These are very common on 70’s era garden tractors, but used a belt drive for that application.
My 72 Gilson has a small automotive style starter on the Briggs and Stratton 16hp motor,
but many Gilson’s and other small tractors had the big hulking starter/generators on them.

Regards
Art


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brian Ehlke on Thursday, September 06, 2012 - 02:53 pm:

Older Harley Davidson gas golf carts have them too. It doesn't seem too hard to adapt the look and the hardware to a T to replicate in place of the actual antique. I wouldn't do it to a very original car but a built up frankenstein, why not?


I have seen pictures of an early Caddilac adapted to one via a belt. It hung very discretely under the frame at the front of the motor. Two older style 6v batteries hidden in the car powered the motor/generator.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roar Sand on Thursday, September 06, 2012 - 03:01 pm:

The pre-WWII DKW Meisterklasse and Sonderklasse with the two cylinder two stroke engines used a starter/generator. Unfortunately I do not remember how they were driven or drove the engine to start.
I have seen such a devise in a museum, but again my memory fails me. Could have been at the Henry Ford, the Chrysler Museum, or perhaps the Piquette Avenue Ford Plant Museum.

Roar


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Thursday, September 06, 2012 - 05:01 pm:

I saw one in a guy's T at the OCF 2009; Warren Rollins?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Hardesty on Thursday, September 06, 2012 - 05:36 pm:

I have something similar to that on a 1969 Cub 154 LoBoy tractor. It is standard. Don't know if they are still available from Case-IH or not but they might be....for a $$$$

Larry Hardesty


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Don Booth@ Bay City, Mi on Thursday, September 06, 2012 - 05:37 pm:

My 1969 Cub Cadet still sports one. Works just fine but its a 12v system that acts like a 6v.




Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Don Booth@ Bay City, Mi on Thursday, September 06, 2012 - 05:38 pm:

My mistake...its actually a 1967 Cub.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Thursday, September 06, 2012 - 08:56 pm:

Peter -- I have a pic of a Genemotor installed on a 1916 Coupelet when it was new. It's too large to post here, but I emailed it to you.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Allan Richard Bennett on Friday, September 07, 2012 - 05:22 am:

Peter, this should interest you. The sign reads;
Ford Owners, bring your car right up to date.
Let us fit the Genemotor Electric self starter
BROKEN ARM V. GENEMOTOR. 30pounds.
You can enjoy the real luxury of motoring.
No more broken arms cranking the engine.
....................GENEMOTOR.

Behrens and Marshall. Agents.

Behrens and Marshall were antecedents of Maughan Thiem Ford who recently celebrated 100 years in business in Adelaide. I was invited to display my 1912 van at their recent celebrations.

Mr Waters was not only an up to date baker. If the car shown began life as a 1912, he also spent time up dating his Ford. How many updates and accessories can you see?

Yours for interest.

Allan from down under.



Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Kable on Friday, September 07, 2012 - 08:51 am:

Allan, Thanks for the photo.
Guys, there were lots of this type units used in the early days Dykes has several different ones in it. AS this is actually a Model T Ford unit I thought some of you might be interested.

These outfits weighed over 54 pounds. You would think they would be virtually indestructable but I don't remember ever seeing even part of one on a motor or at a swap meet.

Mike Walker sent me a large sized photo of one on a surviving car Here it is. A lot of thought went into its design, you can see they changed the front pulley and the fan now drives off the front of the Genemotor. Wonder how noisy that chain drive was???

 gene


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Friday, September 07, 2012 - 11:46 pm:

The photo credit on that one should go to Eric Hylen. He sent it to me. Thanks again, Eric.

Another interesting point about this car is that the body is green. The Ford chassis parts (hood, hood former, fenders, lamps) all are black, but the Fisher body is not. That shows better in some of the other pics Eric sent me, but you can see it clearly on the right side of this one too.

Ford received the Coupelet bodies from Fisher completely finished, including upholstery, top, and paint. The bodies were installed on the chassis at the Ford assembly plant.


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