Hi Guys, I had the cam cover off, and couldn't help but notice that the Generator oil deflector was missing.
Is this why I had a constant mess of oil over the lower front of the engine? I've been looking for the reason for ages. Is this it?
Bought one off W+W Europe, fits perfectly.
Generator oil deflector
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Re: Generator oil deflector
It isn't likely to be the problem unless your generator was full of oil and dripping out as a result of the missing deflector. What condition was the generator when the deflector was installed? If it was run that way with early style bearings it could be very oil saturated and often the issue manifests itself as a non working unit. The deflector has a small hole in it that allows a certain amount of oil vapor to reach the bearing behind it for constant lubrication. Some generator builders leave it off if they use sealed bearings on the armature and modern seals on the shaft. The deflector does not help seal between the engine and generator. Chances are more likely that the mess is from the crankcase breather, a common issue on Flathead twins made worse by a stuck breather valve in the cam cover or seeping check balls in the oil pump.