Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

How tight is the clearance between pinion gears and bull gears? Maybe they are binding a bit; although I don't know why that would make noise on down stroke but not up. I'm wondering if the babbitt in the 752 big gear bearing is slightly off center. If so, you could try flipping the gears 180°(so th...

If the "professional" who rebuilt this left out the oil collector, he is a maladroit or ne'er-do-well, or both. I once ran into a 602 in Iowa that my client had purchased from another"professional" who left out the oil collector AND poured the hub babbitt bearing with no oil retu...

Anybody know what year Aermotor added U-bolts (and the holes they go in) to the 602 hub to secure the spoke "V"s? I'm guessing 1922 or so.

My standards for windmill repair/restoration: Whether or not it pumps, it must: 1. Be safe. No parts about to fall off on your head. So, all fasteners tight, no broken or badly worn or rattly parts. Tower straight, plumb, and solid (no loose or missing components). A solid working platform. 2. Not m...

Did you ever figure this problem out? How are the big gears installed? Is the 752 bearing holder installed with the pointy protrusions on top? Is the 751 bearing bar bolted down snugly?

Since you are from the M-W area, how many of the 602s tailbones have you seen are what I call the "Tucker" style? This seems to be a regional install method unique to that area that I have not seen elsewhere. tucker tail bone.jpg Ron Stauffer Montrose CO In 41 years of working on windmill...

Simple is always better I've found. “Throttling down” an Aermotor by furling it half way (so the wheel and tail are at 45°) may seem like a simple way to regulate it, and I am sure a lot of people have gotten away with this for years, but there is a risk involved. An Aermotor mill is designed to be...

The above info is applicable to post 1915 standardized Easy to Build Up towers. These towers gained 7' of height by alternating the top section from 7' to 13' 8 5/8" sections. Older Aer towers had less interchangeability. If the tower is a 60, it will be 4 sections of 13'+ at the bottom and a ...

LoTec, The broken hub due to water freezing is exactly the problem I am currently dealing with. It looks like you have the chunk that broke out, that's good. I have welded the piece back in with nickel rod. Of course, it's preferable to have the hub & shaft out of the mill to weld it so you don...

Earlier Aermotor towers (before mid 1920s?) often had 20' leg sections. Later Aermotor ETBU ("Easy to Bolt Up") towers had sections about 14'. Perhaps this is not an issue in AZ, but here in WI we have a thing called rain, and then another thing called winter. Whenever I see an Aermotor ly...