Aermotor tower issue has come up......

[Old windy one]

So I bought this Aermotor 602 with a pile of other parts and a real nice tower, looks to be Aermotor. The motor has a stub tower on it but the 25' tower is not set up for a stub tower. Can I just slide this stub tower set up right over the top and just drill needed holes to mount? This is not going to be pumping any water. I guess I could just go and measure but wondering if this has been done before by you. First glance looks like the same angles at the top area.

[Bryon]

If the tower is Aermotor, the top of the tower will look just like the top of your stub tower with what are referred to as "dovetails" that interlock each leg to the other. If you are missing the mast pipe (what the head sits on in the tower), you can move the mast pipe from your stub to your tower IF the angle iron on the tower and the angle iron on the stub are the same size. If not, what is normally done to mount a stub tower on top of another tower is to cut off the top of the original tower at a point where 6 to 8 inches of the stub will overlap the original tower and not run into any cross members. Then, if the base of the tower is sound, run string from corner to corner to make an X at the base of the tower. Place the stub tower on the original tower with clamps (Vise grips, etc). Look through the top of the mast pipe (clean out if needed) and when you can see the center of the X in the middle of the mast pipe, you are pretty level. Drill holes through the existing holes in the stub and through the original tower. Bolt on the stub. It is easier if the nuts are on the outside of the tower, they tend to run into each other if they are on the inside.

[Bryon]

This is what the top of an Aermotor tower (stub or otherwise) looks like

towerDovetails.jpg

[Old windy one]

Yes my tower has the dove tails and is Aermotor. The mast pipe is bent some so I guess it would be possible to use the other mast pipe the motor has but easier for me to slide the whole motor over the top after I cut the top off the tower. This 27' tower as is would require me to get up to the top to install properly and my ladder has working height of 21'. I could reach the bolts then to mount if I cut off. Talked to a crane operator who offered to put me in a basket, but not sure about that!

So thanks for the opinion that it can be cut off and then use the stub tower I have to mount. Just didn't want the windmill gods to get me for cutting it down a little.

[Old windy one]

So to be sure you think 6-8" cut off will make the angle match the stub tower? Maybe I should try to do a test fit on the ground after cut off.

[PaulV]

If you have an Aeromotor tower with dove tails, then you do not need the stub tower. Mount the mast pipe in the tower top directly.

[windybob]

Also, a 6 ft and an 8 ft Aermotor mast pipe screw into the same base. If you are changing one size for another, there are a couple more simple things to look at.

[Bryon]

So to be sure you think 6-8" cut off will make the angle match the stub tower? Maybe I should try to do a test fit on the ground after cut off.

I said to cut it off where the stub and the original tower overlap 6 to 8 inches.

[Old windy one]

Ok, so I have a couple options, use the mast pipe or I can cut off top and use stub tower. Thanks