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1983 MTD Products portable generator - need help please

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Re: 1983 MTD Products portable generator - need help please

Postby Arkie » Sun Jul 15, 2018 4:17 pm

creia wrote:Arkie,
Thank you for the information on lubing the bearing in the end bell. Looking at the end of my generator, I see a bolt in the center (That must be the "center
rotor bolt" you are referring to?) and also 4 bolts around the perimeter of the end bell. (My end bell is square so there is one bolt at each corner) So... to remove the end bell to check, lube, or replace the bearing do I need to remove the center bolt AND all 4 perimeter bolts? Does the end bell just pull off easily? After I pull it off, will anything else inside possibly come loose that I do not want to come loose? :o On this generator, the (2)110V receptacles are mounted on the end of the end bell, so when I remove it I will have wiring to deal with as well. Please forgive the ignoramus questions :oops: I am just starting to learn about these generators.
Michael :)


That center bolt holds the rotor to the tapered crankshaft. Normally it's a 5/16 bolt and 8-10 inchs long and will snap off easily and normally does not need to be removed unless the rotor is going to be removed from the engine. Just be sure that the center bolt is not loose and be sure you do not ever start the gen with the center bolts removed.

For the bearing, its at the end of the rotor and it's race sets in the end of the end cap and some gen's have the receptacles in the end cap or end bell also. The bearing sometimes comes off with the end cap, but usually it stays on the end of the rotor. When you get the end cap loose just slightly wiggle and play until you get a release and the wires are just long enough to lay the end bell to the side usually, or sometimes a center screw in the receptacles will release them from the end bell.
When you get the end bell off, if the bearing is still on the rotor just spin the bearing and listen. It will be apparent if it's dry or bad. If it's in the plastic end cap you may have to remove it from the cap to get a test.
If the bearing race ever starts spinning (which is kinda common on the powermate gen's due to a China made wimpy bearing) it will melt the end cap area where the bearing rests and those end caps are NLA.

You kinda lost me saying you can see the center rotor bolt with the end cap still on the gen. The center bolt is usually in behind the end cap and cannot be seen until the cap is removed? If you ever have to remove the center bolt, tap on it and be careful and not twist it off when loosening or tightening.

Just be cautious with the end bell because they are extinct.

I'm now subbed to your post so I can get back to you sooner, maybe. ;)
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Re: 1983 MTD Products portable generator - need help please

Postby bgsengine » Sun Jul 15, 2018 4:58 pm

Arkie wrote:
You kinda lost me saying you can see the center rotor bolt with the end cap still on the gen. The center bolt is usually in behind the end cap and cannot be seen until the cap is removed? If you ever have to remove the center bolt, tap on it and be careful and not twist it off when loosening or tightening.

Just be cautious with the end bell because they are extinct.

I'm now subbed to your post so I can get back to you sooner, maybe. ;)


Similar to some generators I have seen - aluminum end cap that holds the bearing is rather open, then there's the end cover (which could easily be missing) as a piece of trim (and also smaller vents to prevent large debris from falling into the rotor through end cap, and even on some generators, that also holds the electrical outlets) - remove that cover, and the bolt is right there, sometimes it also retains the bearing to the rotor (I recall one, once, where I had to remove center bolt to get end cap off because bearing had been staked to the end cap by someone, likely following a seized bearing or some such)
How poor are they who have not patience. What wound did ever heal, but by degrees? - Iago (Othello Act II, Scene 3)
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