Antique Leece Neville alternator update kit

[Geoff Weeks]

Rather than clutter up the Fire Truck thread, I thought I'd post here.

Today I got the N.O.S. Leece Neville kit to update old selenium rectifier units to enclosed diodes like a modern unit. Very well made, and very serviceable.

Scanned Document.pdf

2.pdf

Scanned Document3.pdf

I never even knew these existed, and 75 years on must be scarcer then hens teeth.

For 12 volt I likely wouldn't bother, but for 6 volts, there aren't too many alternators available and this one is "from the period".

I would have been happy with a 48 amp Delco generator in 6 volt, but those don't come up often either.

This kit was along the lines of what I was going to try and make. Using Lexan to insulate JB2500 series rectifiers on the back case.

Comes with everything including new  brushes and a new ID tag!

[Joseph Cummings]

I was wondering when these were produced

 

[mowerman]

That’s the company that made my body shop spray gun

[Geoff Weeks]

The alternators themselves date back to the 40's at least.

Looking at the kit, it could be easily reproduced. The original rear cover could be machined, the hardest part would be the new stamped steel cover that would have to be made fairly accurately so to clear the electrical parts while still ducting cooling air over the diode blocks.

I checked, the JB series will fit but are "backwards" in that the solid part of the block covers the cooling air duct,These have the diode toward the outside, and the JB has the diodes toward the inside.

[Joseph Cummings]

54 minutes ago, Geoff Weeks said:

The alternators themselves date back to the 40's at least.

I can't remember exactly what I saw those on back in the day, but it seemed like the really old crusty stuff way in the back of the yard with trees growing through the frame rails. And I had one in the parts room covered in dust complete with the selenium rectifier on a shelf in the back with a disk type Cummins pump next to it

[Geoff Weeks]

From what I remember, my unit came off a late 40's GMC tow truck. It still had the original genny on it as well, and the owner didn't want both.

[Joseph Cummings]

Funny I can remember exactly where that alternator sat on the shelf 40 years ago.

Old shop didn't fare so well though.

The part in the back had a manual overhead bridge crane in it. everything moved by pulling chains, it was handy