Itinerant Air-Cooled

Hi I just bought a good used (actual VW) generator pulley for late type1. It has professionally stamped/painted numbers, in sequence around its perimeter in white. The numbers look factory and vintage. Was this for balancing? I've never seen this before. Maybe they all have it under the black paint, like this one?
I am reluctant to paint it if it's something rare though probably not...

I've never seen it either! My NOS generator pulley came unpainted, with a cad-plating-like finish. So I'd be interested in seeing this.

asiab3 wrote:I've never seen it either! My NOS generator pulley came unpainted, with a cad-plating-like finish. So I'd be interested in seeing this.

Cad plating was for late VWs. Hambone, got pictures? The only balancing evidence you'll see on pulleys is little square tabs welded on the lips, or, in the case of the earlier bus generator cast iron inner pulley, little drill divots.
Colin

The numbers were faint under the black paint, ala I.O.
I said screw it and painted over it. $5 eh.
Numbers are odd all the way to 33. Weird. Something to do with timing? Can you time an engine via the generator pulley?

hambone wrote:Can you time an engine via the generator pulley?

No, since there's no way to index it to the crankshaft, which is what matters.

Was the 33 mark 33 actual degrees from the 0 mark? (That would be 1/12th of the circumference, or roughly one "hour" on the "clock face.")

Correction, it is numbered from 1-35 in odd numbers. They are perfectly applied, not hand painted. I can still see them thru my Rustoleum.
What the hell is this thing? Pulley for an industrial application? RPMs? It is hard to imagine.

hambone wrote: What the hell is this thing? Pulley for an industrial application? RPMs? It is hard to imagine.

Swiss Army pulley. Doubles as a compass rose.

PS the freakin offset is way off, must be some 40hp thingamajig. I found out the hard hammer way.
Gotta be an index for somethin. I can't believe nobody knows.

Might be a question for Samba's busdaddy. He's seen a bunch or weird industrial engine stuff that I've never dreamed about. A picture is still requested by the readership....
Robbie

Just think "speedometer dial". No pic I painted it.