Posted by Fred Coldwell [172.68.34.43] on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 23:31:23 :
In Reply to: Re: Belt pulley serial number? posted by Todd Somers [172.68.65.93] on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 19:43:54 :
Hi Todd: Yes, that was me. The first article "The Power Wagon Belt Pulley" appeared in the November 1988 issue of Power Wagon Advertiser (PWA). Then I had data on only 5 belt pulleys, having serial numbers 302, 1106, 1579, 1600 and 1811. With far too small a sample I could not accurately estimate how many Power Wagons were produced for each belt pulley. Including San Leandro production, I estimated one belt pulley was produced for every 6 Power Wagons, but believed that estimate was way too high because I only knew of 5 belt pulleys in total.
I Updated the article in the July 1992 issue of PWA, when I knew of 15 belt pulleys (BP). The lowest BP serial number was 157 and the highest was 1813. Belt pulleys with a 3 digit s/n did not have the New Process "NP" inside a gear logo, while all BPs with a 4 digit s/n had that logo cast into them.
I speculated whether any of the first design BP as pictured in early sales literature, with a single small plug on the rearmost end and a smooth casting opposite the pulley drum, were ever produced. BP s/n 4 that MichaelM in MI just found is a second design BP, with the large plug opposite the pulley drum, and it strongly suggests the answer is "no".
Today with the internet and this Forum it should be a lot easier to collect data on all presently known PW belt pulleys. But I'll leave it to someone else to collect that data and update my 1992 article. ;)
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