Technical generator stampings

I have a generator that came on a 1939 Mercury flathead. I ***umed it was the original for the car, but who knows. When I was cleaning it up I noticed it has a Ford script and next to it is stamped v-12. Anyone know what this stands for?

 

12 volt, probably from a 56 to 62 Ford.

 

It means that you got lucky and have a 12v generator.

 

I'd bet that you've got a OEM generator for the Lincoln V12. That's a flathead mount on the front of that, and Ford quit using those in 1953; and didn't convert to 12V until '56....

 

Steve got it right. Lincoln V12 generator.

 

Are all generators stamped? I have a couple and guess I'll need to check them out to see the one I'll use when it's time.

 

Not all generators are stamped like the Lincoln shown above.
Date codes were used. Browse through this info.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/search.php?searchid=9777830

 

Awesome thanks for the info.

 

Thank for everyone's input. Btw here is another pic

 

O1A is a 40 Ford part prefix. It would not have come on a 39 engine, so we do know that was changed from original. And, what would have been different between the Ford and Lincoln generators anyway?

The actual outer housing on FOMOCO generators is the same from at least 1939 to up in the early 60's. An easy way to convert to a 12 volt generator for your flatty is to just get a post-1956 generator and put an early front cover on it.