Hot Type 3 generator

Hi all,
Been noticing since I've started driving my fasty after being sat for years before I bought it that the generator gets really hot to the point you can't put your hand on it. Light doesn't come on dash and battery is holding charge as it should but should I be concerned about this?
Any help would be great
Thank you

Sorry just to add to this the generator is in the right position with the cooling aperture in the correct position in the cradle but still gets hot.
Cheers

Does the generator have an earth lead to the crankcase at all? Just wondering if the genny case isn't able to ground enough then it can lead to heat build up like when a dodgy gearbox earth makes the clutch cable heat up as it uses the clutch cable as the ground conduit.

Otherwise, it could be the bearings are getting close to failure. They're the original open style bearing with a grease shield and eventually all the grease is mainly gone. Can be easily replaced with modern sealed bearings.

VwinWilli wrote:Hi all,
Been noticing since I've started driving my fasty after being sat for years before I bought it that the generator gets really hot to the point you can't put your hand on it. Light doesn't come on dash and battery is holding charge as it should but should I be concerned about this?
Any help would be great
Thank you

I have found over the years [since 1969] that virtually all the generators in all My VWs types 1 & 3 got too hot to hold Your hand on. I believe it is normal in air cooled VW's Lee

Check as noted above! Bearings are als oeasy to check, remove the belt and give it a spin. Should be free and quiet.
Another one to check it the regulator, they can start to fail a number of ways, if they do not regulate output power, it can run hot (as in charging full all the time). Does your battery over heat also?

the cooling holes could be blocked with dust n dirt as well if it hasn't been off for a while needs a blow out with compressed air