#^%#^%!!.....Alternators.....%*&^%#^%!!!!

[Stanley Steamer]

Well.....Mike Marshall came over and we swapped my alternator out with a rebuilt one from M.A.R.S.....Mike did the heavy lifting and it came out without too much trouble....we didn't take the center cover off, just bent it out of the way for some clearance....

The problems started when we went to put it back.....took forever to get that nut started on the back threaded post....the one under the rubber boot.....that little %^&&*!!...is a major PIA!!!!....but Mike has the patience of Job and finally got it started and tightened back down...got the T-connector back in, and the condenser bolted back on(only the I/S's have them)....coated the  O-ring with some oil before we put the new alternator back in......the problem was we couldn't get the fins to go back in between the rubber dampners...the top one kept sliding down in the way..... ....Mike dabbed just a tiny amount of grease onto that one to "glue" it up where it was supposed to be...we had tried bolting that wire on the threaded post one before trying to get the fins back in the engine....wouldn't let it slide back forwards, so he took it off again, and got the fins in this time.......

After that, we turned the alt. forward a little and he finally got the nut started back on the post with the rubber boot....hooked the other stuff back up and bolted everything back together...only thing we forgot to do was put the rubber cap back on that threaded part where the condenser wire goes.....but it popped back one without any trouble.....

hooked the negative cable back up to the battery and fired her up....I had my digital voltmeter in one of the 12V outlets in the fairing and it should it was charging between 14.1-14.7V ~1,000rpm.......the only thing that concerned us was there was a "whirring" sound that was pretty loud....that was before I put the alt. cover back on....put it on, tightened it down, and it wasn't nearly as loud as before......cut the engine off, crunk it back up and it didn't seem to be as loud as the first time....

Could it be "normal" for a newly rebuilt one to make a little more noise until all the new parts get seated in good???.......Anyone else notice that when they replaced their alt.??.....

Daylight left us about the time we had all the covers back one, I still have a few things to put back on tomorrow and I think I'll take it out for a ride around here to see if everything is going to hold together.....hope so, cause it was a major PIA to swap it out......

Thanks Mike for hanging in there and making sure it all got put back together....I owe ya Buddy!.....



 

[Stanley Steamer]

Oh yeah.......there was a small black hose with a "T" in it near the frame at the back of the Alternator that didn't have anything hooked up to the middle part....it had grease on it and looked like it had a little stuff in it.....we didn't notice if it were hooked up to anything originally.....I don't think there was anything on it....seems like I read somewhere that it was supposed to be like that.....looks like it was maybe on the vent hose for the tank?.....one of the 1/4" hoses......

We knocked the bigger hose off in the back at a T joint, but made sure it was back on good before we put the covers back...that may have been the "dragon juice" tube?....

[Super Santa]

That 1/4" hose with a T-fitting sounds like the tank vent tube.   Top end should be attached to the vent on bottom of tank.

[Stanley Steamer]

That 1/4" hose with a T-fitting sounds like the tank vent tube.   Top end should be attached to the vent on bottom of tank.

That's we thought also.....not sure why it'd have the "T" open right at the back of the alternator...if gas fumes or liquid ever shot out of it, looks like it'd be venting in the worst possible place?.....

[Hook#3287]

You need the "T" so that in a rain, the vent doesn't clog up and shut the air venting the tank, causeing the gas supply to stop.  I found that out the hard way once when I couldn't understand why the "T" was there, so I took it off.  Riding up in Northern New Hampshire, I hit a quick rain storm.  Bike shut down as soon as water was thrown up by the tires.  Sat on the side of the road for about a hour till bike and roads dried and I was good to go.  Added the "T" back and never had that issue again.

[Stanley Steamer]

You need the "T" so that in a rain, the vent doesn't clog up and shut the air venting the tank, causeing the gas supply to stop.  I found that out the hard way once when I couldn't understand why the "T" was there, so I took it off.  Riding up in Northern New Hampshire, I hit a quick rain storm.  Bike shut down as soon as water was thrown up by the tires.  Sat on the side of the road for about a hour till bike and roads dried and I was good to go.  Added the "T" back and never had that issue again.

Thanks......good info!....

[hubcapsc]

Home safe... glad to know about the Tee - I tried to look it up in the manual, but couldn't see it.

The guys on the tech board said their MARS rebuilds were a little noisy, but work good,
so maybe everything's copacetic...

-Mike

[Jess Tolbirt]

the whine is probably the new brushes in the alt on the armature,,,should get quiet after a couple hours running

[Jess from VA]

You're a good man Mike.   

I could happily go a lifetime and never see my alternators.......  but if one goes I'm calling you.   

[¿spoom]

the whine is probably the new brushes in the alt on the armature,,,should get quiet after a couple hours running

I had to replace mine 2x in the past 150k miles, never heard a peep out of the new one. If the noise doesn't go away in the first mile or two, I say there's a problem.

[Gear Jammer]

Well.....Mike Marshall came over and we swapped my alternator out with a rebuilt one from M.A.R.S.....Mike did the heavy lifting and it came out without too much trouble....we didn't take the center cover off, just bent it out of the way for some clearance....

The problems started when we went to put it back.....took forever to get that nut started on the back threaded post....the one under the rubber boot.....that little %^&&*!!...is a major PIA!!!!....but Mike has the patience of Job and finally got it started and tightened back down...got the T-connector back in, and the condenser bolted back on(only the I/S's have them)....coated the  O-ring with some oil before we put the new alternator back in......the problem was we couldn't get the fins to go back in between the rubber dampners...the top one kept sliding down in the way..... ....Mike dabbed just a tiny amount of grease onto that one to "glue" it up where it was supposed to be...we had tried bolting that wire on the threaded post one before trying to get the fins back in the engine....wouldn't let it slide back forwards, so he took it off again, and got the fins in this time.......

After that, we turned the alt. forward a little and he finally got the nut started back on the post with the rubber boot....hooked the other stuff back up and bolted everything back together...only thing we forgot to do was put the rubber cap back on that threaded part where the condenser wire goes.....but it popped back one without any trouble.....

hooked the negative cable back up to the battery and fired her up....I had my digital voltmeter in one of the 12V outlets in the fairing and it should it was charging between 14.1-14.7V ~1,000rpm.......the only thing that concerned us was there was a "whirring" sound that was pretty loud....that was before I put the alt. cover back on....put it on, tightened it down, and it wasn't nearly as loud as before......cut the engine off, crunk it back up and it didn't seem to be as loud as the first time....

Could it be "normal" for a newly rebuilt one to make a little more noise until all the new parts get seated in good???.......Anyone else notice that when they replaced their alt.??.....

Daylight left us about the time we had all the covers back one, I still have a few things to put back on tomorrow and I think I'll take it out for a ride around here to see if everything is going to hold together.....hope so, cause it was a major PIA to swap it out......

Thanks Mike for hanging in there and making sure it all got put back together....I owe ya Buddy!.....

And this Steamer, is why I requested a report on the new alternator     I knew it would probably charge,,, I was interested in the experience of changing it out 

[Stanley Steamer]

the whine is probably the new brushes in the alt on the armature,,,should get quiet after a couple hours running

I had to replace mine 2x in the past 150k miles, never heard a peep out of the new one. If the noise doesn't go away in the first mile or two, I say there's a problem.

I emailed Ken at M.A.R.S. and here's the reply I got back....


"Sometimes the air diverter inside bends a little, it is very close tolerance and it makes contact with the cooling fan blades, it will wear down. No serious problem."

[3W-lonerider]

well stanley..i had the same problem with mine..only when i got mine from Ken it was binding up in 2 places when i tried rotating it by hand..called him up..and his responce was well it's the coating that it is dipped into to seal the windings..he said it would wear off. yep it did. i'm not going to go into what i went threw with that altenator or the coversations i had with him..but lets just say i'll never purchase another one from him. he sells a good product and many are running them and not having problems. but when he does have one that isn't right. well enough of that..lets just say i had to purchase a brand new altenator a month ago.
 

[5_19]

I made a problem of mine a few weeks back.   

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,24836.msg222035.html#msg222035


Relative easy to get off, after I figured it out still harder to get back. Especially the 4 little black rubber thingys that couple the alternator to it's drive shaft. Had mine rebuild locally by the alternator shop for $125. Replace the regulator/rectifier assembly which comes with new brushes.
My bike is not as noisy as before and it has been working good. 14.4-14.7 VDC.