Pulling the trigger on alternator brush replacement:Update

[jmann]

Went on a great ride last weekend and am almost at 75k. Based on my readings here I feel it's time to replace the brushes. I also have noticed the past couple of winters a whining noise from the alternator area upon first start up that I feel is a bearing binding up until it warms up. I have purchased brushes and a bearing. I am keeping a clear mind and have my shop manual handy. I followed another thread by therapist and was concerned but I won't let a shop touch my bike so off I go. Wish me luck.  

Update:
Took ~45 minutes to reinstall the alternator. Had to move the over flow line and neg cable but it went back in much easier than anticipated. Glad I did it. Output now is over 14 volts. Was sitting at 13.8v. Wont know if the new bearing fixed the noisy start up cold for a little while. Temps down here in the valley of the sun aren't quite cool enough yet. Might have to go north to verify. Time now to pull the air box and desmog. See how sucky that turns out to be.   

[BobB]

IMO, you have been lucky, you went beyond the suggested service interval.  I'd be interested to see a picture of the brushes you remove.  I replaced mine at around 60k miles and they were worn down as far as I wound want them, just short of the small hole that is used for assembly.

I wish you well, there is a lot of help here on this subject.

[98valk]

wear limit on brushes is not the hole for assembly. There is a wear limit line on the narrow side of the brush which is approx 3/8" below the assembly hole. see pg 16-11 of technical manual.

[ShiftHappens]

page 16-11 from PDF manual on Dags site has a 2/3 of page blacked out. I never noticed that before. Is there a copy of page 16-11 somewhere else? I thought my original download was bad, but redownload has same thing.

[gordonv]

Ha! What?

You actually have to service those things?

I've the Battery Bug on the bike now, have my spare alt/starter from my IS, and just figured I would swap them when they start to act up, then RR the removed item.

So I need to look over my service intervals a little closer, maybe even done some work over the winter.

[deadwood]

Ya, know if it were me, once I had the alternator out, I would just replace the whole thing. Its such a PITA to R&R it I would be afraid that after replacing the brushes a winding would short out or something else would go wrong in in another 5000 miles and I'd have to pull it again. But that just me. If your not wiping your ass with $20 bills then by all means just change out the brushes.

[Bighead]

IMO, you have been lucky, you went beyond the suggested service interval.

And what is the service? And the interval?
Well past 100k , 17 years with no problems and only on battery #2.

[F6Dave]

Maybe I'm lucky, but my '98 has 174K miles and I haven't touched the alternator.  I did remove the cover.

[98valk]

shoptalk suggest to take apart and clean btw 40-60k miles, mainly to clean out the rear bearing area whereas wear particles have no where to go. I have never done it.
I would suggest based on rebuilds I have done on Honda auto alternators that the brushes last 100-120k. problem is once brushes getting that worn springs cannot keep them in constant contact thereby causing the regulator to make the alternator to put out more at all times thereby causing it to burn out. some honda repair manuals list brush replacement.
Steve saunders site http://www.goldwingfacts.com/used1500.htm states '96 to '00 GL1500 alts started to be made in china and therefore problems arose. My '98 alt says made in Japan.

[jmann]

Thanks for the replies. I think my bigger concern with my alternator is more the noise I hear only when cold outside. When first started on a cold morning I hear what I perceive to be a bearing noise from the rear of the alternator. It diminishes as the bike warms up. After reading how the alternator tends to stay dirty inside due to it's design and location I feel that my rear bearing has possibly gotten a lot of crud in/on it and is causing a binding conditiion that I don't want to lead to a failure because I chose to just look the other way due to it's difficulty in being R&R'ed. I also have the Kury chrome cover over it that also doesn't lend itself to particles being able to escape. I'm going to give it a go, have my shop manual handy and just have a look see. They have a test procedure in the shop manual for verifying operation so I will follow that and see how she looks. Thanks again. 

[Glenn-B]

I had my alternator reconditioned by a sparky mate of mine in the trade earlier this year with 61k miles on her. It was working perfectly. BUT when he pulled it down it was well and truly on it's way to a brake down. It was really dirty in side. The brush's were worn down, sticking and uneven and the commutator was worn at a funny angle. PHEW  was I glad I had it done!!  It's now as brand new 

[jmann]

Took the alternator out Friday afternoon (took about 45 minutes, no cussing yet) and disassembled. Boy was the inside of that thing dirty. Spent about an hour tearing apart and cleaning and it looked pretty good when I was done. Not a hard job at all to tear down. I did have to take it to a local bike shop though to have them pull the rear bearing for me. My puller wasn't small enough to get in the restricted space that the rear bearing provides. Kind of a bitch getting the new brushes in but it is complete and ready to go back in. I will see if the cussing takes place on reinstallation. Hope I didn't screw anything up. I will see how she goes shortly. BTW the brushes I removed that had 75k on them were still about 1-2/16 from the holes. Lots of life left.

[Bone]

Try and insert the unit the same way/angle  it came out of it's destination.

My son lives in Mesa.