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Valkyrie Riders Cruiser Club > General > 1500 Tech Board > alternator cover
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Author Topic: alternator cover  (Read 794 times)
al v
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Posts: 227


Clinton Township, MI
« on: June 24, 2013, 04:28:54 PM »
"Was" proud of myself today, did my first carb sync. Wanted to check everything was good after the recent carb work I did.

Then oops...  a few hours later I noticed the alternator cover is just starting to wrinkle. It was 90 degrees today and having the bike idling for 10 or 15 minutes apparently was too much for it.

Next time, I'll pick a cold day and put a fan on the alt cover itself...

So heat is definitely a for sure cause...
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Jruby38
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Posts: 237

Oxford Mass.
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2013, 04:52:27 PM »
It's not heat. The radiator covers don't wrinkle with that heat. It's the cheep plastic chrome when it should have been made of steel.
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Bone
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Posts: 1596
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2013, 05:02:40 PM »
CHEEP ?

Check the price of a replacement there couldn't be anything cheep in the construction of the covers.
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Mallett
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Posts: 511


Oh, what a ride!!!!

Laurel, Mississippi


WWW
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2013, 04:50:58 AM »
Quote from: al v on June 24, 2013, 04:28:54 PM
"Was" proud of myself today, did my first carb sync. Wanted to check everything was good after the recent carb work I did.

Then oops...  a few hours later I noticed the alternator cover is just starting to wrinkle. It was 90 degrees today and having the bike idling for 10 or 15 minutes apparently was too much for it.

Next time, I'll pick a cold day and put a fan on the alt cover itself...

So heat is definitely a for sure cause...

+1 on the heat..
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Any coward can fight a battle when he's sure of winning; but give me the man who has pluck to fight when he's sure of losing.
GEORGE ELIOT
signart
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Posts: 2095


Crossville, Tennessee
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2013, 06:39:55 AM »
Carb sync will wrinkle it. I have been trying to warn. Just remove it for maintenance that requires engine running for any length of time. Found out the hard way and got my replacement just under the wire ($36). Decided to order a spare less than a week later, booyah!... pushing 2 big daddies!
Did some experimenting with the old damaged one. Soaked the undamaged chrome part in fuel, then Berryman's, could not replicate the wrinkle effect on the undamaged part of the chrome. Then I applied heat from a heat gun, then some more heat. When it cooled, wala, the chrome lifted from the ABS just like the lower part that has the original damage. You could hear it and see it separating from the plastic.
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al v
Member
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Posts: 227


Clinton Township, MI
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2013, 06:52:21 AM »
+1 on taking the alternator cover off for a carb sync. Great idea.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2013, 09:31:07 AM by al v » Logged
signart
Member
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Posts: 2095


Crossville, Tennessee
« Reply #6 on: June 25, 2013, 08:13:21 AM »
Also observed on my heat gun experiment, the chrome releases from the plastic easier in the area most vulnerable to expansion/contraction. (large, flat areas). Around the corners and such, less separation because less chance for expansion/contraction, and harder to get the chrome to release.
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