Rotation of the alternator

[old grouch]

I am having a GoldWing alternator rebuilt to have as a spare.  Can anyone tell me which direction to have the front plate (?) rotated 120 degrees?  As in clockwise or counter-clockwise looking at it from the front?  Sure would save me a lot of grief to have the guy rebuilding it do the rotation instead of me having to do it on the side of the road.  You know that if/when it fails, it won't be in my garage.  Stan

[Skinhead]

Can't say without looking at them side by side, maybe someone else knows, but it will not be hard to do on the road if you have the right size socket with you.

[Madmike]

maybe look at your bike and the mount points in relation to some point on teh other half of the assembly - maybe the output terminal and get a reference that way.....

thinking about this a bit I kinda think if you go back in teh tech archives you may find some previous discussion on this very topic....

[larswlvs]

looking at it from the back side rotate it to the right

[CASABROKER]

You do not want to change an alternator on the side of the road. repeat you don't want do it.  If you have changed one before I am sure you understand what I am talking about.  It's a pain in the ass  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[old grouch]

CASABROKER  I know, but it will surely quit 1000 miles from home!!!
Madmike   I found lots of places where it says to clock it, but not which way.
larswlvs   Thanks, that is what I needed.  Stan

[hubcapsc]

You do not want to change an alternator on the side of the road. repeat you don't want do it.  If you have changed one before I am sure you understand what I am talking about.  It's a pain in the ass  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Bah, it's a pain where ever you do it, sitting by the ditch with mac trucks
zooming by a foot away would only add to the ambiance of the ordeal occasion 

-Mike

[Skinhead]

You do not want to change an alternator on the side of the road. repeat you don't want do it.  If you have changed one before I am sure you understand what I am talking about.  It's a pain in the ass  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Bah, it's a pain where ever you do it, sitting by the ditch with mac trucks
zooming by a foot away would only add to the ambiance of the ordeal occasion 

-Mike

+1

[larswlvs]

As one the just recently removed and replaced my alternator  you DO NOT want to do it in a parking lot or on the side of a road,first of all you most likely not have the tools with you to do it,secondly your bike will be on the side stand and will be leaning inward,making it more difficult and not that stable. This is just my opinion but I would not want to do it as a break down repair. 

[old grouch]

Thanks all for the replies.  You guys do good work.   
larswlvs.....I do have the tools and it is a trike, so some of the "fun" will be missing!!  I have no reason to think my alternator is suspect, but with 102,000 miles on the original, you never know.  I am getting a VERY good deal on this, as in FREE, but I just wanted to have the guy who is doing the rebuild clock it so that would be one less thing to do IF I have to change it out on the side of the road.  Besides, the part you have with you is not the one that will fail.  The part that fails is the one you DON'T have.  Murphy, you know.  Stan

[hubcapsc]

I do have the tools and it is a trike, so some of the "fun" will be missing!! 

The fun I remember had nothing to do with tools or sitting on the ground, it's
getting the danged thing in and out of the frame... it twists right in if you
do it right 

-Mike

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

I watched Mac ( Crazyhorse ) install one in about 5 minutes in the parking lot at InZane...Bike was on the side stand and someone else already had the plug hooked up but could'nt get the alternator to go in...Mac walked up and had it in 5 minutes tops.

[Red Diamond]

I just picked up a Goldwing alternator for my I/S. I intend to try and install it without clocking it. Has anyone tried this before, as all I can see is the position of the output terminal. I will not post again on the effort until Thursday night, I won't be back home until then, visiting family in DFW without the Valk.

[Rocketman]

It's very doable as a roadside repair.  I've done it, in rather short order.  But then, I've had lots of practice.  It's not a fun experience if you haven't done it before, but it's very doable.

I am glad larswlvs came up with the clocking direction.  I assume by "turn to the right", he means clockwise.  I can't remember, myself.

Red Diamond:  The clocking is needed because of the cabling.  The cables won't reach if you don't clock it.  I think that if you try without clocking, you'll just end up installing it twice.  Having practice installing alternators is valuable, but not valuable enough to do it for the fun of it.  Clocking it is really no big deal.  It's probably the easiest part of the entire R&R.
I think you have my phone number.  Give me a call if you run into issues doing the job.

Mark

[3W-lonerider]

red diamond..trust me..YOU DO NOT WANT TO INSTALL A GOLDWING ALTERNATOR WITHOUT CLOCKING IT..reason being. i have done it..you wanna talk about wrestling that sucker under normal circumstances. i paid no attension when i got a goldwing alternator and forgot all about clocking it..well after 2 hours i finally wiggled, pryed, and cursed my way into getting it in. when i went to hook the wires up. is when i found that it was wrong and the main lead would not fit right..wanna talk about getting that sucker back out of there..about 1 hour with a 3 foot pry bar more words that would make a sailor blush. i thought i was going to break the engine case getting that sucker back out..it was that tight.. i can change and alternator in about a half hour. i'm certain.. changed 5 of them last spring in a month. if you do forget to clock it..i garentee you, you will never forget the experiance.

[CASABROKER]

wire leads point to the away from you not towards you when clocked. Why would you clock it before putting it in?  if it  goes down just pull the old one and clock it like that one. I  found it easier LOL to put hook up the wiring after I had it in.  Used needle nose to plug in the plug in wire.

[Red Diamond]

Rocket/3W, I took your advice, clocked it and threw it in, works fine. I checked the wiring and as you both mentioned, would be too short.

[Kb7pts]

I had mine go out on a 1800 mile trip. Of course the beginning too. Luckily in a group with other guys. Unplugged the headlights, bought another larger battery and 2 amp trickle charger. Put battery and charger in side bag. Wired in parallel with bike battery. Drove all day charged at night while at hotel. Ran for four days. Came back home and rebuilt my alternator. Still less hassle than trying to do on the side of the road.  Lol

[F7daved]

Hi fellas thinking about getting a wing alternator as well. What year do i get, OR ??? does anyone have a good source to purchase a rebuilt already clocked?????   

[larswlvs]

Buy any 1500 wing alternator,don't worry about clocking it till you replace your Valk alt. then just clock it like the valk. alt. it's easy to do ...even a caveman can do it...You can either remove or leave on the capacitor if it comes with the wing alt.I left it on.

[R J]

I've always got the one for a 97 Aspencade.     Seems it was chaeper than any other year.

Clock it clockwise and she is ready to rumble.     Got close to 115K on my replacement.