Willow
Administrator
Member
Posts: 16770
Excessive comfort breeds weakness. PttP
Olathe, KS
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« on: April 09, 2016, 01:50:07 PM » |
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Some time back I was reading where some of my friends had experienced a chirping noise from a rebuilt alternator. How bad can it be, I wondered.
A few weeks ago the alternator was, of necessity, replaced on my Interstate with a rebuilt unit. I rode the bike to and from work, sixty miles each way, and it performed very well. I was pleased. On the way home from work the day before we were to depart for a seven hundred fifty mile ride to South Texas, the alternator began to sound off. At an idle at a stop it was very apparent and seemed loud resembling the sound of a very angry but slightly muffled cicada. It was too late to deal with it. The next day was departure.
My wife riding next to me early on queeried me on exactly what that noise was. I did tell her it was the alternator but was strongly hoping it was just the loose end of some unnecessary wire material that would eventually wear away and stop making that noise. Several hundred miles from home, well into Texas, the noise ceased. I was pleased. Whatever had been causing the chirp, I decided, had worn down to what it needed to be and we were done with the annoyance.
We finished the trip to Friendswood and spent a few days riding about and enjoying the weekend. There was no unmotorcycley noise.
Sunday morning we began the trip home. Somewhere in Oklahoma the alternator began again to sing. It continued to do so until and after we arrived at home. The only thing I could decide would make sense is that the chirping is somehow proximity related. It only occurs when the machine is within a few hundred miles of its home port. Maybe it is somehow tied to some sort of ambient pressure or other weather or climate induced characteristic.
What am I going to do now? I really don't want to move away just to be rid of a chirping noise. My grandchildren would miss me. I spoil them a bit. What if I moved and the chirping followed me? Oh! the complexities with which life presents us. I am adrift on a sea of discontent and indecisiveness.
I can only hope that it disappears on its own within the next few hundred miles.
Isn't it interesting that we can use a term like disappears regarding something with no visual image and it seems to make perfect sense?
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« Last Edit: April 09, 2016, 01:53:30 PM by Willow »
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Skinhead
Member
Posts: 8743
J. A. B. O. A.
Troy, MI
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« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2016, 02:22:36 PM » |
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Perhaps "goes away"? But then it doesn't actually change location does it? It SOUNDS like you have a real dilemma on your hands, Carl. But then it really isn't on your hands, is it?, it's somewhere near or in the alternator. I'll help you out and buy that pile of trouble off you sight unseen, for $500.
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 Troy, MI |
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KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)
Member
Posts: 4146
Specimen #30838 DS #0233
Williamsburg, KY
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« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2016, 03:18:11 PM » |
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I'll help you out and buy that pile of trouble off you sight unseen, for $500.
That's a lot of money for an alternator  |
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Willow
Administrator
Member
Posts: 16770
Excessive comfort breeds weakness. PttP
Olathe, KS
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« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2016, 03:39:40 PM » |
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I'll help you out and buy that pile of trouble off you sight unseen, for $500.
That's a lot of money for an alternator It's not triple the going cost of an alternator but it is a very generous offer. I'm seriously considering acceptance.  |
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Daniel Meyer
Member
Posts: 5493
Author. Adventurer. Electrician.
The State of confusion.
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« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2016, 03:49:06 PM » |
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Did you use the Pam cooking spray? (the Canola oil blend specifically) It's well known that's required for this particular job... No no...you don't spray the alternator or anything like that. That'd just be silly. The cooking spray is for you...to oil yourself up before the naked "alternator won't squeak" dance tribute the Valkyrie beast requires.  |
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CUAgain, Daniel Meyer  |
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The emperor has no clothes
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« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2016, 05:14:00 PM » |
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Did you use the Pam cooking spray? (the Canola oil blend specifically) It's well known that's required for this particular job... No no...you don't spray the alternator or anything like that. That'd just be silly. The cooking spray is for you...to oil yourself up before the naked "alternator won't squeak" dance tribute the Valkyrie beast requires. I truly hope Stanley is not going to video it.  |
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John Schmidt
Member
Posts: 15325
a/k/a Stuffy. '99 I/S Valk Roadsmith Trike
De Pere, WI (Green Bay)
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« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2016, 05:52:43 PM » |
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"unmotorcycley???" OK!  Makes sense to me. I'm wondering if it's actually the alternator. With what you described, I'd probably be spending an enjoyable evening pulling that sucker. With my luck I'd then discover it was elsewhere.
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wiggydotcom
Member
Posts: 3387
Do Your Best and Miss the Rest!
Yorkville, Illinois
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« Reply #8 on: April 09, 2016, 06:03:47 PM » |
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I was going to suggest it could be all in your mind-until I read that Lori also heard it. Since I know she's pretty sane, I have no answers. Hope it's not an alternator bearing and has to come back out. While "hoping" it goes away, usually these problems only get worse and someday will confirm or eliminate any hunches thrown out here thus far.
I wish you and your steed well, Carl!
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VRCC #10177 VRCCDS #239  |
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Mr Whiskey
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« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2016, 07:15:42 PM » |
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Sorry to hear ya got a "chirp'r" but look on the bright side,
at least it's not the throw out bearing in a 1987 F250!
Got sold the wrong bearing for the truck, fit like a glove, worked perfect, & sounded like there was an angry 500 lb. "tweety bird" under my ride for 'bout 2 weeks. That's as long as I could stand it!
I cuss'd all day pulling that transmission a second time 
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Peace, Whiskey.
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Firefighter
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« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2016, 07:35:20 PM » |
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Looks like you have a Texas bike, you could leave it down here with one of us Texan members. We would take care of it and you could come ride once in a while.
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2000 Valkyrie Interstate, Black/Red
2006 Honda Sabre 1100
2013 Honda Spirit 750
2002 Honda Rebel 250
1978 Honda 750
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Thunderbolt
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« Reply #11 on: April 10, 2016, 06:50:28 AM » |
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Carl, that reminds me of the time I had this constant noise in my Honda CL350 engine. Anytime it was running I could hear this noise kind of like something rubbing or dragging. Ran fine just had that noise. So I figured that since it had quite a few miles on it I would rebuild it. Since I didn't have a dirt free shop at the time I convinced my wife that if I put down some plywood and plastic on the carpet in the spare bedroom I would not make a mess when I rebuilt the engine which I removed from the frame and brought into the house. Well to shorten the story somewhat I did rebuild it with new rings and bearings and adjusted everything up correctly and the noise was still there.  I was talking to a parts guy at the Honda shop and he said that a common problem was the kick start spring. Over time it would get weak and let the pawl just barely contact the gear to which it was to engage and make that strange noise when the engine was running. Sure enough a new spring took care of the problem. The 350 ran for many years just fine. I even sold it to our preacher and he drove it for years after he moved to Tn. Sorry to steal your thread to reminisce but it just brought it to my feeble mind. |
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Misfit
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« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2016, 07:55:32 AM » |
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They do not put so called unnessesary wire material in alternators. |
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If you're lucky enough to ride a Valkyrie, you're lucky enough.  |
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KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)
Member
Posts: 4146
Specimen #30838 DS #0233
Williamsburg, KY
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« Reply #13 on: April 10, 2016, 11:44:23 AM » |
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I'll help you out and buy that pile of trouble off you sight unseen, for $500.
That's a lot of money for an alternator It's not triple the going cost of an alternator but it is a very generous offer. I'm seriously considering acceptance. I would  |
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Skinhead
Member
Posts: 8743
J. A. B. O. A.
Troy, MI
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« Reply #14 on: April 10, 2016, 06:14:44 PM » |
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I'll help you out and buy that pile of trouble off you sight unseen, for $500.
That's a lot of money for an alternator It's not triple the going cost of an alternator but it is a very generous offer. I'm seriously considering acceptance. I would Too late, offer withdrawn. |
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Troy, MI |
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