Hi All! Lurker Finally Introducing Himself!

kiltman said:
Welcome from the Great White North!
If you haven’t done so already, do a search on 28 amp alternators and upgrades and determine if yours has been upgraded. Invest in a voltmeter.
Enjoy the ride on one of the best bikes out there.
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He is very biased!
Welcome to the club from another northerner. Hopefully you will have many more miles to enjoy your new ride before having to deal with the alternator. The Kilted Man has given some great pointers.
Most of us up here wish we were down there to help you, well maybe the weather has something to do with it.
 
I am just curious as all of my 'girls' are 97 and later.
Has anyone tried to remove/install the alternator without removing the swingarm?
The reason I ask is because on one of my engine deinstalls/installs I found I could get to all three of the bolts that holds the alternator in place.
And I could pry it pretty much out of the engine with the swingarm and engine in place.
That made getting the engine out of the frame a lot easier.
I just don't know if you could 'extract' it out of bike with the engine/swingarm still in place.
 
The 28 amp will come out but i am sure the 40 on the early bike will not and it is a damn tight squeeze with the swing arm off and it has to be clocked just right to go in
 
Uncle Phil said:
Has anyone tried to remove/install the alternator without removing the swingarm?
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Swapping out the alternator with the swingarm off on post 96 units is a 5 minute job!
Given the age of our bikes and the amount of miles, I think it’s a good idea to go through the trouble of removing the swingarm, that way you can thoroughly inspect the driveshaft and U-joint and swing arm bearings.
When I did a swap on my 97 moisture in the swing arm had caused some corrosion, that driveshaft boot doesn’t last forever! If I hadn’t done it, I would have some issues guaranteed later on. ;)
 
kiltman said:
Swapping out the alternator with the swingarm off on post 96 units is a 5 minute job!
Given the age of our bikes and the amount of miles, I think it’s a good idea to go through the trouble of removing the swingarm, that way you can thoroughly inspect the driveshaft and U-joint and swing arm bearings.
When I did a swap on my 97 moisture in the swing arm had caused some corrosion, that driveshaft boot doesn’t last forever! If I hadn’t done it, I would have some issues guaranteed later on. ;)
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But how much time to remove/reinstall the swingarm (not counting removing the rear wheel)?
 
Uncle Phil said:
But how much time to remove/reinstall the swingarm (not counting removing the rear wheel)?
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It doesn’t take too long, you need to be careful dealing with the ABS sensor and plumbing, having the proper castle wrench also makes the job easier for both removal and reinstall. Do not attempt to reuse the boot, it’s better to get a fresh seal, I had a bit of frustration installing even a new one…it just takes a bit of patience.
All in all it took me 8 hours to do everything including wheel removal, Tupperware and refitting everything. There was also a few cuss words thrown in there for good measure, but nothing that would bother the neighbours even if I lived in the holler. ;)
 
kiltman said:
With a voltmeter connected directly to the battery and engine running you should see 14.9V-15.1V at 3Krpm. I ran a digital voltmeter to a switchable source near the battery and would monitor it. If the voltage drops down to 13.2 V with no accessories running there’s little life left in the alternator.
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Just ran my morning commute on the ST. I do have a voltmeter connected directly to the battery now. I'm seeing 13.1 to 13.2 at idle and 14.9 to 15.0 at 3+k rpm.

So, I am hoping that indicates I have 'time' to properly source my 40amp alternator conversion. I am also thinking it might not be the alternator leaking oil and it may be one (or both) of the valve cover gaskets, because the leak hits the exhaust, and the valve cover gaskets look like they were sloppily replaced.

There was a modification to the wiring down by the battery, but it looks to run to the front to a relay that I am assuming is for the headlights.
 
ThatCurtGuy said:
Just ran my morning commute on the ST. I do have a voltmeter connected directly to the battery now. I'm seeing 13.1 to 13.2 at idle and 14.9 to 15.0 at 3+k rpm.

So, I am hoping that indicates I have 'time' to properly source my 40amp alternator conversion. I am also thinking it might not be the alternator leaking oil and it may be one (or both) of the valve cover gaskets, because the leak hits the exhaust, and the valve cover gaskets look like they were sloppily replaced.

There was a modification to the wiring down by the battery, but it looks to run to the front to a relay that I am assuming is for the headlights.
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Your voltage is in the good range, so that’s a plus.
Methinks that a red wire bypass was done on your bike which is also a plus.
There are 5 wires that come out of the alternator, three yellow, one black and one white. Where those wires come out is supposed to be an oil seal. (It can’t be replaced or repaired). That’s the area where oil will leak. Hence my piece of paper under the alternator overnight to confirm a leak
Valve cover leaks can be messy. Uncle Phil in the post above addresses what needs to be done. My experience is it leaks from the front of the valve cover travels back along the seem of the valve cover to the back of the engine.
Check around the oil filter. When the filter gets changed, oil can leak on the exhausts, and it may not have been cleaned properly from the last oil change.
All the best
 
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