K11 Owners Group

[old guy old bike]

During the winter tear down I replaced the alternator with a 50A unit and new set of monkey nuts. It was very hard to install and I assumed it was due to the new "nuts". I got maybe 200 yards and into second gear before the alternator protested. It was making some nasty racket, blue smoke and stink.

I had to actually pry the alternator out of the housing because it was so tight. The "nuts" are not chewed up to bad. The alternator is hard to turn over now. I have not torn it apart yet but I suspect that I have put to much load on the end of the shaft and buggered the bearings.

Has anyone come across this before? I am sure it was OE on the install but where did I go wrong? Should I have put something on the "nuts" to help them slip into place? Whats the deal on the alternator, can a neanderthal open it up and make it live again?
Jeff
_________________
1993 K1100LT
2003 K1200GT Gone but not forgotten
2014 Victory Crossraods

[lrome48]

Jeff,

I don't know the extent of the damage to the alternator, you may have to replace it, or take it to a good alternator repair shop at least to have it diagnosed.

The problem sounds like when you slid the alternator on you used the mounting bolts to draw it up against the intermediate flange. That is not a good thing to do, the alternator should slide easily on and bottom on the flange without forcing. There are no real tricks to mounting it. You have to line the alternator drive housing up with the drive flange (There is an raised alignment mark cast into the alternator drive housing taht you align to one of the gaps between the monkey nuts on the drive flange) and push the alternator on. You can use a silicone lubricant on the monkey nuts to reduce the sliding friction but don't use WD-40, it will deteriorate the nuts over time.

The most important tip is not to force the engagement. (sort of like I did in my first marraige, but I digress )

Ignore my ramblings if this is old news, but know that with new or old nuts the assembly can be a pain in the bollocks.

http://specialks.net
_________________
Larry
K75
97 K1100 LT Specialk under construction
87 SpecialK75 Carols done!
2004 K12 Special the 'Beast' delivered
K1100 Standard Custom Gone but not forgotten

[old guy old bike]

Larry,
I did use the mounting bolts to pull it up. It started in ok and I believe it was aligned correctly but I could not push it on by hand. The nuts were new and dry. It did seem tight on assembly but I "assumed" it would settle in when I started it.

I am going to have a go at the alternator tonight and then use some lube on reassembly.
Jeff
_________________
1993 K1100LT
2003 K1200GT Gone but not forgotten
2014 Victory Crossraods

[SugarHillCTD]

Jeff,

As Larry indicated it is just a multiple trial and error operation that can try your patience.
I've had my alternator out twice- the first time I installed new monkey nuts and everything just slid back together very easily. The second time was when I did the clutch/O-ring job and I had a bugger of a time getting the alt back in (using the same nuts).

As mentioned it should fit together without using the bolts to pull it in.
But use some lube on the rubber- it does help.

John
_________________
John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

[old guy old bike]

What I found was that the washer from the 50A alternator was larger diameter than the one from the 33A one and was actually shearing its way into the cup in the intermediate housing.

I swapped out the washers and put it all back together. Sounds like I took out a bearing when I started it up. The alternator spun fairly free before install so I didn't rip it down.

Guess me next thing to try is to remove the alternator and rig up a way to spin it up on the bench. That should tell me if I toasted a bearing in the alternator or in the intermediate housing.

Live and learn!
Jeff
_________________
1993 K1100LT
2003 K1200GT Gone but not forgotten
2014 Victory Crossraods

[chris Sunderland]

I used Amor-all as lube. Once I got the marks all lined up, it worked great.
_________________
'04 WR450f
'93 K1100LT

[Scott_Anderson]

I used just a verrrrry small dab of rtv black to keep them in the cup(and not let them fall out) and a dab of molly 60 on the motor side of the monkey nutz to help them slip in.
_________________
Ride safe.



1995 K1100LT 0302044
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
Garmin Zumo 550
Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1997 K1100LT 0302488(R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)

[old guy old bike]

Chris,
Some of the guys were saying how Armorall will rot out tires. Might want to consider something else next time.

Scott,
Good idea to use a dab of sillysnot. Think I will steal your idea when I go back together AGAIN. I used a little shot of Permatex synthetic lube last time and it went right together. It said on the can that it would not harm rubber.

Jeff
_________________
1993 K1100LT
2003 K1200GT Gone but not forgotten
2014 Victory Crossraods

[old guy old bike]

Don't think this is what the bearing is supposed to look like or the bolt to hold the driver.



Lucky that the pieces parts tended to push their way into the clutch area and not into the intermediate housing.

The LT is almost ready for the road again. I still have to put the side panels on, Roundels on the tank, reflectors front and rear, rubber bumpers on the side cases and find out why the temp gauge quit working.

I think I like the new blue paint even though I know that the red was faster!



Guess I could of left the pictures a little larger.
Jeff
_________________
1993 K1100LT
2003 K1200GT Gone but not forgotten
2014 Victory Crossraods