Alternator R+R

Passx · Post by **Passx** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:56 pm

Hi guy's,

I haven't posted anything for a while as it's been a very busy summer putting an addition on my daughter & son-in-laws house (I'm to old for this but i love it) and I finally got some time to work on my 81's alternator, and I expected the worst since it's had the dreaded ratchet sound for about 2 years now.

After taking things apart I was somewhat pleasantly surprised and somewhat cornfused in that the brushes at 23k only showed about 30% wear and the stator and brush rings looked new

. Surprised because the brushs in my 80 were shot at 12k, well only 1 of them actually, and the other thing on the 81 was that both brushs were worn exactly the same and I truly expected the results found on the 80. I guess you can never tell. I had bought all of the bearings and seals as well but the bearings were fantastic, smooth operation and free, why mess with success ? I also found that the clutch plates followed normal wear in that they were about .010-.020 convex with the inside edges blued, I do not believe that Honda ever made these flat ! After resurfacing them I put in a new spring which was about 1/8 in longer than the old one (highly recommended) and I also added a .015in shim behind the spring seat backup washer to make up for what I had to take off to get them flat.

As a result I didn't see any real difference from before to after but I also wasn't having any issues before so this was pure preventative and had I not had the ratchet noise would not have pulled it although the general consensus here has been that I was pushing the envelope on the normal brush life which by what I had seen would have actually been around 60-70 k before needing to be replaced, but after my 80's results who can know ? The clutch would have been toast long before the brushs, has any of you ever checked a new set of plates for flatness ? I'd just about bet they aren't so it may behoove (fancy word eh ?) you to check before installing.

Anyway I hope this may help some of you and at this point wish I'd have taken pictures then at least I could show off the highly polished pretty cover that I did before putting it all back together, probably good for another 10mph and at least 20hpwer, what do you think ?

Steve P.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:57 pm

Steve,

I've heard before that the 'X's clutch plates were not flat. I checked a new set that I have and they are flat. Don't know if they have been that way throughout the years.

Chris

Louis · Post by **Louis** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:00 am

Steve, Yes for sure they are flat. I have seen stock alt go for as much a 90k miles plus . And yes it was on a 81. When I took it off and put a complete used one on before selling it to Dan about a year ago the alt was toast. I have never seen one look this bad. The plates were so sharp you could shave with it. The windings were so full of sh*t it looked like a solid mass. When flipped it so I could empty it out ,sh*t dropped out. I bought the bike from original owner and he said it was original. Louis at www.usedcbxparts.com

cbxtacy · Post by **cbxtacy** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:20 am

My first CBX that I bought in '83 had over 100,000 miles on it when I sold it and the alternater looked like brand new inside when I sold it and it was the original alternater with new brushes around every 30,000 to 40,000 miles. The oil in the engine not only lubricates it the oil acts as a cleaner. As hot as a CBX runs, if it has mineral base oil in it, I wouldn't even go 2000 miles on it. If you ride a CBX a lot, when the gearbox doesn't feel like it did right after the oil change, it's time to change it, even if you havn't gone 2000 miles.

dan1995 · Post by **dan1995** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:19 pm

louis i think the problem was the po put those two 120 watt driving lights on it wired to only come on when the high beam was on

. the connectors also showed signs of melting . i took the lights off and every thing is fine now

Louis · Post by **Louis** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 8:04 am

Dan, It could be but he said it was the original alt. And thats great for a alt. I also think hwy miles are better on the alt then local stop and going. Louis at www.usedcbxparts.com

Rick Pope · Post by **Rick Pope** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 12:43 pm

Dan,

You remember Roger from the C2C? His alternator had 90k on it when he started the trip, and died on his last day returning to Wisconsin. I think he'd changed the brushes, but bearings were original.

As Louis mentioned, this was a bike that saw a lot of long trips, thus not as many rev fluctuations to cause thhe clutches to slip. I think hard riding and short trips are the death of the clutches. But, that's where the CBX really brings smiles to our faces, so we buy clutches.........

Something that can kill an alternator is having the seal fail and allowing oil to enter the alternator itself. The oil will soak the brush dust and short out the windings. I had one toast the stator and rotor, in downtown Chicago on a hot Friday afternoon.........

Rick