Ok CBRers,



After reading pages and pages and multiple threads on the removal/replacement of the alternator damper I attacked the '91 CBR1000F full of confidence.

If you follow Stu's excellent "How to" available at Replacing the alternator damper on your CBR1000F Honda motorcycle , you'll do pretty well.

I took the opportunity to change all the bearings in the alternator while I had it out, so pressed the shaft out and changed them over for new ones. I also fitted a new alternator damper for $87 AUD rather than farkle the old one.

Now, fitting the shaft back in was interesting and involved two trials, a shi%load more reading and then fabricating/bending a 2.4mm brass wire rod to disengage the alternator chain tensioner.

Reading through threads such as https://cbrforum.com/forum/cbr-1000f...-damper-96059/ using Druncles tricky but effective method, I found the ONLY way to refit the alternator effectively.

When I did the first two trial fits, the alternator would lock as soon as it was carefully jemmied into place using a long screwdriver and longer bolts to slowly pull it into place evenly. I have no hair to pull out, nor a dog to kick, so a few smokes were consumed while I contemplated the dilemma. The problem was the tensioner had released the chain and I was struggling to push the shaft into the damper/rear bearing against the extended tensioner. This locked the chain in position under pressure when it was all fitted up - sheesh!

So from Stu's "How to" once you have massaged the chain back on the replaced/refurbished alternator damper - revert to Druncle's fix before refitting the alternator shaft.

Druncle's fix is to insert a spoke/stiff wire (not too wide) - I found the 2.4mm brass rod with a semi-sharpened end ideal - through the starter motor aperture and bend it in such a way, that it goes to the front of the alternator damper and looking down and forward, you have to push the wire down the back of the tensioner (which is to the outside of the motor)to release the pawl locking it in position. The tensioner if it is working correctly will have extended when the original damper was removed. There is no 'hole' that I could see - and I used a Snap on camera to have a close look - but a slot between the back of the pawl and the body of the tensioner. What you are trying to do is push the wire/spoke into that slot which pivots the tensioner pawl away from the steps in the tensioner arm. It doesn't take that much pressure but pressing down on the wire and down on the top of the chain above the tensioner shows when you have released the pawl. Leave the wire in place.

Leaving the wire/spoke in place, follow Stu's refit guide - and it will be a lot easier/less pressure - it almost falls into place. Don't forget to use the socket over the thread on the end of the shaft as protection for the shaft thread when refitting. Torque up the three bolts on the outside, refit the rear nut and torque as best you can. The pull out the spoke/wire from the starter motor hole and you are nearly finished.

The pleasure of hitting the start button and having the starter motor whir as it should (and start the beast) was extreme!

Thanks to Stu, Druncle and Kaskar (?) for the previously written threads on addressing this issue, it made the job so much easier.

Hope this clarifies the method for those who have to do this in future.

Cheers, SB

PS: Really glad I found this forum

 

Good to hear it worked for you Seb, Mods maybe a transfer to the appropriate place in the How To's ?

 

Hi Seb
Thanks for putting in the time to add to this body of knowledge. Great explanation ... but I just hope it never happens to me! If it ever does then I know where to look!

 

My pleasure Guys - I always like to put back into the forums where I can.

Sitting in front of the television tonight watching a motorcycle ride - with a posse of GS BMWs - from Alaska to Patagonia fixing all the cracks/splits in the fairing of the CBR1000F.

Can't wait to get it on the road!

Cheers, SB

 

Hey Seb, you might be interested in checking these guys out.

Founder and recently retired president of the local Wanaka Motorcycle Club, him and his wife have just taken 18 months off work to do Alaska to the bottom of South America.

And you US guys might be interested in this, keep an eye on his webpage, see if Andi is heading your way, and tell him Tony from Wanaka says Hi.
Two Moto Kiwis

 

DONE !

Thanks to Sebastionbear for the additional information.

 

Hey TK, Are you in contact with them at all? If they pass through the South Sound and would like a hot meal, a warm bed or need a place to lay up and do repairs. They can stay with Margot and me. We'd be glad to have them stop by. If so, let me know, and I'll PM you my contact info

 

Thanks for the kind offer Dave, e-mail sent to Andi, I'll get back to you.

Cheers
TK

 

Just flicked through the website/blog. Lucky, lucky bastards!