Good karma, Great Honda dealer
#1
06-24-2007, 03:36 AM
Good karma, Great Honda dealer
One hears occassional gripes about dealers, so it's nice to hear a positive story. For some time my '91 CBR 1k has been giving out with rattles and marble type noises from low in its engine. After several attempt to pin down the location by myself and others I sadly ascribed said noise to a loose starter/alternator drive chain or shot tensioner and resigned myself to an eventual engine removal and disassembly. Finally, with the noise becoming so loud it could be heard at speed with a helmet on, I made one last attempt to locate the cause. Investigation with the time-honored use of a screwdriver as a stethescope finally indicated the noise to be coming from the vicinity of the alternator - from the commutator end bearing, to be exact. As a check on my diagnosis, the bike was taken to our local dealer, Lewistown Honda, where their mechanic, Ike, gave a listen and concurred with the possibility that the commutator end bearing was probably gone. I rode the bike home, and fifteen minutes later saw what is pictured below. Karma comes into play here - all parts of the bearing, including the seven ***** were either stuck to the alternator shaft (it's magnetised) or were laying directly under the bike, not inside the alternator. Next, karma allowed the inner race to slide off the shaft with very little trouble. Usually in a case like this the race is welded to the shaft. Our dealer's reputation took a definet increase when I took the bearing in. Instead of telling me, as Honda would have it, that one mustspend a few hundred dollars fora new armature to get the bearing, Ike measured it, checked his books, and found tha the same bearing is used in a Reflex (I think that's what he said) starter, was available for $7.18, and they had one in stock. Some fifteen minutes after walking into the dealer's shop I was on the way home with a new bearing. It did take some twenty minutes to install the bearing and replace the alternator end housing, as I worked very slowly and carefully. The bearing must have been bad since I've owned the bike. What had been taken as either normal operating noise or a loose alternator drive chain noise is gone. Silence is indeed golden.
There's a great experience, and proof that there are dealers out there that really do care about their customers.
[IMG]local://upfiles/1929/565C38FBA0E24C599868ADAB857999EE.jpg[/IMG]
There's a great experience, and proof that there are dealers out there that really do care about their customers.
[IMG]local://upfiles/1929/565C38FBA0E24C599868ADAB857999EE.jpg[/IMG]
#2
06-24-2007, 05:18 AM
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#3
06-24-2007, 10:03 AM
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10-04-2008, 11:21 PM
#5
10-05-2008, 12:06 AM
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#7
10-05-2008, 10:24 PM
RE: Good karma, Great Honda dealer
ORIGINAL: DRam
One hears occassional gripes about dealers, so it's nice to hear a positive story. For some time my '91 CBR 1k has been giving out with rattles and marble type noises from low in its engine. After several attempt to pin down the location by myself and others I sadly ascribed said noise to a loose starter/alternator drive chain or shot tensioner and resigned myself to an eventual engine removal and disassembly. Finally, with the noise becoming so loud it could be heard at speed with a helmet on, I made one last attempt to locate the cause. Investigation with the time-honored use of a screwdriver as a stethescope finally indicated the noise to be coming from the vicinity of the alternator - from the commutator end bearing, to be exact. As a check on my diagnosis, the bike was taken to our local dealer, Lewistown Honda, where their mechanic, Ike, gave a listen and concurred with the possibility that the commutator end bearing was probably gone. I rode the bike home, and fifteen minutes later saw what is pictured below. Karma comes into play here - all parts of the bearing, including the seven ***** were either stuck to the alternator shaft (it's magnetised) or were laying directly under the bike, not inside the alternator. Next, karma allowed the inner race to slide off the shaft with very little trouble. Usually in a case like this the race is welded to the shaft. Our dealer's reputation took a definet increase when I took the bearing in. Instead of telling me, as Honda would have it, that one mustspend a few hundred dollars fora new armature to get the bearing, Ike measured it, checked his books, and found tha the same bearing is used in a Reflex (I think that's what he said) starter, was available for $7.18, and they had one in stock. Some fifteen minutes after walking into the dealer's shop I was on the way home with a new bearing. It did take some twenty minutes to install the bearing and replace the alternator end housing, as I worked very slowly and carefully. The bearing must have been bad since I've owned the bike. What had been taken as either normal operating noise or a loose alternator drive chain noise is gone. Silence is indeed golden.
There's a great experience, and proof that there are dealers out there that really do care about their customers.
[IMG]local://upfiles/1929/565C38FBA0E24C599868ADAB857999EE.jpg[/IMG]
One hears occassional gripes about dealers, so it's nice to hear a positive story. For some time my '91 CBR 1k has been giving out with rattles and marble type noises from low in its engine. After several attempt to pin down the location by myself and others I sadly ascribed said noise to a loose starter/alternator drive chain or shot tensioner and resigned myself to an eventual engine removal and disassembly. Finally, with the noise becoming so loud it could be heard at speed with a helmet on, I made one last attempt to locate the cause. Investigation with the time-honored use of a screwdriver as a stethescope finally indicated the noise to be coming from the vicinity of the alternator - from the commutator end bearing, to be exact. As a check on my diagnosis, the bike was taken to our local dealer, Lewistown Honda, where their mechanic, Ike, gave a listen and concurred with the possibility that the commutator end bearing was probably gone. I rode the bike home, and fifteen minutes later saw what is pictured below. Karma comes into play here - all parts of the bearing, including the seven ***** were either stuck to the alternator shaft (it's magnetised) or were laying directly under the bike, not inside the alternator. Next, karma allowed the inner race to slide off the shaft with very little trouble. Usually in a case like this the race is welded to the shaft. Our dealer's reputation took a definet increase when I took the bearing in. Instead of telling me, as Honda would have it, that one mustspend a few hundred dollars fora new armature to get the bearing, Ike measured it, checked his books, and found tha the same bearing is used in a Reflex (I think that's what he said) starter, was available for $7.18, and they had one in stock. Some fifteen minutes after walking into the dealer's shop I was on the way home with a new bearing. It did take some twenty minutes to install the bearing and replace the alternator end housing, as I worked very slowly and carefully. The bearing must have been bad since I've owned the bike. What had been taken as either normal operating noise or a loose alternator drive chain noise is gone. Silence is indeed golden.
There's a great experience, and proof that there are dealers out there that really do care about their customers.
[IMG]local://upfiles/1929/565C38FBA0E24C599868ADAB857999EE.jpg[/IMG]
#8
10-06-2008, 01:05 AM
RE: Good karma, Great Honda dealer
It's not a difficult job, MarR - I've had my cover off a few times.
Most important things are
1 remove the cover using equal pressure on all sides, after removal of the 3 bolts.
Tap with rubber mallet may be required.
Careful - leverage with a screwdriver can break the casing, then it's expensive !
2 refit the gasket/o-ring on the open end properly, or it'll leak oil.
3 replace bearing - the easy part - runs in oil so shouldn't be seized.
4 replace cover evenly.May require tapping to seat the bearing and cover.
Took me about an hour, first time, off and back on.
Most important things are
1 remove the cover using equal pressure on all sides, after removal of the 3 bolts.
Tap with rubber mallet may be required.
Careful - leverage with a screwdriver can break the casing, then it's expensive !
2 refit the gasket/o-ring on the open end properly, or it'll leak oil.
3 replace bearing - the easy part - runs in oil so shouldn't be seized.
4 replace cover evenly.May require tapping to seat the bearing and cover.
Took me about an hour, first time, off and back on.
#9
10-06-2008, 01:16 AM
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Posts: n/a
RE: Good karma, Great Honda dealer
ORIGINAL:ebinz88cane
hmm... i have a rattle in mine I've spoke of a few times. that never goes away.. I wonder how my bearing is doing. rather then a complete case split I might look into this.
hmm... i have a rattle in mine I've spoke of a few times. that never goes away.. I wonder how my bearing is doing. rather then a complete case split I might look into this.
ORIGINAL: MarkR
Yep, I thinking the same
Yep, I thinking the same
hmmmm ....[:-] yer ok... I am going for a dig around in their over this week end ..
( if this new found panic does not leave my head !! )
Special thanks to all that screwed with my mind in this thread
#10
10-06-2008, 01:34 AM
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