Chinese Alternators
- Thread starter tim welsh
- Start date
Uncle Phil
Site Supporter
AFAIK, some have had reasonable good service out of them, some have not.
It appears to be a roll of the dice at this point.
It appears to be a roll of the dice at this point.
ST1100Y
Site Supporter
Well, I bought one in 2018 @ components_plus1 ($ 130,- + P&P back then) and installed it into the '94 ST soon after...
Did about 10,000 miles with it since... no issues yet... none...
I examined it closely: casting, shaft, splines, oil seal, brush carrier, VRR, cover plate, stator, etc... the thing looks fully legit...
Either a very good copy, or it actually is the real thing... it says DENSO: 101211-1570 after all...
You'll still need the adapter plate, O-ring, shaft, bolts, wire harness and 40A mains fuse + holder to install...
Did about 10,000 miles with it since... no issues yet... none...
I examined it closely: casting, shaft, splines, oil seal, brush carrier, VRR, cover plate, stator, etc... the thing looks fully legit...
Either a very good copy, or it actually is the real thing... it says DENSO: 101211-1570 after all...
You'll still need the adapter plate, O-ring, shaft, bolts, wire harness and 40A mains fuse + holder to install...
Speaking of Alternator's, wondering how long the 40amp ones normally last.
ST1100Y
Site Supporter
Seems to depend on climate and culture...
Them Brits, insisting on riding around in winter and obviously never w.a.s.h. them bikes either (would be the ultimate sin) to get rid of that brine, cause them (steel) stator plates to corrode, thus expand, so either seize the rotor (and engine in the process), or crack the aluminum cast covers apart with pretty much the same catastrophic result...
Soaking the thing with some ACF-50 seems to slow the process...
Then we'd have brushes, rings and bearings wear...
So from the basic concept the hermetically sealed(!), oil cooled, 26A unit wasn't such a bad idea to begin with...
Thanks for replies. I am UK based but don’t ride over winter any more, local authorities love salt! Looks like it’s a bit of a”pot luck “ how long they last then, and the failure mode is the same as the original. Mines 2000 year, so has the 40a anyway.
ST1100Y
Site Supporter
Yes, was kinda odd when the first cases of swing-arm rot appeared... in UK... (and a few in the Netherlands; same mild climate there...)
About a decade later 40A alternators started to seize up... again in UK...
Those ST's are rigid motorcycles, but on the Britt islands they start to look as if been parked at the bottom of the ocean...
John OoSTerhuis
Life Is Good!
I follow alt upgrade parts issues closely and haven’t heard any negative feedback about these aftermarket alternators, on STowners nor STriders. FWIW
John
John
My 40 amp alternator failed in the usual manner back in 2018, making me initially think that the engine had seized, until I looked up the symptoms on line.
I removed it (the case had split at one point, opening up one side like a clam and locking everything). After removing the puss- like oxide paste that had formed around the joint, I cleaned up the interface between the wire-wrapped steel stator(?) plates and the split aluminium casing, painted the aluminium to reduce the return of the galvanic corrosion, then reassembled the unit using a large steel jubilee (worm drive) band/clip bought from Halfords to fully close up the housing fracture. Actually I had to slacken the band off to rotate it during the gynaecological manoeuvres need to get it back onto the engine, and then reposition and retighten it; but it all reattached without too much trouble.
After returning it onto the engine I also added a plastic mudguard extension, cut up from a car inner wing, onto the forward edge of the rear mudguard, to stop the constant spray from the rear wheel.
The alternator has worked well ever since.
In a nutshell, if your 40 amp alternator fails in this manner and locks the engine, I suggest you try to fix it before you splash out a fortune. Let’s hope I haven’t jinxed myself by boasting about my success.
I removed it (the case had split at one point, opening up one side like a clam and locking everything). After removing the puss- like oxide paste that had formed around the joint, I cleaned up the interface between the wire-wrapped steel stator(?) plates and the split aluminium casing, painted the aluminium to reduce the return of the galvanic corrosion, then reassembled the unit using a large steel jubilee (worm drive) band/clip bought from Halfords to fully close up the housing fracture. Actually I had to slacken the band off to rotate it during the gynaecological manoeuvres need to get it back onto the engine, and then reposition and retighten it; but it all reattached without too much trouble.
After returning it onto the engine I also added a plastic mudguard extension, cut up from a car inner wing, onto the forward edge of the rear mudguard, to stop the constant spray from the rear wheel.
The alternator has worked well ever since.
In a nutshell, if your 40 amp alternator fails in this manner and locks the engine, I suggest you try to fix it before you splash out a fortune. Let’s hope I haven’t jinxed myself by boasting about my success.