95 Sprint Alternator bolt upgrade question

[jetmech]

I recently picked up a clean 95 Sprint with 24K on her. Sweet ride and a lot different then the V-twins that I have been riding lately.

My question is about the diesel like noise coming from the engine area.
I came across this post of an alternator bolt upgrade solution to this problem posted by doa666duck.

" Triumphs are pretty much bullet proof. Check for a loose/rattling diesel like sound. Alternator bolts needed upgrading and the diesel like rattling is a tell tale sign. It's an $85 fix for the parts. "

Can anyone give me specifics on what bolts, what work is required, and where I might get the bolts.

Thanks, George



[ This message was edited by: jetmech on 2006-06-25 03:32 ]

[j98sprint]

The bolt holding the impeller to the alternator on my Sprint was a 1.00 pitch cap screw marked 10.9. The head of that bolt broke off. I replaced it with a marked "12.4" allen head bolt that I got at the local hardware store. I guess that's the next one up on the hardness scale. I applied high strength thread locker to the bolt and so far so good.

I did this in June of '03 and have put 34,000 miles on it since. I had the alternator out a couple of months ago and the bolt was still intact and tight.

The bike still sounds like a diesel, though a quieter diesel.

j98sprint

[jetmech]

This bike does sound like a diesel. Not too loud coming from a V-twin rider.

Thanks for the advice

George

[ This message was edited by: jetmech on 2006-06-25 16:37 ]

Take the bike to a good indy shop. If their best mechanic doesn't know T3 Hinckleys, but does know bikes in general, & he says it sounds like the cam chain needs work, it's probably the alternator bolt. There's a kit available from Triumph, & you can order it. If there's no Triumph dealer near you, call Manayunk Triumph in Philly & ask for Buzz. Tell him what you need & he can get the parts for you.

Of course, if there is a Triumph dealer near you, you might just swing by & ask if their mechanic thinks your alternator bolt needs replacing...

One thing to keep in mind is that the T3 motors are loud. I remember reading that the engine noise is louder than the stock exhaust, & I believe it.

HTH,
-Kit

[jetmech]

There are 2 Triumph dealers in the Houston area and it will give me more reason to ride it even more then I have.

It does sound like a loose cam chain, and I would like to take it to the Ozarks at the end of this week.

The V twins have been neglected lately. The Sprint is just a lot more fun to ride.

[ This message was edited by: jetmech on 2006-06-26 06:18 ]

[menelfloss]

My 96 Sprint had this same problem. I noticed it mostly while at an idle, otherwise I could not hear it. The sound was random and I could feel the clinking in the handle bars.
Took it to the Triumph mechanic and he put in the alternator bolt repair kit from Triumph.
No problems since.

Mike

[jetmech]

On 2006-06-26 08:13, menelfloss wrote:
My 96 Sprint had this same problem. I noticed it mostly while at an idle, otherwise I could not hear it. The sound was random and I could feel the clinking in the handle bars.
Took it to the Triumph mechanic and he put in the alternator bolt repair kit from Triumph.
No problems since.

Mike

Mike, what was the cost of the kit and how much was the labor?

I turn wrenches for a major airline, but sometimes after busting my knuckles all week I would rather pay someone to do it for me.

George

I did the alternator bolt job a couple of weeks ago.
Parts from Jack Lilley were £77 - so $120 dollars + for you I guess unless you get then cheaper in the states.
Just a word about my experience.
The bolt on the alternator was loose as was the bolt on the alternator end of the driveshaft. BUT the main problem was - the bolt holding the other end of the shaft to its drivegear had broken.
By the time I got to the drive gear- clutch off, flywheel off - the bolt just fell out. Glad the bike was stationary when it did.
I had to drain water and oil as one of the hoses was obstructing an alternator bolt.
Oh, and one of the alternator screws rounded off and had to be drilled.
Anyway the new shaft is hollow with one long bolt through it.
It sounds less like a cement mixer now.

[ This message was edited by: rodf on 2006-06-26 11:09 ]

[sailfish]

I am relying on faulty memory here (I went through this about 2 years ago.) There can be 2 issues with the alternator drive.
One is the broken bolt in the alternator shaft itself. This is the problem J98Sprint describes fixing. I repaired mine by drilling it out and re tapping the shaft to the next size larger bolt. You'll need a bottoming tap if you take this route.
The other problem is the alternator drive shaft with the other impeller half bolted to it. My understanding is that the bolts break or loosen in that shaft also. This is the problem that rodf was describing. This occurs in earlier bikes and Triumph has an upgrade kit to solve it. Later bikes like my '98 were delivered upgraded from the factory. Be careful with inspection in this area as a dropped washer or displacement of the gear driven end of the shaft will mean tearing into the engine/transmission assy to put everything right again. A good dealer will have the details on how to identify if you need the upgrade. Removing the alternator before you call the dealer will let you see the necessary parts so you can confirm what you have. When you're finishing up, don't pinch the o-ring on the alternator pushing it into the engine case. It's no fun not riding waiting for an o-ring to be delivered.