Misc: Charging Systems Alton generator

Brian Thompson

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Non-VOC Member
I’m glad this topic has come up. I’ve fitted an Alton on a new engine/bike restoration with a bob newby 40mm belt drive.
When I started the bike it was very noisy in the alternator area . I was thinking it had something to do with the teeth on the belt. I’ve removed the Alton drive cog but I haven’t started the bike since.
If I was asked to describe it, I’d have said it sounded like a dry gear reduction.
When my leg gets better I’ll start it again and see how noisy the belt drive is with the Alton disconnected.
Cheers
Brian
 

vibrac

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VOC Member
Add me to that like list.
All my many mods to the alphabet twin are reversible
even more to the point when I built my Grey Flash I used all the components that I had stashed away purchased in the seventies when the first flush of "get it back to standard" started that included hacked RFMs,bent brake levers and milled out forks. I had to cut up zero parts
 

greg brillus

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VOC Member
Brian, The alton's are sensitive to the teeth engagement on the primary. Although i am referring to the standard triplex chain set up.......Even the movement of the chainwheel on its bushes which is quite sloppy makes the mesh inconsistent, and this makes them noisy. I have often had to lift the generator lower cradle by fitting a shim plate under to lift the assembly. This seems to work in near all cases. Good luck with it.......... Greg.
 

Gary Gittleson

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VOC Member
This noise problem exists with the original dynamo as well. It's mentioned in Richardson's book. I had the noise too (with the triplex chain drive) and bought the shim plate from Coventry Spares. That fixed it.
 

Bill Thomas

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VOC Member
I’m glad this topic has come up. I’ve fitted an Alton on a new engine/bike restoration with a bob newby 40mm belt drive.
When I started the bike it was very noisy in the alternator area . I was thinking it had something to do with the teeth on the belt. I’ve removed the Alton drive cog but I haven’t started the bike since.
If I was asked to describe it, I’d have said it sounded like a dry gear reduction.
When my leg gets better I’ll start it again and see how noisy the belt drive is with the Alton disconnected.
Cheers
Brian
I will come over and give you a hand Brian !!, Or should that be a Foot !!.
You should have known about those Squishy Pistons, Get Well Soon, Bill. :)
 

Monkeypants

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Brian, The alton's are sensitive to the teeth engagement on the primary. Although i am referring to the standard triplex chain set up.......Even the movement of the chainwheel on its bushes which is quite sloppy makes the mesh inconsistent, and this makes them noisy. I have often had to lift the generator lower cradle by fitting a shim plate under to lift the assembly. This seems to work in near all cases. Good luck with it.......... Greg.
Just to be clear, this is on an eccentric created by the mount position and hub position offset in the generator body. It is possible to install the bottom bracket backwards, that could mess up the arrangement.
The hole through the primary case is oversized to allow for the adjustment and movement of the Miller/Lucas or in this case, Alton.
The amount of available movement is great- enough to lift the sprocket tooth nearly out of the chain or drop it too low so that the sprockets gullets are resting on the rollers.
Just rotate the charging unit around until the sprocket has a tiny bit of Freeplay back and forth.
Rotate the chain wheel and check that there is freeplay at even the tightest spot.
This should be easy to do without the need for shimming as there is so much adjustment there.
-Re the noise level.
I tried running a black Delrin sprocket. I can't remember who supplied or suggested this.
The bike sounded like it had a Police siren fitted.
The white plastic ones run quiet, but I've gone back to the steel. If it's making a noise, I can't hear it !

On edit, Brian's bike has the Newby belt drive so the Alton will be fitted with an al. Newby toothed wheel. I'm not sure why that would be noisy, it's aluminium running on a rubber belt with a nice wide contact area.

Glen
 
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Bill Thomas

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VOC Member
I could not think what Brian's trouble was, But now Greg and Gary have said, I think I can remember hearing about it before, You can only turn the Alternator a bit, Before it rubs on the side of the hole.
Cheers Bill.
 

Monkeypants

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Non-VOC Member
My Vincents all have enough movement to go way past the happy spot in either direction.
Perhaps they are not all that way?
One of them, the 1360, has a Newby belt drive and Alton , the same arrangement as Brian has.
I expected alignment issues here as these are Molnar cases fitted with a new Spares Co bracket, the Alton and special toothed Alton drive wheel supplied by Newby. It all gets driven by the teeth on the outside of the belt.
So there is not a single factory Vincent part in the arrangement. I expected some trouble, but there was none.
It seems that all involved went by the drawings, it all adjusted up nicely.

Glen
 
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Brian Thompson

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
That's right Bill. I had to remove the slinger tin part from the case as it was just touching it. There's not alot of adjustment there even when using the eccentric sleeve.
I'll start it again this weekend and see. I don't have a primary on it either. Maybe that's why there is noise that isn't muffled by the cover. I've just had some 1" spacers made for the primary cover for clearance.
I fell off my trials bike Bill. That's why I have a sore leg.
But yes this 1200cc and high compression do make starting it a technique. I'm getting there.
Cheers
Brian
 
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