Dan’s GL1100 alternator installation

Here is how I did it on my 1983 GL1100 Interstate.

( !Update 12/13/07! )

The installations and modifications involved to perform this alternator installation as I’ve shown below are very labor intensive and time consuming.

I had to make up all the parts myself.

I’m working on a much simplified kit for GL1100 owners to purchase and install.

This kit should also work on a GL1000.

I’ll be posting updates about the progress on completion of the kit on my new forum at classicgoldwings.com

!Update!:

I got inspired by LD Hack, a member of goldwingfacts.com and moved the radiator forward!

Now the stock fan is back and no more pusher fan!

Check it out here

!Another update! J

I had a 4 inch diameter one piece crank pulley made to speed the alternator up and get rid of the washers as shims.

Many thanks to Joe Wiggins for providing the dimensions, it fit perfect the first time!

Here’s a picture

The machinist has all the latest equipment so this pulley is true and balanced.

Below is a drawing of the pulley.

These are the exact dimensions he used with the exception of the center to center, belt taper and depth in the cut for the belt grooves, he took this dimension from the belt I left with him which matched the alternator pulley:

The pulley fits perfectly on the crank and engages the keyway with a nice snug fit.

Any machinist could easily modify these specs to accommodate a 5 groove belt or even a V belt whatever.

I’m trying to make this a fun project in which other Goldwing owners help each other out and we do so at our own risk.

Please use any information, techniques or tricks I have here but also email me with any ideas you might have or where a certain part might be available that would work or look better.

The initial build will be very rough for sure but I’m gonna go back to some parts later and refine them. Some (or a lot) of machining will have to be done but that’s all part of the fun!

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OK, first is the crank pulley.

I’m putting the alternator on the left side.

Below is a 3 inch diameter 5 groove alternator pulley which matches the 2 inch pulley on the alternator.

Why a 5 groove?

Mostly because it was what the guy had lying around but also because a 5 groove will grab the pulley better with less slipping.

So I’m told, it looks better too.

Both can be easily obtained from an alternator shop that’s willing to have your business.

The brass sleeve is actually a light fixture threaded rod coupling. The inside thread is 3/8” which fits the 12 mm crank bolt just perfectly. The outside diameter is 25/32”.

I drilled the 5/8” pulley hole to 3/4”. I drilled to 3/4” rather than 25/32” because the hardware store didn’t have a 25/32” drill bit and I’m getting anxious to get this done already!

By letting the 3/4” drill bit wobble slightly in the hole it will easily take the extra little bit off until it’s diameter is very close to the sleeve OD.

Yes I know, sloppy, but it works.

A 25/32 bit would be better.

A hammer presses it in real nice.

The front side of the pulley and brass sleeve in the pic below.

Next I ground the remaining brass off flush with the rear side of the pulley like in the pic below.

The next pic is the pulley on the crank.

By using a long straight edge ( aka a screwdriver) I cranked the engine to check the pulley alignment on the crank. It’s less than a 16^th inch off. I’m hoping this will be ok and doesn’t create some vibration.

I checked the alignment of the pulley on the alternator and there seems to be at least this much or more mis-alignment from center.

I’ll know once I get the engine running again.

The pulley alignments are looking pretty good so far.

Here’s a pic of my rough alternator mounting.

I say rough but if it proves strong enough it’s staying this way.

I almost went with a L channel steel like I’ve seen others do but that just doesn’t look to be secure enough.

I’m after a solid vibration free installation.

Besides, I want to be different.

The belt covers have to be trimmed.

I’m tempted to trim them big to fit around the pulley but I suppose it’s not a good idea to make the hole so big since water and junk could more easily get inside the cover and damage the belts.

So my next challenge is to find a longer crank bolt. For this particular pulley the bolt needs to be 2 1/2 inches long.

I came up with this length needed by adding the total hub/brass shim length and the additional spacing that’s needed to bring the back side of the pulley pulley out away from the timing covers, this length is added to the original thread length that screwed into the crank.

2 1/2” gives me some playing room so the cover doesn’t rub the pulley, or the pulley rub the cover, whichever way you want to look at it J.

Apparently a 12mm X 1.25 pitch X 60mm long bolt does not exist, at least not where I’ve looked, but a 50 mm which is about 2” long works fine with enough thread into the crank.

I ground down the “ribs” on the right cover so I could remove more washers to get more bolt threads into the crank.

It just clears.

The alternator I went with is a Nippendenso 60 amp.

I think it comes from a forklift.

One word. AWESOME!

Very small, about 2/3rds the size of a GM one wire and the mounts line up nice for bracketing.

Test run with all lights on and battery at about 75% charged shows 1-2 amps charge and 13.2 volts at 900 rpm.

At 1000 rpm, 15-20 amps and 14.5 volts output.

It then floats right around there, peaking to about 14.8 volts and 20 amps for a few seconds then backs down as the battery gets topped off, which doesn’t take very long.

The next challenge.

The cooling fan wont fit, didn’t expect that.

The belt hits the fan bracket to the point that it’s time to relocate it.

The original fan is old and probably gonna die soon anyway so I put a aftermarket fan on the front.

>!Update!<

I advise against installing the fan this way the fender might hit it during hard fast stops and prevent the wheel from turning!

At least it did on mine with this fan, it was too big.

Kinda ugly isn’t it.

I have to figure out a way to dress this up better.

Maybe a chrome fan.

I don’t know how others are making the lower hose connect to the engine but any way I place the original hose or any aftermarket hose it kinks since the angle is all different now with the radiator pushed forward to clear the crank pulley.

Time to modify the radiator.

I kinda expected this would happen.

I used a 3/4” copper EL and cut the radiator pipe at a 30 degree angle and plenty of solder.

DONE and back on the road!! (Phew!)

(For some unknown reason, maybe server problems, a couple people have told me the pictures wont display on this page. Here is a zip file you can download which contains this entire web page with all text, links and images. Clicking on the link (or right click/save as) will download a zip file which you must expand to a new folder. After that, open the file called “alternator.htm” in your browser or in “Word”, you are now viewing this page offline directly from your computer.)