alternator

O

ozcruiser

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we had a mounting bolt fracture on the alternator (high output balmer). First symptom was the belt screaming. As we were in a bit of bad weather etc etc at the time we didnt investigate for 30 minutes as we thought it was "just the belt" and would tighten it later. Fortuneately the alternator pulleys and everything survived and the bolt was replaced. However, the engine compartment looked like a coal mine with black dust evrywhere. We cleaned it a bit and finished our summer cruise. Now have time to clean it. Does anyone suggest amethod for cleaning the alternator without taking it to bits. I thought about spraying a couple of tins of wd 40 through it and hoping it will flush all the dust out. Also what to use in the engine compertment. Everything is covered. Depressing.
 
can you borrow a small compressor and blow it through,or maybe a tin of compressed air they use for cleaning contacts etc,may be combo of hoover/compressor might clean the engine bay ,short spurts of airthin nozzle on hoover'if there is an exterior access to the engine maybe an extractor fan used in como with compressor the hose down after
 
[ QUOTE ]
spraying a couple of tins of wd 40

[/ QUOTE ]
I would not do that for fear of damaging the insulation. I too would blow it out (the blow connection on a vacuum cleaner perhaps)

Use any domestic cleaner or a bilge cleaner on the engine bay as a whole but protect the electrics.
 
I've heard that WD40 can disolve the lacquer applied to circuit boards and other electrical components to keep dampness out. If it were mine, I'd probably take it off and go somewhere with a compressor to blast it out. Faling that, I might just leave it if it's working fine.
 
Vic
for info only, when i was working in the oilfiled we used to import 5 gall drums of wd40, we used it to clean, lube etc anything from brake cylinders, including the rubbers, to washing alternator parts and electric motor parts, it didnt affect them in any way. we also used to pressure water wash the windings in the 4 meg gennies and carefully dry them after with hot air, some urban myths stop us doing things, once you have done it you realise you can do lots of things!!
Stu
 
So here you are flying down the M1 at 80 MPH and it's hissing down cats and dogs, you have about a gallon af water passing through the radiator gaps every second.

Your alternator is in the water stream but working just fine, so how much damage can you do giving it a light spray?

And how wet do you thing it gets when the engine bay is degreased and washed.

Avagoodweekend......
 
When I was cleaning up the interior of my boat after a big sanding job on hull interior(elec sander) Iused a henry vacuam but brushed all surfaces with a 11/2"paint brush imediatly in front of vacuam nozzle as I went along. It really worked well as the brush rouses the dust which the vacuam then sucks in from airbourne as opposed to trying to lift it of the surface.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Vic for info only

[/ QUOTE ] Erring on the cautious side! Like Avocet I have heard that WD 40 should not be used on electronic circuit boards. In fact I'll qualify that. In the "good old days" when George Taylor was deputy Editor of PBO he always advocated opening up electronic stuff and giving the insides a good spray with WD40 as an annual routine. At least he did until the electronics people advised him otherwise! Since then I have been a bit cautious about what I use it on. I must admit that I cannot think that it will harm an alternator. I imagine the windings are enamelled wire not laquered. I wondered about bearings but they must surely be sealed.

I dont have any experience of 4 megawatt generators i'm afraid. Smallest was 30 and the largest was 350. They definitely did not get washed but then they did not get dirty either.
 
The preferred cleaning agent is white spirit (dry cleaning fluid) we used to use X55 on radios. The WD 40 can definitely leave a residue (which repels water) (but can attract dust as I understand it).
Compressed air is good and paint brushg ahead of vacuum cleaner is good.
You did not mention replacing the belt. It may be ok but it saounds like it lost a lot of rubber. good lcuk olewill
 
[ QUOTE ]
The preferred cleaning agent is white spirit (dry cleaning fluid)

[/ QUOTE ] Dry cleaning fluid is /was Carbon Tetrachloride aka Tetrachloromethane (perchloromethane) now superceded by Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene) base solvents.

White spirit is also a solvent but leaves a residue. Used to use Isopropyl Alcohol for cleaning / drying electrical bits.
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I dont think I'll be letting ANYONE loose on my best suit with white spirit anytime soon!

Vic, I wasn't so much thinking about the windings as the bits of electronics in the regulator pack. I agree the windings will have something a bit more robust on them.

Some years ago, I had the misfortune (long story!) to have my car immersed up to its door handles in salt water. Quick as I could, I took the ECUs out and opened them up, coating everything in sight with as much WD40 as I could lay my hands on. That's when I was told that I probably did as much harm as the seawater by using it on the circuit boards. Now obviously, that's far from conclusive proof because for all I know they'd have been ruined anyway, but when someone who makes their living rebuilding electronics tells me not to use the stuff I have to at least take that advice into account!
 
Off Topic but [ QUOTE ]
I dont think I'll be letting ANYONE loose on my best suit with white spirit anytime soon

[/ QUOTE ] Oh! white spirit is one of the solvents used for dry cleaning. Perchloroethylene is the most common, but articles that cannot cannot be cleaned in it may, until phased out, have been cleaned in a CFC. Now they will be probably cleaned in a hydrocarbon such as white spirit.

If your best suit is marked with a P in a circle then it can be cleaned in all common solvents. Things marked with an F in a circle cannot be cleaned in perchloroethylene so will now most likely be cleaned in white spirit.

If your best suit is wool then it'll be marked with a P. If you are into suede leather then it'll be marked with an F and will probably be cleaned with white spirit!

Getting back to the alternator I would guess that the elecronics are encapsulated anyway so nothing is going to affect them. Personally I still would not use WD40 though so we agree on that. (A CFC solvent would be ideal if it was not such a problem with the ozone layer)
 
Do you have any idea why the alternator bracket bolt broke? I have a Beta 16 which has suffered failure in the lower alternator mounting bolt twice in the last four weeks with no apparent reason.
 
On my old engine I had a belt starter that was forever coating the engin bay in black dust and it proved very difficult to shift. I think maby i aquires a static charge as it is shed so sticks to anything. Only thing I found that would shift it was degreeser washed off with a pressure washer but I dont think I would wash out the inside of an alternator that way!
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys. To answer a couple of questions. Yes we did put a new belt on. There wasnt much left of the old one. As to the cause of the bolt fracturing, the only thing I can think of is that the nut backed off as I had omitted to put a spring washer on. The alternator is a retro fit with a modified bracket 3 bolt mounting and we have used it for 3 years without problems. Alignment looks OK. I normally change the belts evry 200 hours. There is a massive load on the alternator for the first 36 minutes due to the smart regulator and belts have to be real tight. Its 90 amps and I really think this is pushing it with 3/8 belts. I would prefer 1/2 inch but cant be bothered with the hassle of new pulleys etc. I am going to take it off and clean with compressed air and then vacuum.
 
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