Alternator------Bearings

Kinarfi · July 3, 2014

Went for a 136 mile ride with wife & son, he was on a motorcycle, and at one point I heard this squealing sound, but couldn't really detect what it was, but my best guess in the field was the alternator bearing. The had made noise earlier and then quit making noise.

When I got home, I pulled the alternator and the bearing felt draggy, so I disassembled the alternator to get the bearings out.

Here's the catch, I can't say for absolute certainty, but I think the pulley bearing is not meant to be removed, because when I did, it busted some of the aluminum off, like it had been rolled or pressed in around the bearing, I hadn't looked before, just after I got the bearing out.

I pulled the seals and it didn't have much grease, so I cleaned it with gasoline, blew it out with air, sprayed some light oil on the balls and spun it with air, as it spun faster and faster, it sounded like a small air raid siren winding up, I did this a couple of times and each time it took quite a while for it to coast to a stop, but it was very smooth and no play, so I packed it with wheel bearing grease out of the can, not a tube, if that make any difference and put the seals back on and loctited it back into the housing. Didn't have a puller that would fit between the other bearing and armature, so I just pulled the outer seal, cleaned, spun, packed and resealed.

My suggestion to all is next time you get a chance to pull your alternator, do so and just pop a seal, clean, spin, pack and reseal without pulling the bearings out. I don't think they put much grease in to start with and with the environment that they live in with a Trooper, I think they need this little bit of extra attention.

Jeff