Advice please

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Greybeard
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Re: Advice please

Post by Greybeard »

Think carefully about stumping up the cash for an Alton on an AMC twin. I have just tried one on my M31 and returned it for a refund the next day :cry: It is not necessarily the answer to all our prayers. At tick over speeds the noise was horrendous due to backlash between the timing gears. The low engine speed wasnt fast enough to outpace the jerky armature movement thanks to the permanent magnets. With space for a belt drive or plastic sprockets you may get away with it, but with geared drive with no way of taking up any slack you're snookered. Once the engine speed increases it quietens down but i wasnt prepared to put up with the ducatiesque clatter.
Apparently its not an unknown complaint with the AMC variant and to give BTH their due, they refunded the cost without quibble.
Ive rebuilt my dynamo and fitted an AO regulator instead. So far all looks good at 12v.

Steve
MalcW
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Re: Advice please

Post by MalcW »

Mick D wrote:Hi Malc

Have a look here:

http://www.brightsparkmagnetos.com/libr ... Pt%20A.pdf

Regards Mick
Thanks Mick, that's really useful.
MalcW
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Re: Advice please

Post by MalcW »

Greybeard, thank you for your advice regarding the use of an Alton generator on a twin. You have undoubtedly saved me a lot of money; I owe you several beers!
I have since spoken to Tony Cooper, who is able to refurbish the dynamo, including making good the drive end plate, for a very reasonable sum, and with a good turnaround time.

Malc
Greybeard
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Re: Advice please

Post by Greybeard »

That's good news, Malc. Im glad to have been of service. It was a huge disappointment with regard to the Alton. Whilst Ive no doubt they would be an excellent choice for some bikes, alas not for AMC twins.

Steve
56G80S
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Re: Advice please

Post by 56G80S »

I'd also ask Tony Cooper.

Johnny B
Plugsnpoints
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Re: Advice please

Post by Plugsnpoints »

56G80S wrote:I'd also ask Tony Cooper.

Johnny B
I would also recommend speaking to Tony Cooper. He knows his stuff and is a decent honest human being.
lawrence
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Re: Advice please

Post by lawrence »

Greybeard wrote:Think carefully about stumping up the cash for an Alton on an AMC twin. I have just tried one on my M31 and returned it for a refund the next day :cry: It is not necessarily the answer to all our prayers. At tick over speeds the noise was horrendous due to backlash between the timing gears. The low engine speed wasnt fast enough to outpace the jerky armature movement thanks to the permanent magnets. With space for a belt drive or plastic sprockets you may get away with it, but with geared drive with no way of taking up any slack you're snookered. Once the engine speed increases it quietens down but i wasnt prepared to put up with the ducatiesque clatter.
Apparently its not an unknown complaint with the AMC variant and to give BTH their due, they refunded the cost without quibble.
Ive rebuilt my dynamo and fitted an AO regulator instead. So far all looks good at 12v.

Steve
I'm surprised by this. I have an Alton as do two friends. They are fractionally noisier at tick-over but certainly not obtrusively so. You need to put two differently equipped bikes side by side to compare and difference is minimal. Is there a problem in your timing case?

The Alton is many many times more reliable than the Lucas (even Lucas recommended they were returned every 10K miles for exchange replacement). The difference in output is ASTOUNDING. Everyone I know that is dynamo equipped is regularly tinkering with it. I fitted my Alton 12k miles ago and haven't touched it since (I hope it's still there...... :lol: ). Everyone else I know with an Alton has had the same experience.
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ajscomboman
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Re: Advice please

Post by ajscomboman »

lawrence wrote:
Greybeard wrote:Think carefully about stumping up the cash for an Alton on an AMC twin. I have just tried one on my M31 and returned it for a refund the next day :cry: It is not necessarily the answer to all our prayers. At tick over speeds the noise was horrendous due to backlash between the timing gears. The low engine speed wasnt fast enough to outpace the jerky armature movement thanks to the permanent magnets. With space for a belt drive or plastic sprockets you may get away with it, but with geared drive with no way of taking up any slack you're snookered. Once the engine speed increases it quietens down but i wasnt prepared to put up with the ducatiesque clatter.
Apparently its not an unknown complaint with the AMC variant and to give BTH their due, they refunded the cost without quibble.
Ive rebuilt my dynamo and fitted an AO regulator instead. So far all looks good at 12v.

Steve
I'm surprised by this. I have an Alton as do two friends. They are fractionally noisier at tick-over but certainly not obtrusively so. You need to put two differently equipped bikes side by side to compare and difference is minimal. Is there a problem in your timing case?

The Alton is many many times more reliable than the Lucas (even Lucas recommended they were returned every 10K miles for exchange replacement). The difference in output is ASTOUNDING. Everyone I know that is dynamo equipped is regularly tinkering with it. I fitted my Alton 12k miles ago and haven't touched it since (I hope it's still there...... :lol: ). Everyone else I know with an Alton has had the same experience.
Duncan has one fitted to his 600 twin Lawrence, while he likes the power output he doesn't readily like the extra noise. He reports that it is quite a bit louder so those reports are quite accurate regarding the extra decibels.
Greybeard
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Re: Advice please

Post by Greybeard »

Mechanically my 650 is very quiet (Ive found that AMC engines tend to be) so I doubt whether there is any serious problem lurking in there. I did in fact remove the timing cover to ensure the shaft/gear wasn't catching it) The noise I experienced was far from unobtrusive at tickover. Once engine speed increased then it disappeared. However much I wanted the reliability and output of an Alton, the noise at tickover was simply not worth the trade off. Others may find it acceptable.
There are reports out there of Altons giving a chain drive a hard time which probably explains why a belt drive is recommended where possible.
My point was that I do not think that they are a necessarily a good idea for a gear driven set up with no facility to eliminate back lash as on AMC twins. I have no doubt that others may disagree. I suppose it all depends on what you would expect for nigh on 500 quid and what sort of balance between mechanical clatter and excessively fast tick over an individual would be happy with. I was prepared to lay out the cash for something that I wanted to work and found myself sadly disappointed.
Should the dynamo on my 52 Golden Flash ever give problems then I would consider an Alton for that - it already has a belt drive fitted.

Steve
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Duncan
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Re: Advice please

Post by Duncan »

ajscomboman wrote:
Duncan has one fitted to his 600 twin Lawrence, while he likes the power output he doesn't readily like the extra noise. He reports that it is quite a bit louder so those reports are quite accurate regarding the extra decibels.
My Alton always has given incresed noise from the timing gears, very noticeable if turning the engine over slowly with the kick starter (obviously not when trying to start it!), the engine has just been rebuilt after last years crank episode and the noise is now so great that I have taken the Alton off, I will try a new crankshaft pinion to see what difference that makes but feel I am headded for a Dynamo and LED's for the time being.

I should add that I am still a fan of the Alton generator but just cant live with the noise at the moment.
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