oil in alternater??

[captain2207]

well yesterday i began adjusting valves and i took alt.cover off and some nastey looking/smelly oil came out.i assume i need a seal,but do i have to take engine out to change it?i looked in my manual and it doesnt say,

[Chad in Michigan]

the alternator in the 3rd gens is in a partial oil bath to keep it cool. that is supposed to be there, don't worry.

[hootmon]

What Chad said.. if you want to know more.. Perform a search, it has been discussed several times..

[captain2207]

thanks i have 1st gen but will do a search

[dgc67]

This is normal

[Jumbobret]

Yes the alternator cover will have oil in it.

[guywheatley]

Nasty looking, but doesn't hurt anything.

[dgc67]

I assume since it just sort of seeps in there normally, it is never filtered or circulated.  I bet it does get pretty stinky.  My 1st gen had some, but not nearly that much when I removed the cover at 18k miles a few weeks ago, BUT I am pretty sure the cover had been off before as one of the bolts was broken when I bought it.

[lragan]

I have never had the cover off my '96 alternator.  Maybe it is swimming in oil, I don't know. 

I do not have to add oil between changes, and there is a tiny leak somewhere along the top of the engine.  Never enough to drip down on the parts one can see with the gas tank in place, but enough to keep it grimy around the covers.  My general philosophy is to do the prescribed maintenance, otherwise,

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

So, I suppose I will simply wait until it quits charging, unless some of you knowledgeable folks advise otherwise.

[roboto65]

The Oil in the altenator cover does circulate it is part of the crankcase and so it is filtered too 

[lragan]

The Oil in the altenator cover does circulate it is part of the crankcase and so it is filtered too 

There you go!  Someone who knows!

Thanks, Allen

[dgc67]

The Oil in the altenator cover does circulate it is part of the crankcase and so it is filtered too 


There you go!  Someone who knows!

I think he's yanking your chain.

[lragan]

Don't think so, DG.  When all else fails, consult the manual!!

On page 15-10, it shows the alternator removal/disassembly.  The cover is referred to in the instructions on page 15-11 as the "left crankcase cover".

I take this to mean that the alternator is in what the Honda engineers designate as the "crankcase".  It is inconceivable to me that the crankcase would not have circulating oil in it. 

Furthermore, it appears, from the drawing in the manual, that the hole in the bottom of the alternator housing is the return oil path, and the one in the top is the source of crankcase oil.  This explains why, with the bike on the sidestand, you get so much oil flowing out.

My take on it anyway.

[captain2207]

mine is an 85,i dont think the oil is circulated is was nastey,whereas the oil on dipstick was clean.my manual said nothin about any oil in there thanks again

[guywheatley]

Whether or not it is supposed to circulate, I don't think it was. Oil on the dip stick was still yellow clear. You can see what it looked like in the Stator housing. I wish I'd though to check and see it the return hole was plugged.