Diagnosis So how do I know its my alternator damper that is naffed? First things first. Before we go ripping the guts out of the bike, be sure to tick off all other possibilities. Battery is charging and holding a charge? Ignition coils are in good condition? Rectifier is operating as expected? Carburettor is free of dirt and grime? (Wouldn't hurt to give them a clean anyway ) Ok, we've ruled out everything else and still we get the sound of an asthmatic geriatric when pressing the starter button. (check out vid >>> for what mine sounded like. You may be able to relate to it)

You've called up the bike shop or stopped by and had a good ol chin wag with the local mechanic, and they are quoting thousands to take the engine out and fix this particular problem. If they tell you that and you're not comfortable doing this job yourself, point them to this post and ask for another quote! I mean if I can do it without taking the engine out, sure as hell a bike mechanic can do it... If you've chosen to do this job yourself, plan to spend 4-6 hours on it. It is recommended you have someone to assist, but it can be done solo.

Removing the Alternator damper Remove the seat... Disconnect the battery Remove the fuel tank Remove the carburettors and cover the inlet holes on the engine. Don't want any dirt getting into the cylinder head Remove the airbox. You could probably get away without removing it, but it does make for a more manoueverable environment Remove the gear change lever Remove the left sprocket cover assembly. Disconnect and then remove the alternator cover. This cover is delicate, so take care. I used a screwdriver with a piece of material on the end to gently prise it off Remove the starter motor by undoing the two retaining bolts. No need to disconnect from starter relay. Remove the alternator-shaft-nut access port cover (picture 1) immediately underneath the starter motor Remove the alternator shaft retaining nut. (Picture 2) To save many hours of minute movements, invest in a 14mm ratchet spanner. Remove the alternator case retaining bolts Insert a screwdriver or long allen wrench through the front of the alternator case to prevent the alternator from turning while initially loosening the nut. (Picture 3). Alternativley, prior to taking the gear lever of, pop it into gear. This should stop the alternator shaft from turning while undoing the retaining nut Gently prise the alternator case and shaft from the engine. Mark the top of the alternator case for later.
Caution: While extracting the alternator shaft and case, keep an eye on the bearing (Picture 4) in the engine case via the access port where you took the alternator shaft nut off. You want to ensure the bearing doesn't unseat itself. The pressure on the shaft can pull this bearing out of place (and has). If it does pop out, be extra careful when taking the damper out, as the bearing could fall into the engine. Seating it again is not a problem. Retrieving it from the sump could be. As with the alternator cover, gently prise the alternator case and shaft out, distributing the pressure from one side to the other until the end of the shaft "pops" out of the bearing. Using a long screwdriver, insert it over the top of the alternator into the engine case (at about the 2 or 3 o'clock position). You want to just hold the alternator damper in place while you extract the alternator and shaft. It probably won't fall off because the tensioner guide tab should keep it in place, but it pays to cover all your base. Leave everything on the alternator shaft as is. If you have to disassemble it, take photos, or lay it out on the bench in order as the parts come off. Stand up and stretch

The tricky part

Find a length of wire and tie the chain off so it doesn't drop off into the engine. (Picture 5a) The wire can be tied off through the starter motor hole to keep it out of the way. If the chain drops down, it will probably mean pulling the engine out, although you may be able to rescue it with a telescopic magnet. Best not to try our luck though eh? Once the alternator case and shaft is removed and safely stored to one side, grab a long flat-head screwdriver and position it behind the chain guide tab on the tensioner, and bend the tab down (Picture 5b). I put the screwdriver down between the frame and the engine, and supporting the top of the screwdriver with one hand, pulled on the screwdriver shank near the tab with the other. This method prevents the screwdriver from slipping off the tab and damaging the engine casing. Put a finger inside the clutch damper and gently work the chain off. Use the wire previously attached to help here. Lift the chain up and remove the damper.

The alternator damper Ok, now the damper is extracted, you want to see if it can be salvaged. First off, stick your finger in it and try to rotate the internal shaft. If it moves freely, then it will definitley need either packing or replacing. To check further, put the damper back on the alternator shaft and try turning the damper. If it turns under minimum force, rebuild or replace. If it turns after exerting some effort, just shuffle the plates around.

In my case, I made one good one out of two by getting the thickest plates from both of the dampers and reusing them. If you only have one damper and can't afford a new one (I know I couldn't), I would firstly pull the plates out, shuffle them around, reinsert them and add a large flat washer (1-2mm thick, internal diameter the same as the shaft) just under the top disc springs. All you are wanting to do is increase the pressure on the alternator damper plates, until you can afford a new one, or source a second hand one for parts. Remember to put the plates in alternately. One fibre, one metal, one fibre, one metal... If you find the top circlip goes on nice and easy, then its likely the pressure being exerted against the plates is not enough to force the plates to engage properly and will probably just slip again when you reinstall it. Pull the plates out again, and increase the size of the extra washer Check that the three disc springs are correctly installed. This was true in my case and it wasn't until after my sixth attempt at the job when I realised the disc springs were upside down. (Picture 6) The disc springs go in with the external rim pushing UP against the circlip

Important notes when putting back together: Make sure all the fibre and metal plates are clean. There are seven fibre plates and seven metal plates (8 if you include the big fat one at the top under the disc springs) When putting the plates back in, the first one to go back in is a fibre plate. It is likely that you may have to exert some effort to get the top circlip into position. I used a large socket and hammered it home...(Picture 7) Squirt some oil in through the holes on the main damper body once it has been assembled. You now have a rebuilt damper (or a new one) to resinstall in the engine. Have a cup of tea and a biscuit. Save the beer for later, you'll enjoy it more, I promise :)

Damper and Alternator re-installation Installation is the opposite of removal. Put the damper back in position in the engine and place the chain back on it. This could take some fiddling, but generally, if you angle the damper down to the left with your finger inserted in it, and "massage" the chain on, it should go back on relatively easy Push the tab on the alternator tensioner back into position to prevent the chain from sliding off the guide Remove the piece of wire holding the chain

One of the biggest problems you are going to face now is centering the alternator shaft back through the bearing in the engine case. To get around this, place a socket of the same diameter as the alternator shaft (Picture 8) inside the damper after you've put the chain back on. The socket negates the threaded section of the shaft so there is no need to try and lift it into position later on. If you don't do this, you'll get the thread section of the shaft into the bearing ok, but it will be completely off center and you won't be able to get the part of the shaft that needs to be in the bearing in position. This is by design. If the shaft is off-center at the bearing, it means the chain tensioner is doing its job :)

Important!! Don't try to insert the alternator shaft with the socket balanced on the end of it. It is highly likely it will fall off while trying to position the shaft and be lost in the crankcase. No, this is not the voice of experience... Be calm. be patient. be steady. be one with the shaft.

Line up the shaft with the damper and ease the alternator casing in. You'll need to do some wiggling and jiggling, but what you are aiming for is to get the alternator casing in a position that you can nip the retaining bolts into position. Using a large screwdriver wrapped in cloth as a lever, align the alternator casing up with the bolt holes and attach the bolts so it is just secure. Just remember that the engine casing is an alloy and can easily be damaged. Take your time. Place a clump of paper or cloth in the access hole where the alternator shaft thread comes out. (Picture 9) This is to prevent the socket from popping off the end of the shaft while "persuading" it to seat properly. You want this socket on the shaft right to the very end. You should see the socket start to poke through here now anyway.
(Picture 10) Over the next ten minutes or so, coax the alternator and shaft back into position. My method was 2-3 turns each of the retaining bolts, then using a wooden mallet handle and hammer, tapping the alternator shaft into the engine. This is where the cloth in the access hole stops the socket from flying off Be sure to place the mallet handle on the very end of the shaft and not on the alternator cover bearing. You don't want to break this bearing. I'd then turn the retaining bolts another three or four turns, repeating the procedure.
(Picture 11) Make sure the alternator gear wheel engages properly with the starter mechanism by poking your finger through the starter motor hole and moving the wheel. If it doesn't move, you've jammed it up against the alternator gear wheel, and will need to back the alternator out until it moves freely. What you want is for your finger to be able to move the wheel one way, but not the other. Sooner or later while tapping the shaft in, it will seat into the bearing. Finish winding up the retaining bolts to manufacturer specs, and then tap the shaft a few more times to make sure it is in position. Remove the padding from the alternator shaft retaining nut access portal, and remove the socket. Replace the nut and tighten to manufacturer specs.

Finishing up Replace all the other parts, and before putting the carburettors back on, take the paper wads out of the inlet manifold on the engine (If thats what you used), connect the starter motor and battery and turn the bike over. If all goes well, the bike will turn over. If the starter motor still spins freely, the damper plates are not under enough pressure. Begin the procedure again... This process for me was long and arduous because of some intial extraneous factors including a curious son who decided he wanted to check out how everything on the alternator shaft comes apart, while I was otherwise busy. I wouldn't have been any the wiser, if I hadn't noticed a Disc spring lying on the ground by the workbench. Of course, the damper that came out of the bike originally had the disc springs in a convex layout ||||>>>| rather than concave ||||<<<| This could explain the presence of a hand made washer buried in the damper when I pulled it apart, though at the time, it didn't register as important. Surprisingly, the second hand damper I bought also had this configuration, so you can see how for so long I had no idea that this wasn't the correct layout. After studying Kaskas picture of the alternator damper, A light came on and I realised that something was not right. The shadows of the pic indicated that the disc springs were upside down to how I'd been setting them. So, thanks to Kaspars explanation about logical thinking, I pulled the damper out one last time, turned the springs over, installed the alternator again and voila! the bike now turns over, and it sounds just like a strong healthy CBR starter should. And just so you know, less the tank and carbs, I can do this procedure now in just over an hour... Hopefully this article will prevent you suffering all the setbacks and headaches I had to experience to finally get this thing to work. Key Points: Ensure the engine case bearing doesn't pop out while you extract the alternator shaft. There is a possibility it could fall into the crank case Tie the chain off before bending the tensioner guide tab back Make a note of the order of the parts on the alternator shaft in case some random person gets curious Ensure you put the disc springs on the damper the right way round. Thus ||||<<<| Order: plates, disc springs, circlip Use a large sprocket to assist in seating the circlip back into its groove If you can move the internal barrel with your finger around inside the main barrel, it will likely slip when you put it back in the engine. Resistance is good. Aim to have no movement of the internal barrel DON'T try and insert the alternator shaft with the socket on the end of it. Put the socket in the damper ready to recieve the shaft. (as the bishop said to the actress) Put some padding into the shaft nut access portal to prevent the socket popping out when tapping the shaft into place. Check the engagement of the gear wheels when inserting the shaft. and last but not least, if the alternator shaft thread doesn't appear out through the engine casing, it doesn't mean the shaft has shrunk, it means it needs some further persuasion. I thought the shaft and the casing were one unit (according to the diagram), but they're not...so use the mallet and encourage it to seat properly May the force be with you