I`ve got two Ural combos...a yr2000 650 'Roustabout' and a yr2004 750 'Dalesman'.
The 750 has the Nippon Denso alternator,which is an ND alternator in a factory made custom casing fitted with a cushdrive acting as an adaptor to mate with the Ural timing gear train.
The 650 has the infamous Russian 'Hand Grenade' alternator.
I`ve had three of these alternators fail in the last four years and am sick of it...when they fail they either are short term repairable only to pack up again within a month or so,or not repairable at all.
They`re cheaper than the ND but still not pocket money...and there`s no warranty on them,not here in UK at least.
In any case,over here,the ND and the 'Hand Grenade' are currently 'Unobtanium'.
So,when the 'Hand Grenade' failed yet again on my 650,I put my 'thinking cap' on and also consulted my friend and very capable work colleague Jamie.
If the ND alternator is a proprietry alternator fitted with an adapted cush drive linking up into a custom front case (have a close look at yours if you don`t believe me)...then why not do similar for my bike???
We checked out the Internet and looked on eBay....and found a dinky little Mitsubishi alternator.
It was cheap enough to use as a 'try it and see' so I bought one.
In fact,it was less than a quarter of the cost of an ND one and about half that of a 'Hand Grenade'.
Lo and behold,it just about fitted inside the front half of the now gutted 'Hand Grenade' casing!!
The through studs even virtually lined up with the stud holes in the casing!
Jamie milled out the area around the 'hand grenade stud' holes and I chamfered the inner face of the casing.
We cut some stainless steel threaded rod to length,and welded a nut at one end of each to make some new custom length through studs.
Then we measured up and made some hollow spacers to allow the Mitsubishi alternator to be fixed to the front casing of the 'Hand Grenade' shell.
Pic below shows the prepared casing and the spacers.
Then came the sheer genius of Jamie.
He spent a fair bit of time looking,thinking,measuring and note taking.
Then he got the lathe in action......and worked his magic.
Not very long later,a shiny object was placed in my sweaty palm.
A stainless steel stub shaft....
Looking from the left of the pic below,this masterpiece in metal had a female thread to accept the male thread on the Mitsubishi shaft (where the locknut goes to retain the original,and now not used,beltdrive pulley)..then a 'land' to accept a double row bearing that fits the bearing housing in the 'hand grenade' front case...then a turned down area to accept the original Ural alternator drive gear (with a keyway cut in to accept the original Woodruffe key)....then a male thread to accept the original Ural alternator lock nut,along with a through hole to accept a split pin,as per original.
Absolute...total...sheer genius!!!!
We`ve effectively designed and created a conversion kit.
Here`s the fruits of our labour in dismantled form.....
Here`s the bits with the Mitsubishi alternator...
Of course,the proof of any pudding is in the eating...
Did it fit my 650 ?
It went straight on,using the original fixings,but needed a wiring mod...just wanted a 'switched positive' so I spliced into the 650 ignition coil feed.
Then the airbox was about 10mm rearwards of its mounting,so I just dished the front of the airbox casing and then all the original brackets and intake hoses were useable.
Did it work ??
The charge lamp went out the moment the engine cranked over.
It doesn`t light at all when the engine is running.
With the 'hand grenade',the charge lamp would be on until about 20mph and occasionally flicker when running.
Does it charge ??
At tickover it`s producing 13.2 volts.
Once revved,from tickover onwards it produces 14.7 volts.
Result !!!
TOTAL SUCCESS !!!
THANK YOU,JAMIE !!!!
Here`s the masterpiece all assembled.....
The 750 has the Nippon Denso alternator,which is an ND alternator in a factory made custom casing fitted with a cushdrive acting as an adaptor to mate with the Ural timing gear train.
The 650 has the infamous Russian 'Hand Grenade' alternator.
I`ve had three of these alternators fail in the last four years and am sick of it...when they fail they either are short term repairable only to pack up again within a month or so,or not repairable at all.
They`re cheaper than the ND but still not pocket money...and there`s no warranty on them,not here in UK at least.
In any case,over here,the ND and the 'Hand Grenade' are currently 'Unobtanium'.
So,when the 'Hand Grenade' failed yet again on my 650,I put my 'thinking cap' on and also consulted my friend and very capable work colleague Jamie.
If the ND alternator is a proprietry alternator fitted with an adapted cush drive linking up into a custom front case (have a close look at yours if you don`t believe me)...then why not do similar for my bike???
We checked out the Internet and looked on eBay....and found a dinky little Mitsubishi alternator.
It was cheap enough to use as a 'try it and see' so I bought one.
In fact,it was less than a quarter of the cost of an ND one and about half that of a 'Hand Grenade'.
Lo and behold,it just about fitted inside the front half of the now gutted 'Hand Grenade' casing!!
The through studs even virtually lined up with the stud holes in the casing!
Jamie milled out the area around the 'hand grenade stud' holes and I chamfered the inner face of the casing.
We cut some stainless steel threaded rod to length,and welded a nut at one end of each to make some new custom length through studs.
Then we measured up and made some hollow spacers to allow the Mitsubishi alternator to be fixed to the front casing of the 'Hand Grenade' shell.
Pic below shows the prepared casing and the spacers.
Then came the sheer genius of Jamie.
He spent a fair bit of time looking,thinking,measuring and note taking.
Then he got the lathe in action......and worked his magic.
Not very long later,a shiny object was placed in my sweaty palm.
A stainless steel stub shaft....
Looking from the left of the pic below,this masterpiece in metal had a female thread to accept the male thread on the Mitsubishi shaft (where the locknut goes to retain the original,and now not used,beltdrive pulley)..then a 'land' to accept a double row bearing that fits the bearing housing in the 'hand grenade' front case...then a turned down area to accept the original Ural alternator drive gear (with a keyway cut in to accept the original Woodruffe key)....then a male thread to accept the original Ural alternator lock nut,along with a through hole to accept a split pin,as per original.
Absolute...total...sheer genius!!!!
We`ve effectively designed and created a conversion kit.
Here`s the fruits of our labour in dismantled form.....
Here`s the bits with the Mitsubishi alternator...
Of course,the proof of any pudding is in the eating...
Did it fit my 650 ?
It went straight on,using the original fixings,but needed a wiring mod...just wanted a 'switched positive' so I spliced into the 650 ignition coil feed.
Then the airbox was about 10mm rearwards of its mounting,so I just dished the front of the airbox casing and then all the original brackets and intake hoses were useable.
Did it work ??
The charge lamp went out the moment the engine cranked over.
It doesn`t light at all when the engine is running.
With the 'hand grenade',the charge lamp would be on until about 20mph and occasionally flicker when running.
Does it charge ??
At tickover it`s producing 13.2 volts.
Once revved,from tickover onwards it produces 14.7 volts.
Result !!!
TOTAL SUCCESS !!!
THANK YOU,JAMIE !!!!
Here`s the masterpiece all assembled.....
...now get a few kits made for the masses and make some extra dosh as well as helping other owners get over this problem!!
