So what kills stators?

[Toasty]

My R/R is supposed to be pretty robust, it's a Shindingen SH532-12.

The way it's currently wired up is the three yellow stator wires going directly to the R/R input, the r/r ground wire is connected to the (-) ground battery post (which is grounded to the frame) the output is wired into the red stock wire and the sense wire is tied in with the switched 12v. This is the way it was wired (albeit crappily, which I fixed) when I got it, and from what I've read this is correct?

Could it be shorting against the stator cover somehow? I didn't notice any scorch marks on the aluminum though. Maybe an oil cooler would help? It shouldn't reaslly need that though

[OLDENUFF]

That looks like a Rick's stator. The one I have has considerably more epoxy coating on it. Maybe it was a blem?

[robertbarr]

Here's a hi-res photo I took of a brand new Rick's stator before I installed it. In some spots, it looks almost hand-wound. Maybe it is.

[koolaid_kid]

I have wound some stators and that is exactly how they looked. The machine wound stators are much neater.

[1_v8_merc]

My 650 runs fairly hot and lean, after a 1000 miles, I pulled the cover to check.
My eBay stator still looks perfect.

I would suspect the RR, and test the diodes real quick.
the last thing you want, is to drop $150 on a stator, and have the RR fry it!

[Toasty]

The diodes checked out okay, a little out of spec but pretty close. It could be bad anyway and I don't have a way to make sure. I have a replacement stator on the way and I picked up another SH532-12 anyway. Hopefully it all works.

[tkent02]

Could the diodes be failing only when they get hot, and work fine later for the test?

[7981GS]

I still say that an external oil cooler most certainly couldn't hurt in helping to keep the stator cooler.

Eric

[tom203]

Could the diodes be failing only when they get hot, and work fine later for the test?

This type of diode (the rectifing ones) usually burn out open circuited- zener diodes can go either way.