Why my Electrosport Stator Failed

[Guest]

In the process of replacing my stator again for my 82 GS650G and thought I'd share my findings.

I replaced my stator and reg/rec with new ones from electrosport last year only to be left with a dead battery 60 miles from home.

I replaced my reg/rect with one warranteed thru electrosport.

I am now replacing my stator.

When I got the stator cover off, this is what I see on the wiring:

http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa169/jbs80106/Stator/

All 3 yellow wires coming from the stator have split their insulation just beyond the rubber gasket that keeps the oil from escaping.

The wires were run with plenty of slack, and routed correctly out of the stator cover, underneath the starter motor cover and up thru the center of the bike to the connects behind the battery.

Besides, once the stator cover is securely back in place, I don't think these wires can wiggle on their own.

I don't have a clue what else could have cause this, the wires from the original stator I removed from the bike last year did not show any signs of stress on the wires.

I do not know it the problem is in the insulation of the new wires or not. I guess the insulation could be too thin or maybe of a lower quality than what was on the original.

So I've emailed these pics to Electrosport with an explaination. Awaiting to see what comes of it.

Joy!

(P.S. of course 2 of the screws that secure the stator wiring out of the way are stuck and I can't get them out. Soaking in penetrating oil for now.)

:-|

[posplayr]

Obviously there is a reason for it

All 3 yellow wires coming from the stator have split their insulation

From your pictures it is difficult to tell what "split" the wires. If it was heat, then they should look melted. If it was a mechanical interference then the insulation should be flattened or cut. Any other connectors look to have gotten hot?

There is no obvious electrical reason why wires should heat up more near rubber or near metal for that matter (actually metal would provide better heat transfer and keep it cooler.

My guess if mechanical interference damaged the wires, but I can see from the photos.

Posplayr

[jbs80106]

I don't know either...

From the pic you can see that when the wires come out of the gasket, they have to make a pretty sharp bend but <90 degrees to route from behind the stator cover to the starter motor area. Its the same way the original stator was routed. Unless because the stator wires lay against the starter that they maybe receive some twist due to starter torque, they shouldn't move at all. Held tight by the gasket and by their route along the starter.

Nothing looks like it got hot.

Just seems that the insulation split from being held in the 80-90 degree bend. Not other way to route the wires out of the stator....

Tis a mystery to me. Just happened that way.

Still struggling with the last 2 screws that hold the stator wires in place (you can see one in the picture). Waiting for my neighbor to get home to help me.

Then just drop in the 'new' old stator and wire her up. Should be good to go!

[jbs80106]

New 'old' stator installed...

And charging like a champ!

Also bled my brakes today too! WooHoo!

Tomorrows battle is to get the carbs properly seated. Gave up getting them on one side only to have them come off the other....gettin' close though!

[posplayr]

jbs80106

Glad you got it back together. I was just rereading your post and re looked at the pictures.
Shouldn't the bend be up and out away from the cover (coming back into the motor)? Your wires were bend back wards away from the motor. (i.e. the wrong way). There should be a 90 degree bend but not sharp coming out of the inside of the cover.

Also what did the wires short against? They are separated by rubber from each other? They must have shorted against the cover or engine case?

I know i had to be careful to make sure that that rubber spacer did not slip out of the cover. I'm guessing that yours did and the wires got pinched.

Pos

[82Shafty]

I'm my 15 plus years in the automotive field, I would say that the insulation wasn't up-to-spec.

Mid 80's Fords were notorious for split insulation/delamination.

When there is a vibration problem, the copper strands break as well. When there is crummy insulation used, the insulation cracks; usually in multiple places compromising the copper innards.

[seuadr]

heat shrink the new ones with nice gauge tube. it will help.

[jbs80106]

A present when I got home...

Just to spread the word.....

I had emailed the pictures of the split wires to Electrosport, and was awaiting instructions when, to my pleasant surprise, I got home today to find a box waiting for me from UPS. Seems the folks at Electro sent me a replacement stator!

Now that is excellent customer service. I figured I'd get an RMA and send them back the failed one, then get another in the mail a few weeks later.

A+++++ for Electrosport!

[posplayr]

congrats on the happy ending

That was real nice of them. I guess I would test the insulation to convince yourself you had a bad batch only on the old one.
:shock:
Posplayr