stator and rectifier replacement

[scottsgs]

Hi,

Should the stator and rectifier be replaced if I have the money? I had a few episodes this past summer where the bike sounded like it didn't want to start. I checked the water and topped it off where needed, made sure the battery had a good charge and rode to work. After the bike sat for about 10 hours, it would be very sluggish at start-up. Is this something that is a wear and tear item?

Scott

[123repeater]

For under 10$ you can get a multimeter... You can check the output of you stator on each of its 3 legs, instructions to do this (in pretty good detail)can be found in the stator papers, right here on GSResources.. But IMO it doesn't sound like a stator problem.
ben-

[tomm]

Hi,
Nowhere near enough information to answer your question, including what bike (unless I missed that somewhere).

Sure - the rectifier/regulator and stator can be problematic on these bikes, but also connectors and grounds. Plenty of info available under search on cleaning connectors, re-wiring, adding additional grounds, etc. Then the stator papers should get you your answer. Update the thread often with your progress. Plenty of folks to help. If you don't have a digital multimeter, you'll need to get one.

Fact that you need to keep topping off the battery is a definite clue to a bad ground on the R&R and over-charging. Will take out the stator if not fixed. But best to go through the process right from the start. Swapping parts without fixing bad connections will only give you a new set of bad parts.
Tom

[123repeater]

Swapping parts without fixing bad connections will only give you a new set of bad parts.
Tom

learned that the hard way

[chef1366]

Read through the Stator Papers.

http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_garage.htm

Research Research Research! That's the only way to fix up these old bikes. And of course ask here.

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. scottsgs,

Have you had a chance to clean all of the electrical connections, grounds, fuse box, etc, from the headlight bucket to the tail light? Have you run a dedicated ground wire from the r/r to the negative terminal of the battery? Do those first, then get a cheap multimeter and go through The Stator Papers. Then you'll have a lot more information to work with. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Steve]

You can also get a decent idea how well the charging sytem is doing without working any harder than pulling a side cover or just lifting the seat (whatever it takes to get to the battery terminals). Before you start the bike, measure the voltage at the battery terminals. Should be over 12.0, preferably over 12.5. Start the bike, let it warm up (this will also charge the battery a bit from the discharge of starting it). Connect your voltmeter leads again (if you removed them), slowly rev the engine while watching the voltmeter. Around 2500 rpm or so, you should see the voltage peak, then drop just a bit. As you go higher, it might climb just a bit more. Most manuals say to check the voltage with the engine at 5,000 rpm. I have never seen much difference from 4,000 and up, so anywhere up there will probably be OK. The factory manual calls for 14.0 to 15.5 volts. If you are not in this range, then you can start diagnosing by checking stator voltages, etc. Regardless of your findings, it still makes sense to go through and check ALL your electrical connectors on the bike, whether they are part of the charging system or not. This is something that should be done every few years, and chances are that it has not been done for about 25 years.

.

[Road_Clam]

Hi,

Should the stator and rectifier be replaced if I have the money? I had a few episodes this past summer where the bike sounded like it didn't want to start. I checked the water and topped it off where needed, made sure the battery had a good charge and rode to work. After the bike sat for about 10 hours, it would be very sluggish at start-up. Is this something that is a wear and tear item?

Scott

I know on my 1100 if it sits for more than a few months without some battery charge maintenence, my bike's battery will be low. I keep my bike charged with a battery tender when not in use to save my battery.

I can also tell you when I restored my 1100 in '04, I replaced both the stator and the R/R with Electrosport pieces, and in hindsight, I had an overcharging R/R. It was putting out 16V @ 5000 rpm's, which was causing all kinds of problems. I sent the R/R to Electrosport, and they told me the R/R tested within spec, and basically told me to go pound sand as far as a warranty replacement R/R. I purchased a Rick's R/R, installed it and I am now charging at 14.5V (perfect)
I tell my story to everyone asking charging questions, do NOT purchase Electrix/Electrosport components, they suck.

One last tip, remover your headlight, and check all the connectors for corrosion inside the headlight bucket, this is an area that festers mositure corrosion. I melted a connector, and almost fried my whole wiring harness ! Heres a link:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=105528&highlight=corrosion