Just got a GS550E with some issues...

[Anonymous]

batt

Your battery should be more like 14v when charging. You might want to look into charging system diagnostics. Basically the bike should run without a battery connected if the charging system is working properly.

[earlfor]

Re: batt

DONT DO IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Earl

Your battery should be more like 14v when charging. You might want to look into charging system diagnostics. Basically the bike should run without a battery connected if the charging system is working properly.

[Nerobro]

I won't run it without the battery. no reason tostress out those underrated componnents if I don't have to. The fact that it's generating voltage is good enough to make me halfway giddy.

[Anonymous]

14v

Yes i should have said its not wise thing to do.

[Nerobro]

Well, I've killed my first battery. I bought a new one today. The battery voltage was at 11.45v when I got home from my ride tonight. Twenty miles. It started at 12.45 volts. So I'm not sure what's up yet. I'm going to go through the charging system tomorow. And I have dielectric grease to redo all the connectors.

The bike still idles at 2500 rpm. Depite messing with all of possiable settings that could affect the idle. i'm pretty sure there are no vaccum leaks around the carb. But I will be running a test on that tomorow. A quick spritz of wd40 should help me check that out for sure.

[Nerobro]

Today we checked the charing system again. Depending on how the wires from the vreg/rectifier is wiggled I get anything from the right number, to naut. I think it's time toget a new rectifier...

It looks like THAT might be the problem with my charging system.

Now... there's something else up too. I get 58 volts on one coil, 60 on another coil, and 2 volts on another coil of the stator.

[earlfor]

Until you have the charging system fixed and working properly to provide a steady and consistant voltage to the ignition system, It is not possible to adjust a uniform idle, or to adjust the carbs. If the engine does not have electrical power to run correctly, there is nothing on the bike you can check or adjust. PERIOD!!!!

Earl

Well, I've killed my first battery. I bought a new one today. The battery voltage was at 11.45v when I got home from my ride tonight. Twenty miles. It started at 12.45 volts. So I'm not sure what's up yet. I'm going to go through the charging system tomorow. And I have dielectric grease to redo all the connectors.

The bike still idles at 2500 rpm. Depite messing with all of possiable settings that could affect the idle. i'm pretty sure there are no vaccum leaks around the carb. But I will be running a test on that tomorow. A quick spritz of wd40 should help me check that out for sure.

[earlfor]

The stator should have an output of 80 volts AC at 5000 rpm on each phase. If it does not, it is faulty and needs to be replaced. If the stator is putting out 58 volts on one phase, 60 volts on another and 2 volts on the next phase, it is not possible for the R/R to have the "right" charge rate regardless of how its wires are wiggled. You need an R/R also.

Earl

Today we checked the charing system again. Depending on how the wires from the vreg/rectifier is wiggled I get anything from the right number, to naut. I think it's time toget a new rectifier...

It looks like THAT might be the problem with my charging system.

Now... there's something else up too. I get 58 volts on one coil, 60 on another coil, and 2 volts on another coil of the stator.

[Nerobro]

However... there are other options. I am picking up a new-used GS850 reg. It looks to be a much larger unit, and that reassures me.

What I'm looking at right now is a stator with one toasted coil, and potentially dieing magnets in my alternator. :-/ I can't think of any other reason why two coils would have lost aproxamately the same voltage at 5000rpm.

I am bench testing the rectifier right now. I think part of it is shot as well. Therefore why i'm picking up that 850 vreg/rect.

Looking on the bright side of life, the charging system is nearly at unity. I only lost one volt of battery despite driving for twenty miles last night. Though the bike is garaged untill I get everything properly done on the bike.

Every day I love and hate the bike more :-) I think my bike doesn't have a single transistor in it. that entertains me. Six weeks and counting untill I necessarily need a working bike.

thanks for any advice. :-) I won't try getting picky about the idle and other bike behaviours untill after I get the charging system in tip top shape.

I picked up some dielctric grease, and I'm going to be going through and cleaning all the contacts on the bike. Whatta project.

[Nerobro]

Bench testing shows the vreg/rect dead. It works.. sorta. Just not all parts are working ;-) Which could explainthe funny restults while checking the charging system today. Hopefully I'll have a new/used rectifier coming soon. And maybe then my stator will gimme the right readings. :-)

[earlfor]

The stator output has absolutely NO relationship to whether the rectifier is new, perfect, old or not working at all!

The stator output is the well, the rectifier is the bucket. If the well is dry, it doesnt do you any good to get a bigger bucket!

RUN THE BIKE AT 5K RPM AND CHECK AC VOLTAGE LIKE I SAID!!!!!!!

Good Grief PAY ATTENTION!!!!!

Earl

P.S. Have your attention now? :-)

Hopefully I'll have a new/used rectifier coming soon. And maybe then my stator will gimme the right readings. :-)

[Nerobro]

good greif? Did you see that I did check the A/C volatage on the stator. I'm aware that the two tend to go at the same time. one causing the other to die.

I bench tested my rectifier to make sure that I would not fry another stator, or a rewound one when installed.

for the reccord. at 5000 rpm I got 58 and 60 volts for two of the coils in the rectiifer. And 2 or 10 volts (depending on weather or not the headlight was turned on) for the third coil.

Given that both working coils are 20 volts low that would seem to indicate dieing permanant magnets. And one shorted coil. simply put the stator is toast too.

So yeah. I need to rewind the stator, and get a new rectifier, which i mentioned earlier.

[earlfor]

Given your statement below, why would you have made this statement?
(Hopefully I'll have a new/used rectifier coming soon. And maybe then my stator will gimme the right readings.

Earl

Given that both working coils are 20 volts low that would seem to indicate dieing permanant magnets. And one shorted coil. simply put the stator is toast too.

So yeah. I need to rewind the stator, and get a new rectifier, which i mentioned earlier.

[Nerobro]

First off. Drop the nastiness. It's not apreciated. If you want to get good results explain why what I'm saying is wrong. Don't scream, you will not get good results.

At this point I know the stator and rectifier are dead. I've tested both. Right now I'm just playing around to see exactly what failed.

From my understanding if you draw more amps from an a/c circut (a winding on the stator) the voltage will drop. (remember the 58 and 60 volts?) I was curious to see if a new regulator would show that two of the coils are just fine. Again, that won't make the third coil work. But it would mean I diagnosed it right.

I don't know much about ac. I work with computers, so I havne't had much experience with how it works, beyond it's behavior in a transformer, and it's related ability to induce voltages in nearby wires. *wonders if this is why he sees 2 or 10 volts on that third coil*

[bybowtie]

hey now...Jeesh..no need to get testy.. Thats just Earl, he gets his point across(gotta watch the emoticons) He is probably the most thourough GS'r on this board lord knows I'd be well S.U.T.C sans paddle if it werent for his cander on many occasions.....
From the 2 years I been in this board(incl and off/on period of 8 mos or so) I have rebuilt 2 GS's from the ground (rust actually) and am currently trying like hell to ressurect my 1150 with the help from Earl and other members on the board;heck was on the phone( which I hate btw cant stand talking on them) w/ Earl last night(wife was too) until almost 1 am and he helped a great bit...
If he's asking a question or say repeating something you've stated, maybe its something he's trying to learn or uderstand as well....
Dont take things to personal on this site or Simon may find out!!! :twisted:
Enjoy th bike it will be a great learningexperiencefor you and youll love it more if YOU fix it!
Good luck, Keith