So, i've got a coolant leak.

[inanecathode]

Apparently, in an effort to show off to the local visionaries, my vision decided to puke up a bit of coolant on the ground this afternoon. At first it looked like the cylinder base gasket, but upon thorough investigation it was determined the rear coolant pipe is leaking at the o ringed junction.

What size are these o rings? Also is it best to remove the flange from the head to replace the o rings or remove the thermostat cover. I'm thinking the former would be less expensive if a gasket got ruined in the process.

Thanks,
Bikeless in Black Hawk

[kwells]

dude just take a caulk gun with some GEsiliconII and it'll be a done deal

[Rick G]

I just did mine , I pulled the thermostat cover , its much easier. i don't really know the size , I just grabbed the correct size from my assortment.

[h2olawyer]

I've got the pix.  Will email them to inane tomorrow - just got back from a few hours of hunting for some of Arp's Peculiar Galaxies.  No success - too much water vapor in the air for seeing deep space objects very well.  Couldn't even get them with a 2 minute exposure on the camera.  We'll try again next month.

Anyway, had lunch with inane & pullshocks @ Smokin' Dave's BBQ in Estes Park today.  Lots of good food and even better conversation, getting to know another Visionary!

I found out today that a Vision can make it from Smokin' Daves to my garage with a fried stator!   ::)  It was charging great until I started it to come home.  Never got above 11.5V from the time I backed out of the parking space.  Didn't want to get off & disconnect the headlight as I would have had to start the bike again.  Figured I would risk running the headlight over using the starter again.  I still had enough battery left when I turned onto my street that the turn signals still worked.  However, I didn't dilly-dally coming home.  Left Estes Park about 5PM & was home a bit before 6.  Traffic wasn't too bad, but there were a few cars going only speed limit or 5 over - I made fairly quick work of them & kept a good pace, figuring time was more important than speed at that point.  Volt gauge read just under 11V when I parked the bike.  Guess I'll be installing another stator Thursday or Friday.  Going to swap rotors with tractor while I'm at it.  That's the only part of the charging system I haven't replaced more than once!  At least I got about 3000 miles on this stator - that's a 300% increase over each of the last 5.   ::)

H₂O

[YellowJacket!]

There HAS got to be something different about your bike H2O - Another stator?!?!?!

David

[joevacc]

H2O - You have got to find out what is going on!!! 

YOUR USING UP ALL THE THE STATORS MAN!!!   :o  ;)

I would start looking for a short somewhere.  Something is causing your stators to blow.
Do you have a bunch of accessories on your bike?
I would go through the harness with a fine tooth comb.
Hope you get it worked out.

[h2olawyer]

I'm about 96% sure it's a vibration issue.  I've unwound a couple of my fried stators and they always go at a point where the wire wraps around one of the posts - on the innermost wrap.  I am going to swap out my flywheel / rotor with this stator and am going to order another R/R from Electrosport.  My last Electrosport R/R died but the stator lasted 2500 - 3000 miles this time while the R/R made it a whole 1500 before charging went up to 17+ volts.  I went back to one of my several functioning OEM type R/Rs (that I hadn't used before) and got only another 1,000 miles out of the stator.  That's why I have the 4% doubt of it being a vibration issue.

I have not cut into my wiring harness anyplace.  (nice to be the original owner)  I do have accessories, but have always run them separately off the battery rather than from a tap into the wiring harness.  I now have an auxilliary power center located up in the fairing.  Positive runs direct from positive post, through a relay and up to the fuse block.  Ground also runs direct to the battery.

I had a couple things tapped into the original wiring, but figured a way to tap in at connectors rather than cutting into any wires.  Learned that lesson from cars - don't mess with the wiring - even using scotch locks.

Sorry for the thread hijack, inane - I'll start a new thread on the subject later, after I swap everything out this time.  I'll see about getting another 1000 - 1500 miles on it this fall and see if I've got it fixed this time.

H₂O

[jasonm.]

o-ring is a #13 from the hardware store(7/8" i.d 3/32" thick). It is a hair thicker.  Meaning it will seal better and use a slight dab of grease on it. ALSO make sure there is no corrosion on the area it will rest. remove corrosion w/#600 wet followed by #1000 wet paper does the job.

[Rick G]

H2 , I'm using the Kawaker KZ 1000 RR , I bought used in 2003 , it has a larger heat sink .
The wiring loom in the bike was pretty badly hacked up, when I put it together in 2003 , so I installed one from one of the scrapped bikes , after checking it out and cleaning it up . The stator came from the Vision Racer and was nearly new . It looks like a OEM. I feel truly blessed!!

[h2olawyer]

I got one of the Electrosport R/Rs last year.  Larger heat sink & supposedly upgraded innards.  After about 100 miles, it would intermittently charge @ 17+ volts for a few seconds, then go back to 14.5.  As time & mileage increased, the periods of high charging got longer.  Finally, after about 1500 miles, it stopped regulating entirely & charged @ 17+ volts all the time.  (Unless I had all the electrical components possible on at all times.)  That was when I changed back to a previous R/R.  When I did that swap, I noticed I could no longer use my auxilliary lights - they would cause the voltage to drop to 11 volts.  Swapped to another OEM type R/R and had the same problem.  The stator finally totally fried yesterday.  Will install my spare stator Friday and order another R/R - or find one on eBay and see if that along with a swapped rotor / flywheel might stop the issue once and for all.

H₂O

[inanecathode]

Bahahaha, sorry to have a laugh at your expense H₂O but we were just talking about how long this stator has lasted. I think you even knocked on wood!  :o :D ;)

Hopefully the flywheel will help you out :)

This coolant leak thing will probably stick around till next season. I'm pretty occupied with the RD stuff at the moment,  but i'm sure that'll be done at some point before the snow flies :)

[h2olawyer]

Don't think I saw the irony as I left Smokin' Daves?   ;)

I have been waiting for this one to go, but at least it got about 150% more use than any of the last 5 or 6.  (2500 miles)  Along with the flywheel, I'll go through all the electrics & harness this winter and install a new R/R as soon as it comes in next week.  I'll be swapping the stator today (Friday).  Oh well, needed an oil change anyway.  It's just that the stator replacement adds about 60 ~ 90 minutes to the job - plus who knows how long for the rotor / starter clutch bolts & I normally wait a full day before I add the oil so the Threebond 1104 can cure a bit.

Also going to get some new stator mounting bolts.  The OEM screws were replaced with some good quality (but still philips) units after the first stator died.  Going to get some stainless hex (allen) type fasteners this time.

Going with Spectro semi-synth 10w-40 this oil change.  It was all that was available without driving an extra 25 miles round trip.  Better be good - it cost almost as much as the Bel-Ray full synth per quart!

Got a new oil filter ($9.50) and "O" ring for the cover ($1.75) from the local Yamaha stealer.  Can't believe how much the filters have gone up in the last couple years!  I bought a half dozen three years ago & they were around $5 a piece back then.

H₂O

[pullshocks]

Whew!!  Inane leaks coolant, and H2 fries another stator.  I must be the bringer of bad luck.

[jasonm.]

 I know it won't last forever...But I have 31k on my stator and still going... ;D  I think it's because I run the least rpm possible when I am not in a hurry and the cooler thermostat and a manual fan swithch. Plus I never am stuck in traffic where the engine just gets HOT...  But when the weather is cool I transform into back road rocket boy....at least I try.

[kwells]

that or you're just lucky