Update on my fried stator cure

[darkvision]

Hi,  I posted a couple of years about my attempt to prevent early stator failure  by installing cooling fins on the left side engine case. I installed my last stator (my 4th one,  a used Honda Shadow 700 stator ) in 2007  at about 19K miles and bolted on 2 heatsinks over the valve timing inspection cover .    IR gun heat testing indicated a temperature of about 140-150*F. after a long hot run with the cooling fins and a temperature of over 212* without the cooling fins.  We verified this last summer while riding with Visionmeister and Racer 8 by pouring water on the cases;  theirs instantly boiled the water ,  mine didn't. Now I'm at 37K miles with the same used stator working great.  attached is a picture of my cooling fins. 

[vadasz1]

Are those fins just some standard computer processor cooling fins?

[darkvision]

Hi, Yes , just some surplus heat sinks

[supervision]

 I guess I better do the same, don't need to budget that improvement!  Only makes since that it would be cooler, and your stator life is almost double mine, so far.

[vadasz1]

DV:  show us the pics of your installed heat sinks.

[QBS]

See first post in this thread.

[vadasz1]

Sorry, didn't recognize the cover under all those fins. 

That sure is one ugly looking setup, but as you say it works FANtastic.  I wonder if putting a fan on the fins would make a bigger difference o not.  Hmmmmm........

[Lucky]

No offense intended.. but boy.. that's some butt ugly..  

[kev10104]

Good for you Darkvision for thinking outside the box.

[Rikugun]

While some unnamed poster focused entirely on the aesthetics of your experiment, I'm impressed by the numbers. That is a significant reduction in temperature especially given the convex shape of the alternator cover. I'm guessing there is less actual contact then the physical dimensions of the heat sinks would suggest? Or did you shape the back to follow the contour of the cover. Either way, nice results. I especially like the "real world" test with water to back up the numbers. Nothing like a live demonstration!  :D

[darkvision]

Thanks !  Now that I'm running with side panels it's amazing how heat is emitted from the cases, particularly the left.  I did a short ride wearing  ankle high boots and ankle socks and it would just about cooked my left ankle.  If I ever get a larger heatsink , I could cut it to the contour of the stator bump but for now its covered by the sidepanel so its ugliness is hidden.

[Lucky]

i'm not unnamed, it was me...

[Tiger]

I'm not unnamed, it was me...

:o Noooooooooooooooooooo, really, that was you!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ;D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

But I do agree with your sentiment, regardless... ;)

                8) ....... TIGER ....... 8)

[VFan]

The numbers are indeed very impressive! I still get uncomfortable during the summer months as I watch my temp needle creep closer to the red. Having said that the heat sink isn't viable for my situation. I suffered 18 months of berating from my wife before I got the RJ looking respectable (it was totally hammered when I bought it) and thus earned a spot on the driveway. If I put those heatsinks on my bike, it would get the boot back to the side of the house behind the fence.

 

[supervision]

 Ok, make a water jacket.

[munkyfistfight]

I wonder what those heat sinks are made of and if one could be fashioned for the end of the cover (designed for both functionality and cosmetics) to even replace the little crankshaft end bolt cover. Especially if the numbers are that drastic.

A heatsink plate that bolts on to replace the YICS logo thingy. If done correctly, it might not be drastically noticeable.

[Rikugun]

Kudos to you sir, you get it.  :)

[JohnAMcG]

They are usually copper or some aluminum alloy.  Copper I think is better for conductive reasons, while the aluminum alloys are better for manufacturing.  Not sure though.  Either way, a great idea for a bolt on upgrade, that Im sure someone a little more artistically inclined than myself, could make look "cool". 

[munkyfistfight]

It might be simple to make a cast first. Like a plaster cast of the outside of the case, so we could make a mold for the convex outer shell, and go from there. If the numbers are really that significant, we should all do this. It seems less invasive and complicated than constructing an oil cooler.

I really like this idea.

I have an idea for a drawing of how this should look.

How deep are the fins on the heat sink you ran your tests on?

[Night Vision]

I've clocked 12,000 miles on a used Hondo Shadow stator...  my longest lasting stator so far.....knock on wood  :-X

I think the quality of the stator has much to do with longevity....