Another one bites the dust.

[h2olawyer]

No weight, but did consider using some neoprene washers as vibration dampers.  If it is harmonics, I'll be changing them with a different flywheel, anyway.  That combined with a new, beefier R/R and all the suggested mods will hopefully give me some longer stator life.

H₂O

[jasonm.]

One more thing I did from the beginning was to put a MANUAL fan switch in. This allows me to start cooling the engine should I be stuck in traffic. The earlier you start the fan the sooner it bleeds off excess calories when going slow. As you can see by now. I have done many things to keep the engine as cool running as possible. The only thing I have not done is an oil cooler.

[h2olawyer]

Put the manual fan switch in when I installed the full fairing.  Been at least three stators ago.  Before turning down the thermostat, I ran ti almost continuously to keep the temps down.  With it on, the gauge stayed just above 1/2.  With the thermostat adjusted, the gauge stays under 1/2 except in stop & go traffic & slow, tight, uphill twisties - with no fan running.  In traffic, the gauge goes up to 3/4 and on those slow twisties, it gets just above 1/2.  I do turn it on as I enter town - even with the cooler running.

Since I adjusted it, the cooling fan has rarely come on.  Even when parking the bike after a good ride, it stays cool.  Did the adjustment after I already put over 600 or 700 miles on the last stator.  May have already mostly fried it before I started running cooler.

We'll see how long everything lasts now that the entire charging system will be new, the bike is running cooler, there's an extra ground from R/R to battery & the connections are highly conductive.

H₂O

[h2olawyer]

Well, the stator & R/R didn't arrive Friday.   >:(  According to the package tracking, they should be here Monday.  So much for spending lots extra on shipping!   ::)  Spent more than 24 hours in Louisville, KY.  That delay made it impossible to get them here Friday.

My plans are to swap the flywheel, (including the starter clutch bolt fix on spare flywheel), solder the stator to R/R wires using solder with a good silver content for better connectivity.  Then to protect the connection, I'll be using those cool connectors Tiger recommends - the ones made from shrink tubing that have a low-temp solder ring in the middle.  May even put some hot glue inside the shrink tubing, just to seal them even better.

Then, I'll be making sure the ground wire from the R/R is well connected to both the wiring harness and well connected to the auxilliary ground wire running directly to the battery negative.  Will also clean up the main frame ground (again).  Hopefully, this will kill the fried stator gremlin!  Some new oil and a filter & I should be ready to ride either Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

H₂O

[Rick G]

When you get one unwound , look at the  posts and see if the have any kind of  plastic( shrink tubing) or fiberglass  tube  to protect the  windings from the sharp edge  of the post . Let us know what you see.  In you case it sounds like its  cutting through the insulation .  But why on so many stators.  By the way I still using the same used Kawasaki 1100,  RR I put in in 2003. It has a larger heat sink and its mounted out in the breeze .

[h2olawyer]

That's why I've been thinking I have a harmonic vibration in my stators & why I'm swapping flywheels.  I'm in no hurry to unwind one of the stators, but will git 'er done in the next few weeks.  I will post what I find.  I may do both an OEM & an aftermarket to see who has the better foundation.

The stator & R/R I ordered are from RMStator in Canada.  The R/R is beefier & has a larger heat sink.  Not sure if I'll mount it out in the breeze until I take the bodywork in for new paint this winter.  Weather is cooling off quickly & I won't get more than a few hundred more miles in before the snow flies.  Will be a good time to fab a mount.

Have an 83 tank to paint & will have the fairing & remaining plastics done while I'm at it.  Might as well have it all look like new for next year.  Since I'm going with the original (and fastest  :D ) Star Silver, I'm letting the pros handle it.  Silver is difficult to get right.

H₂O

[Tiger]

solder the stator to R/R wires using solder with a good silver content for better connectivity.  Then to protect the connection, I'll be using those cool connectors Tiger recommends - the ones made from shrink tubing that have a low-temp solder ring in the middle.  May even put some hot glue inside the shrink tubing, just to seal them even better.
H₂O

h2o...Re those "cool connectors Tiger recommends"...you do not have to presolder the join or use hot glue, its already in there 8)

Bare the wire's by 1/4", slip the wire's into the butt conn, apply heat to each end of the butt conn, in turn, to reduce the heat shrink and then apply the heat to the solder ring...viola!!!
 
The heat shrink interior is coated with an adhesive that adhere's to the wire's, which prevent's any wire slip during the installation process and eliminate's any moisture penetration. The solder ring is a "low heat" type. Once applied, they have a tensile strength of 2200 PSI, dielecric strength of 1000 volts/MIL, are non-corrosive and non-nutrient.

:) I hope this help's... ;)

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

[h2olawyer]

I experimented with one Saturday.  Used the procedure you outlined above.  Worked great!

I am presoldering with a solder that has some silver content - it is the best conductive solder available.  Recommended by a local electrics guru.  I decided on my own to use the solder connector.  I know it is not necessary to presolder, but, I want to make sure I have the highest conductivity available this time.  Don't want to fry another stator in 1000 miles!  Figure using suspenders & a belt in this case is appropriate.

Didn't know the glue was inside.  That makes them even cooler!  The one I did Saturday is certainly solid.  Pulled on it pretty hard & the connection didn't move at all.  Put at least 40 pounds of force on it!   8)

Thanks for confirming the installation procedure, Tiger!

H₂O

[h2olawyer]

Stator & R/R arrived just before lunch.  On first examination, the stator appears to be the same one Electrosport sells.  White wire insulation appears to be of Chinese origin.   ::)  Not really pleased about that.  I'll install it & hope for the best.  At least they give a 1 year warranty.

The R/R, on the other hand looks great!  Not sure of it's place of origin, but the red & black wires are much heavier than the OEM wires.  Also lighter weight heat sink - appears like it will dissipate heat more effectively than the OEM type.  The fins have more surface area & are spaced farther apart than the OEM unit.

Well, off to get supplies - screws, bolts, solder & oil.  Then comes the parts swapping / changing.  Should be finished sometime late this afternoon or early evening.

H₂O

EDIT:

After looking at Electrosport's site & RMStator's invoice, the part numbers for the stator & R/R are remarkably similar.  Looks like they just resell Electrosport parts.  However, their prices - at least on the ones I got - are better, even with shipping included.

H₂O

[Tiger]

Thanks for confirming the installation procedure, Tiger!

H₂O

:) Your welcome h...I also understand where your coming from using suspenders & a belt approach... :D :D :D... 8) better safe than sorry, eh!!!

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

[h2olawyer]

Well, stator is installed & cover is back on the bike.  However, my 8 foot flourescent lights just crapped out.   ::)  Replaced the bulbs, but it's still pretty dark - wonder if the ballast went out, too.  Oh well, guess I'll get the 500 watt halogens out & really light up the work zone.   ;D

Decided against swapping the flywheel for now.  Since the stator has a 1 year warranty, I'll give this a try with ALL the rest swapped out.  The new, beefier R/R may do the trick, along with the additional ground.  If this one dies in 1000 miles or so, then I'll do the flywheel swap.  Figure I'll do things a step at a time, until I discover the cause.  My vibration harmonic theory still makes sense, but I'll do the flywheel next summer - if necessary.  Probably won't get more than 400 - 500 miles on it this fall.

This stator fit a little looser on the case cover.  Tightened down solid, though.  Used new loctite blue & impact driver to tighten the screws.  They're still in good shape.  The stator has no wiggle to it now.

The directions that came with this stator said to cut the wires & pull them through the grommets - like I did the last one.  Sure makes it easier not having to clean up the grommets.  Just added a db of Titebond 1104 to each wire before finishing the pull through the grommet.  Worked well last time & those wires were cloth covered.  The new ones aren't.

Well, back to the salt mines . . .

H₂O

[inanecathode]

i give it 900 miles :D
anyone else want in?

[Night Vision]

Guess I'll add a new starter solenoid to the list of replacement parts.  Going to get it fixed this time even if I have to build an entire new wiring harness!

I was going to switch the flywheels, but didn't want to redo the starter clutch bolts at the time.  Lost the gamble.  Will swap flywheel & R/R with this stator change.

I really think it is a vibration issue.  They all failed internally to ground.   The flywheel will be replaced this time - even though it means doing the starter clutch fix again.   ::)

Decided against swapping the flywheel for now.  Since the stator has a 1 year warranty, I'll give this a try with ALL the rest swapped out. 

2 out of 3 H₂O's say swap out the flywheel... one NV said try a new stater solenoid too  ;)
what do you have to lose?

at this point, do you really care what the problem is?  quit supporting the Chinese economy! (oops sorry again.... just trying to say.....)  GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT     

[h2olawyer]

The last two had no warranty.  This one does, so I'll give it a shot with the silver solder, shrink / solder connectors, new beefier R/R, added ground wire & cooler running (adjusted thermostat).  If this one fries, I'll have a spare on hand & can send this one back to RM for replacement.  Then I'll do the flywheel.  Want to make sure of the cause before I go to the trouble of pulling two flywheels & doing another starter clutch bolt fix.

If I'm wrong, so be it.  At least then I'll be have more ammo for my vibration theory.

When I removed the latest stator, the insulation was crispy.  Something not seen in the last couple.  I still need to clean the main ground (again) and replace the now faulty neutral switch.  ::)

Charging @ 14.75V - idle.  Same at 4,000 RPM.  Drops to 12.83V with high beam, aux lights, cooling fan, turn signal & brake light on at idle.  The aux lights take most of the power.  It rises to 13.42V with all the stuff on @ 4,000 RPM.  Checked with both the volt gauge & a digital volt meter.  The two are in very close agreement.  We'll see how long this one lasts . . .

H₂O

[ironb12s]

Looks like the R/R is doing a proper job, so we'll keep fingers crossed furya.  I'm with you on the flywheel, changing too much at one time clouds the testing environ...unless you follow Murphy's corollary:  Everything goes wrong all at once!

[ironb12s]

Bouncing around thru forums, I come across: "The Stator Papers", seems that the Suzuki GS series has had it's day with charging systems like the Vision.  Come to think of it, the stator's what I changed out first thing on MY GS750...
Got a link to "why stators fail"...

http://www.thegsresources.com/garage/gs_statorfail.htm

You may have the same thing over here, but I didn't find it as easily as I did the GS forum...   :)

[ironb12s]

Also, H2O (Robert, may I call you "Robert"?):    :)

http://www.thegsresources.com/garage/gs_statorrewind.htm

Should provide good info if you rewind any of your stators...

About GS Resources, there were many, many more models built over many, many years compared to the XZ550, so naturally it gets muddy sometimes.  Truth is, tho', what applies to one GS is applicable to all, is one of the reasons the GS line lasted as long in manufacture, and has lasted as long on the streets.  The GS850G is known as the WMPM, or World's Most Perfect Motorcycle.  They rank with the old BMW's in terms of longevity and reliability.  And, they are really what my sig relates to...  Take care of them, they'll be with you the rest of your life.

[h2olawyer]

I prefer H2O on the forum - mainly for continuity's sake.  Robert is fine for PM & email, etc.

I will NOT - repeat - NOT be rewinding any stator.  Too much of a PITA.  I will be unwinding one or two of my fried ones as part of failure analysis.  There is a place in Denver that rewinds stators.  If I can find them again (lost the link  ::) ).  I want to go see them in person & have some custom wound stators made.  These stators will make a bit less power than the OEM units (fewer windings per leg).  Maybe then, they won't put so much stress on the R/R and there will be less need to dump as much excess power to ground.  That may keep the stator from heating up too much.  Might be worth a try.

H₂O

[ironb12s]

Check yer PM's, H2O.  Third phase is called into question on the stators...

[h2olawyer]

Got it, thanks.   ;D

H₂O