Regarding Charging System Failures

[Tom Herold]

While you're in there replacing the stator, there's a press in oil seal I replaced just as a precaution. Triumph of Charlotte, NC, had one on the shelf when I called about parts.

Also, the stator cover has a gasket on it.  Either be very careful when pulling the cover off, or have a new gasket on-hand - I had to order one and wait for it to come in.....

The rectifier's a pain in the butt to get to because it's burried under the tank. Once you pull the tank, it's out in the open and easy to access.

While the tank's off, might as well change out the fuel filter too...... a very simple job.

If you're ready for an airfilter....... the tanks off.....

Um... what else can he do while he's in there.....?

Might as well make the best of it!

[Bixxer Bob]

That's how I go to the shop for a 50p bolt and end up spending £40 :oops:

[matttys]

While you're in there replacing the stator, there's a press in oil seal I replaced just as a precaution. Triumph of Charlotte, NC, had one on the shelf when I called abotu parts.

Also, the stator cover has a gasket on it.  Either be very careful when pulling the cover off, or have a new gasket on-hand - I had to order one and wait for it to come in.....

The rectifier's a pain in the butt to get to because it's burried under the tank. Once you pull the tank, it's out in the open and easy to access.

While the tank's off, might as well change out the fuel filter too...... a very simple job.

If you're ready for an airfilter....... the tanks off.....

Um... what else can he do while he's in there.....?

Might as well make the best of it!

I'm planning on using a new gasket and getting a new oil seal.  Already did all the other items on your list within the last hundred miles.  

I will report back when I've got the new RR and stator in.

[matttys]

So I finally got the sasquatch voltage fix to work and that took me from 11V to 11.4V at idle and 12V to 12.5V at 4k rpm.  

I have all my added accessories unplugged for the below tests. . .

I checked for a voltage leak via the negative battery terminal and I found that when I removed the heated grip fuse that the multimeter dropped from showing charge to showing nothing.  Could there be a leak there or is the circuit just electrified when the bike is turned off?  I didn't see any difference in volts with or without the heated grip fuse when the bike was running.

My next concern is that with the sasquatch fix I increased I increased output, but that is still way below what I would deem to be normal.  I have a new RR and stator here and checked the RR by plugging the new RR into the bike and the voltages read the same as with the old RR.  Therefore, I don't think the RR is to fault here.  

Is there some way to check the output of the stator?  I'd really like to verify that the stator is to blame before I dump my new oil and tear the case off the engine.  

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

[AndyM]

Is there some way to check the output of the stator?  I'd really like to verify that the stator is to blame before I dump my new oil and tear the case off the engine.  

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

First of all you don't need to drain the oil to replace the stator. You'll lose about a tablespoon when you pull the cover but that's about it.

Check the stator. Unplug the stator from the harness. Set your multimeter to volts AC. Rev the bike to around 4000 and measure the volts AC between the three wires from the stator. A-B, B-C, A-C. A healthy stator will read better than 60vac and the readings will be the same (or very close) between the three wires. Make sure you measure AC volts, not DC.

[matttys]

All three configurations from the stator a-b, a-c, b-c are right at about 60vac at 4,000 rpms.  So if it's not the stator or the RR, I'm wondering where my inefficiency lies. . .

[Stretch]

How old is the battery?  (Forgive me if you already said... I didn't feel like going back through the whole thread.)

It could be that small bits of lead, having flaked off the plates in the battery, shorted a cell and caused some of the incoming voltage to dump to ground inside the battery.  The new battery, having no lead deposits laying across the bottom of the cells, is able to accept and use the full charge coming from the charging system.

Did you check each Stator wire to Ground?  There should be Infinite Ω (no continuity at all).

[matttys]

How old is the battery?  (Forgive me if you already said... I didn't feel like going back through the whole thread.)

Brand spank'n new WestCo battery.  I changed that out first as I didn't know how old the PO's battery was.

Did you check each Stator wire to Ground?  There should be Infinite Ω (no continuity at all).

I have not done this.  I assume you just ground each line to the negative terminal of the battery?  Also, should it matter if I'm on AC or DC?

On AC the needle moved a hair, but nothing major.  This was the routine on all three outputs from the stator.

[Stretch]

Not Voltage, Resistance in Ohms... Ω.  Engine off, Stator disconnected from the R/R.

[matttys]

Not Voltage, Resistance in Ohms... Ω.  Engine off, Stator disconnected from the R/R.

Geez, now you are trying to make me remember what I learned in my intro to EE class  :shock:

With the engine off, multimeter to Ohms, there is infinite resistance in all three leads when connected to the negative terminal of the battery.

[Stretch]

As it ought to be, no shorts in the Stator.  Good.

[matttys]

As it ought to be, no shorts in the Stator.  Good.

I'm reading through the F650 FAQs right now. . . I've read them many times before as I have a FI Dakar, but I've never ventured down the stator/rr path before.

Should it matter if I'm measuring the voltage from a switched source?  I've got the APC2 fuse panel running off the tail light, would wiring the Datel directly to the battery provide a different reading?  I wouldn't think so as the voltage should be the same throughout the entire system.

[Stretch]

It may vary .1 or .2 Volts, depending on the internal resistance in the relays, wiring, fuses, connectors, etc.  But not enough to really make a difference here.

[matttys]

It may vary .1 or .2 Volts, depending on the internal resistance in the relays, wiring, fuses, connectors, etc.  But not enough to really make a difference here.

Really?  I just connected the Datel to the perminantly "on" side of the APC2 and read 13.1V at idle and 13.7V at 4,000 rpm.  

Could there really be that much inefficiency in the APC2 or in the brake wiring to cause this large of a drop in voltage?  I'm running 10ga wire for the voltage fix and 14ga and 16ga wire for everything else on the bike.

[Stretch]

Dang.  That is quite a difference.  There's a big voltage drop going on there somewhere.  13.7 isn't bad.