Stator woes

[modelman]

Since the latest US import is more or less complete, I want to try & get everything working before its pulled down, that way there should be no surprises when its re-assembled!
So, new battery & drive chain fitted, starter sorted, fueled up & instant start, so far so good!
I noticed that there was no charge at all, tested out the stator only to find open curcuits & dead shorts on others, Bugger.
Checked on line, only to find junk, then found someone who could do a re-wind for around £190.00, just about to commit, when I thought, 'what have I to lose if I pull it apart, no apparent burning anywhere, so apart she came.
WOW, some numpty in a previous live had obviously been there before me, heavy gouging from being over-gripped in a vice, & as it came away, the alloy cast-ring fell in two!!
A closer look reveled one inter-coil wire broken & a second actually trapped between the alloy ring & the stator core, so tight that the insulation was gone & the copper wire was flattened out, so not only was it stripped very badly, it was re-assembled even worse!!
Carefully pulled apart, wires cleaned,fluxed & re-soldered, new local insulation, & I at last have NO shorts to ground & equal resistance between the output wires!!
Re-fitted to the bike & luckily for me, the tight fit into the cases keeps it together, & it still checks out ok, not charging the battery yet, but one down, a few more to go!!

[brewsky]

Excellent job!

You have inspired me to try repairing my new, just out of warranty, portable generator!

[modelman]

I might have spoken too soon!
Can some of you 'leccie' experts tell me where i'm going wrong, I THOUGHT I had it sorted, but I don't seem to be getting any volts, all 3 wires have a few ohms resistance between them, & there is NO continuity down to ground, so to me, it seems right. RIGHT??

Back on the bike, I start it up, only to find mili-volts from each wire to ground, am I doing this right??
I expected 12 & more??
Is it possible to have it all check out ok & still have no volts?
This may well explain why the bikes electrics have been 'butchered' in a previous life!

[G-Man]

Have you got the battery/rectifier in circuit?

G

I might have spoken too soon!
Can some of you 'leccie' experts tell me where i'm going wrong, I THOUGHT I had it sorted, but I don't seem to be getting any volts, all 3 wires have a few ohms resistance between them, & there is NO continuity down to ground, so to me, it seems right. RIGHT??

Back on the bike, I start it up, only to find mili-volts from each wire to ground, am I doing this right??
I expected 12 & more??
Is it possible to have it all check out ok & still have no volts?
This may well explain why the bikes electrics have been 'butchered' in a previous life!

[cadman]

Once on the bike and running you need to check the AC voltage output of the stator. Disconnect the plug to the rectifier and check the AC voltage for 1 -2, 2-3, 3-1 .

The voltage will go up and down as the the rpm's go up and down - each leg should be close to the same voltage. If I remember the voltage is around 30VAC at higher rpm's. If you get these readings and still don't see at least 12.5VDC after the rectifier than possibly the rectifier is bad. Make sure the plug between the rectifier and stator is very tight and clean. The plug is a very common problem on the 4 cylinder bikes - I usually solder the wires together and eliminate the plug.


Also note that the Dreams charging system (sucks) will barely keep with the demand of the system. At fairly high rpm's is the only time you have any chance of maintaining enough current to keep the battery charged. Most of the larger 4 cylinder bikes I work on will show over 50VAC from the alternator.

Actually you are only seeing 2/3 of alternator output at the battery normally and the additional 1/3 when the headlight is on.

[DJM]

Actually I think it's the other way round. One third of the alternator output during 'daytime' running with the other two thirds coming into play when the headlight is switched ON.

[modelman]

None of the above, I have the brown (common) pink & yellow wires only, nothing connected, just as they exit from the grommet under the carb straight from the coils, & have the meter from the bullet connectors.
NOT connected to the rectifier, static connecting shows resistance between them, & then no shorts to ground, I'm then checking for voltage with the engine running, but only getting milli-volts, the readings DO change as it is revved up, but not much, less than a volt.
Am I doing it wrong?