regulator/rectifier cooling

[deano]

Have you ever put your hand on your R/R to see how hot it gets? I was quite suprised at how hot mine got especialy while it was idling, iI found this link in which you add a fan to it to keep it cooler. I did it to my GSX750 and it has made a big diffrence to the temperture of the R/R It can only be good for it. http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/S.../reg-rect.html

[Billy Ricks]

I went a little different route. Since the R/R is already finned I hot-glued a CPU fan to the R/R to blow down across the fins. Since the fans are 12 volts anyway it's no big deal to hook up.

[deano]

I went a little different route. Since the R/R is already finned I hot-glued a CPU fan to the R/R to blow down across the fins. Since the fans are 12 volts anyway it's no big deal to hook up.

Yeah i did the same thing there is not enough room to fit the heat sink as well as the fan so i just siliconed the fan to the R/R works A1

[Anonymous]

I was at the local Kawasaki dealer and noticed that the cruisers have a gigantic RR mounted to the rear left hand side of the frame just fore of the swing arm. When I say huge it is 3 times the size of our RRs!

So, perhaps all you need to do is mount the RR somewhere other than under the side cover. As a plus you won't have to be concerned about the fan being damaged by water/mud. The heatsink and paste are both good ideas though.

Steve

[Anonymous]

cooler r/r

shouldn't the fan be positioned so that the fan is pulling heat AWAY from
the R/R instead of blowing onto it??
if you look at the type of fan you would use on a computer it actually works by drawing heat away from the processor(i looked at mine). maybe i'm wrong but thats the way i have mine configured on my bike.
any ideas??

[Billy Ricks]

Not all heatsinks are set up that way. Some blow the air across the heatsink and others pull it off. Alpha heatsinks are one that pull the air off. With the way the fins are on the R/R I felt it was more effective to blow cool air across it.

[Anonymous]

Don't think it makes much difference which way the fan is blowing. Cooler ambient air is either pulled or pushed across the hot surface, take your pick.

Steve

[Anonymous]

Hot,hot,hot!!

This subject DID come up a few months ago with some ultra-tech types getting way out of hand with esoteric physics interpretations!
I'll try to sum it up!
An electronic component has a "rating" as to what it can 'handle' with regard to voltage and current.
As with most power type units that dissipate power as heat they must be 'sunk' as in attached to a heatsink to obtain full rating.
Unfortunately all electronics are subject to two effects that tends to destroy them-Vibration-and-Heat, both of which bikes have in spades.
Rick........