The stator saga continues.. Electrex quality issues?

[IanFrancisco]

OK, I've done everything else twice and finally have to consider replacing the stator on my GS450 to get my charging system's juices flowing properly. After having a couple of cars pull out of driveways and side streets RIGHT in front of me I want to able to run the high beam all day around town and still be able to use the electric start, lazy sloth that I am (not to mention night riding, the best AC around!)

A few months ago the opinion seemed to be that Electrex was the brand to have, but I've heard some people badmouthing them lately. So far my new Electrex RR seems good, rectifies and regulates the voltage down below 14.9V above 5000rpm. But neither the stators or RR's are bulletproof, apparently. Maybe people haven't resolved their ground or connector issues before installing expensive parts. That's often what caused the OE parts to fail.

Anyway, what's the best stator out there? Wind your own following the Stator Papers directions? Might be the most bang for the buck, but time consuming and there's always that little doubt that you may have screwed it up! I really want this fixed right the first time. Even though I'm planning on replacing the Phillips with Allens, I don't want to be pulling the cover off more than once in the next couple of years, so Electrex?, Suzuki? any opinions on this "Rick's" brand I heard mentioned? or "roll-yer-own"?

[Anonymous]

I'm was going to take the stator cover off last week to take a look at my stator when I realized that I was really going to need an impact driver to get the screws out. I will definitely be replacing the screws with allen heads. Where are you getting your allen head screws? Local fastener shop? Off the internet?

I was going to take the cheap option and wind my own stator, but if there is clearly a better stator out there I might just save my money and get it.

[IanFrancisco]

allens & impact drivers

eBay seems to be the easiest place to get allen heads, just shop cause some vendors are pricey. Absolutely get an impact driver, $10 for a cheap Taiwanese impact driver from any auto store will still be the best $10 you ever spent.

[Anonymous]

Re: The stator saga continues.. Electrex quality issues?

any opinions on this "Rick's" brand I heard mentioned?"?

I may have been a isolated case. But my Electrix stator failed due to the insulation on the lead wires right where they tie into the stator coils was completely deterioated/gone. Leaving the wires touching.

I bought a Ricks. $140 free shipping. Arrived in 2 days. Of course I am on the East coast as they are. They were quite helpful when I called them.

And it has a extra oustside sheathing at the same spot the Elextrix wires failed.

That was just my experience. I am sure that most are happy with there Electrix stators. It is usually the unhappy that yell the loudest.

Charlie

[dgeorge]

Here is one of the best places to get any type of bolts or screws that you want. You can buy individual or in bulk and the have fast shipping also. http://www.boltdepot.com/

[Anonymous]

I got my allen heads (stainless steel) locally. Most were available at the local hardware store, but some of the larger and smaller ones I needed to get at a specialty fastener shop. If you live in or near a city with about 50,000, you should be alright. The last place I lived (7,000) had one hardware store and it was hit or miss with them.

On the RR, some recommend Honda RRs. Check the thread "Ac genertator question." I'll prbably go that route if/when my Suzuki one fails.

Good luck.

[focus frenzy]

I used chrome allen head bolts on mine! (bling bling)
my problem is with the electrex regulator, the stator is doing just fine (for now)
but if you want to be seen you need to convert to a H-4 type headlight, one that uses a H-4 replacement bulb.
the stock sealed beam is weak. do the conversion and use a sylvania silverstar bulb, very bright and they only use a few watts more than the sealed beam used on the 450's

[IanFrancisco]

Thanks for the feedback gentlemen! I think part of my problem is that I'm already running a 60/55 watt H4 headlight. The OE headlights are what, 50/45? With the lights on and a digital meter hooked up I can watch the voltage drop by about a tenth every two seconds or so (at 1200rpm idle). Turn the lights off and the voltage creeps up by the same rate. Did some more stator testing and I'm seeing about 2 ohms between the stator legs and ground so I probably also have some flaky insulation on my stator. I also noticed that at 2500rpm when cold I was seeing 14.8 volts which made me think it's all good, but after the bike warmed up at 2500rpm I was only seeing 12.3V. My Electrex RR doesn't show 1.5V using the Stator Papers testing method of using diode test mode with the red lead connected to the red output wire of the RR and the black lead on the other three wires, but it does show .5V with the polarity reversed. I doubt the accuracy of the Stator Papers with this test since diodes are only supposed to pass current one way. The factory service manual tests for the regulator are just continuity tests which could be done with a simple test lead. I think the regulator portion is working, at 2500rpm I was seeing 14.8V and at 4500rpm I was seeing 14.0V, still enough to charge the battery if needed. Although I had cleaned up all my grounds I hadn't run a separate ground directly from the RR to the neg. battery. Tested before and after, saw a + .35V differential from battery ground to RR ground before and .16V after, so some gain there. My bike is so clean, it was a garage queen for close to 20 yrs. and the a lot of the wiring and connectors look like new but I still went ahead and sanded and sprayed (contact cleaner w/ silicone) the connectors related to the charging systems and soldered the crimp points. If I get a known good stator in there I hope to be good to go for some time...

Anybody got a link to Rick's?

[bgmart450]

http://www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/

[Anonymous]

Another suggestion for bolts and just about every other piece of hardware you can imagine. Very fast shipping.

http://www.mcmaster.com/

[IanFrancisco]

Surprise, surprise

Well, I found this guy selling stators on eBay. Has his own website, www.rmstator.com based in Canada. His website explains how they rewind their own stators etc. etc. with a 20% increase in power over the OE. He accepts offers and accepts my offer of $135 plus $15 shipping for a new stator for my GS450, which was only $5 off his asking price. He didn't accept my offer of $125 plus $15 shipping which would have equaled what a Rick's cost. So it shows up and lo and behold, it's an Electrex shipped directly from Oceanside CA (calif. not canada) not 80 miles from where I live! I don't know what to do now. I might try and beef up the insulation where Charlie the LandscapeMan said his failed and hope for the best. I doubt if I'll be able to get this Canadian to give me a refund. He never actually said the stator WASN'T an Electrex and I should have known from the picture on eBay that it looked a lot like an Electrex. (There was a good reason for that! )

Anyway, moral of this story is, if you want a stator that isn't a Suzuki and isn't an Electrex, don't buy it from www.rmstator.com!

Wishing I had a Rick's stator...

[Anonymous]

Re: Surprise, surprise

I might try and beef up the insulation where Charlie the LandscapeMan said his failed and hope for the best.
Wishing I had a Rick's stator...

I wouldn't conclude that it is bad because it is a Electrix. Mine may have been a fluke. And had some other factor involved in it's failure that I don't have the knowledge to comprehend. That being said, the seller should have disclosed what he was selling you. For the most part, I find Ebay sellers to be honest. But.... no one likes a surprise when they get something other than what they thougt they should.
Charlie

[IanFrancisco]

I think I'll go ahead and use the Electrex and put some extra epoxy on the area where the three wires come out of the coils. Assuming the rest of the charging system is OK, and I do have a new RR and squeaky clean wiring, that should work. Keep your fingers crossed for me and thanks for the input!

[SqDancerLynn1]

Just make sure to fasten & route the stator wires the same as original