maybe electrical, maybe fuel/air. bike stalls, gets very hot

[detorn]

so this morning it wouldn't even start. I pulled the head light fuse and got it running.

assuming I'm doing it right the voltage tests were

LL - 65 and change across the board
LG - 1.5 across the board

this was at 4k rpms, highest I could get it to go on its own

 

[posplayr]

so this morning it wouldn't even start. I pulled the head light fuse and got it running.

assuming I'm doing it right the voltage tests were

LL - 65 and change across the board
LG - 1.5 across the board

this was at 4k rpms, highest I could get it to go on its own

Well this is very marginal test cold, but you are showing some bleed through of the stator voltage to ground. That is saying the stator is on the way out. I suspect when the bike is warm it gets worse until the bike will not charge anymore. In other words LG continues to climb.

If you could verify that by running a little longer LG continues to climb?

If you were a little closer I would send you my dummy tester, but you probably want to get back on the road faster than that. The dummy load tester will heat the stator up as you run the bike.

Your bike is exhibiting the marginal condition that can make you want to pull your hair out. Fortunate that the LG voltage is showing something and you are on to it. (i.e. that there is insulation breakdown)

 

[detorn]

okay, I'll go let it run for a bit and test again. assuming that it is an insulation break down, what do I do about it and does that still mean that the stator is on its way out?

thanks again for your help

 

[posplayr]

okay, I'll go let it run for a bit and test again. assuming that it is an insulation break down, what do I do about it and does that still mean that the stator is on its way out?

thanks again for your help

Yes it means the stator is going. Double check your VOM that when you put it on AC and measure a wall outlet you read 120V AC, but other than a wrong measurement it looks like the stator is marginal and goes out in earnest after it gets hot.

 

[detorn]

new numbers after getting a little warm

LL @ 5k between 85 and 90 on all the
LG is had to test cause I have a probe tester not a clamp, but it did appear to be dropping.

*correction I got the bike to hold at 5k for testing.
LL @5k 84 on all 3
LG @5k 2.5 on all 3

 

[detorn]

another follow up question. could the extreme over heating kill the stator? hate to replace it and kill a new one.

 

[posplayr]

another follow up question. could the extreme over heating kill the stator? hate to replace it and kill a new one.

How old is the stator? Any idea what happened to make it get so hot? Got oil in it? Did you change the carbs, pods,exhaust?

 

[posplayr]

new numbers after getting a little warm

LL @ 5k between 85 and 90 on all the
LG is had to test cause I have a probe tester not a clamp, but it did appear to be dropping.

*correction I got the bike to hold at 5k for testing.
LL @5k 84 on all 3
LG @5k 2.5 on all 3

2.5 V means that it is leaking and not just noise.

For those folloing anlong

LG is the stator Leg to Ground test.

 

[detorn]

How old is the stator? Any idea what happened to make it get so hot? Got oil in it? Did you change the carbs, pods,exhaust?

no idea on how old the stator is, I can only assume it is original, but I can not say for sure.

as far as carbs they were dipped, new orings, new intake rubber with new orings, new jets just a return to stock sizing they were lean. everything else is what it should be

I put oil in less than a week ago because what was in there had burned off. I picked up the orings to do a oil change yesterday. kind of waiting for this to be sorted out before I put all the new stuff in.

there are a couple of spots where oil can be seen, but never enough to touch the ground, and no noticeable decline in amount of oil since that top off which was about 160 miles ago.

not really sure if the heat is a new condition or has always been like that. this is the most I've ridden it since its purchase. maybe the undersize jets causing it to run lean made it overheat?

 

[posplayr]

no idea on how old the stator is, I can only assume it is original, but I can not say for sure.

as far as carbs they were dipped, new orings, new intake rubber with new orings, new jets just a return to stock sizing they were lean. everything else is what it should be

I put oil in less than a week ago because what was in there had burned off. I picked up the orings to do a oil change yesterday. kind of waiting for this to be sorted out before I put all the new stuff in.

there are a couple of spots where oil can be seen, but never enough to touch the ground, and no noticeable decline in amount of oil since that top off which was about 160 miles ago.

not really sure if the heat is a new condition or has always been like that. this is the most I've ridden it since its purchase. maybe the undersize jets causing it to run lean made it overheat?

So this is a '85 GS550E? How do you know it is running HOT? Do you have a gauge? Not sure I have followed why the jetting would have changed? Pipes/Pods? Other mods?

 

[detorn]

the jets that were in there when I bought it were not right. I just changed them to being right. no pipes, pods or other. spec is 102.5 they had 92.5 in them.

 

[detorn]

as far as knowing its running hot, don't know for sure... just a lot hotter than any other bike I've had.

let me swap the stator out and get it running again and we'll dig back into this heat thing if it still needs it.

 

[detorn]

stator has been swapped. new coils, caps and leads, oil change. all new fuses. fresh gas. bike started twice couldn't hold idle for more than 5 minutes and is not starting back up.