Need New Charging System For `91 Fat Boy - Cycle Electric Good?

[frisco-rigid]

Hi Coast

After reading your last post I have this feeling in my gut that although you said you did "....every test plus some" that you actually Did Not do the tests I sugg'd you do in my first post to you..

To be absolutely sure it is indeed the Stator that is failing you must test it..

First put your Multi-meter on lowest Ohm's setting..
Pull out the Voltage Reg plug from the stator plug..
Insert one meter pin into either stator female plug hole and touch the other meter pin to ground- any ground..
If there is ANY reading what-so-ever you need go NO further,, stator is shot..

If it is ok then next insert BOTH meter pins into Both stator female holes and look at the reading.. It should be between .1 & .2..
Something to consider--- some meters do Not adjust for the resistance that is present in their own wiring so you must touch the meter pins together and get that reading and Then subtract it from the readings you're testing..
That is only for Ohm's/resistance readings.. If you can adjust yours to Zero before any tests then cool daddio..

If that checks OK then next set the meter on AC VOLTs and start the motor..
Now re-insert both meter pins into both stator female holes and slowly rev the motor.. You should get about 20 AC Volts per 1,000 Rpm's up to about 60 ACV's at 3,000 Rpm's..
If any of those tests fail then Yes you need to replace, at the very least, the stator..
If those tests all pass then you do NOT have a bad stator, simple as that..
It still may Not be big enough for your requirements however..

My next sugg would then be to Load Test the Batt.. If it passes then all that's left is Usually the Volt Reg that is failing you..
In-other-words if the Stator and the Batt check out good the Only other Charging component is the VR so it's gotta be that..

Like I said before these tests just might save a wee dough..

[Gas Man]

I have the same exact procedure in my big dog manual for testing the stator. Have yet to read it as such in the HD manuals cause I haven't had the need.

Correct me if I'm wrong there is no way to field check a VR? All you can do is eliminate everything else?

I had a VR go bad on me once... killed the battery within hours. I believe it was shorting out and plain ole draining it. When I went to check on it... I tested the stator as indicated... when I reconnected it I could hear the VR burning... had to disconnect the battery to get it to quit.

[frisco-rigid]

Yes,, it's right in the manual..

Test the VR------
It's kind of a catch 21 because there is a test for the VR,, it is also described in the manual but when all is said and done, and this has always been my experience,,,,, if the stator And the Batt check out fine there is really No other option,, it's gotta be the VR..

They don't go bad often, it's usually the stator shorting out but,, eliminating the St. and Batt is sooo simple and final..

When a VR goes bad be sure to cut off the plug at the base and keep it as a tool to plug into the stator as a sorta extension cord for when you must test the St..
Like this----
A 32 amp on top, a 22 amp middle and a 17 amp female plug for the 17 amp Male stator plug..

[Gas Man]

Well there was a bad run of VRs going bad on some big dogs. Something inside popped and would take out the battery.

I have also worked on a few big v-twins where the comp nut on the comes loose allows the front sprocket to back off the stator then the stator wobbles and destroys itself. I saw that twice.

The old wires as test ends is a great idea.