charging system 1996 fxdwg

[shovelmike]

Great post, 94. That's the kind of info I was hoping we could get here, hands on experience. Let us know how it goes, wideglidebill.

[wideglidebill]

Hey All,


Thanks 94 and everyone else who joined in to help. I do have a few small and large aircompressors and airtools so these should make it easier. I just need the part and i will dive in with both feet. I am a pretty decent auto mechanic(shadetree type) so this i hope will help some.
Thanks again for the suggestions and if i run into a snag....I will yell realllllyyyyy loud, you all will hear! and I will let you all know how it goes or doesnt.

wideglidebill.....
To Ride or not to ride, that is the question??????

[94flhtcu]

You are welcome, Wideglidebill... now, go fix it so you can putt.

I would use a new stator, too much work and cost to do twice because of a premature failure. The accel stator I installed about 10 years ago still works great. Only trouble with it was the plug... not enuff grip for the regulator plug. I used some auto trim adhesive lightly on the outside of the stator plug, 1/2 way down, not near the terminals, to solve the problem.

Hi Shovelmike...thanks...

[aceharleywrench]

I have to throw my hat into the ring.
1) USE A NEW STATOR!!!!!!!!!!! 2) The H-D stator seals better than anything else.
3) You don't need a clutch tool (shouldn't have to touch the clutch at all)
4) Stators will fail for a wide variety of reasons including using cheap (Wal Mart,Sears,etc...) batteries.
5) If you find your stator wires cooked where they exit the stator windings,do yourself a favor & replace the regulator at the same time.
6) Check the rotor splines,the rotors are very vulnerable to a loss of clamp load from a loose compensator ass'y.
7) Cometic gaskets are the hot set up.

[wideglidebill]

Thanks ace and 94,



so, new stator, found one on ebay, harley type, buy it now so no bidding, i presume this is what i will buy.
so, dont touch the clutch...i presume by removing the chain adjuster i can get enough play to remove chain. left hand threads...yadda..yadda...
why replace the regulator???.

also, have what appears to be new harley davidson sealed battery on board.
Should i just go ahead and replace the gaskets or i think in this case o-ring around the primary instead of trying to use the old one if it appears to be undamaged as the hd manual suggests?



Wideglidebill.

[aceharleywrench]

If you remove the chain adjuster you should have enough room to pull the compensator assembly without disturbing the clutch.
The compensator has regular threads,not left handed (that's the clutch nut)
If the wires have burned through the insulation the regulator is not long for this world.
I have re used the primary gasket on occasion,it all depends on condition.
Good luck & keep us posted.

[wideglidebill]

Thanks again ace,


I am probably overthinking this, but it is the first time i have had this bike apart, and it is kinda my baby,..ya know?
You didn't answer about the stator, go with the harley one? or after market better?


bill.

[frisco-rigid]

Hey Wild

I do not speak in Definates or Blacks & Whites or tell a guy what he Should do, I only give My experience..

I've changed and swapped and installed Compufire, Accel, HD, Cycle Electric Inc. and at least 2 diff off-brand No-Name stators over the years and never had any worse service from one over the other..
I believe Cycle Electric Inc. used to make the stators for HD..
I've soldered the plug wires back together and plugged them into the same Regulator and gotten literally years of more service----- And also with stators that the plug wires had burned out on, as Ace mentioned, I've never once had the current Reg go out because of the burned out wires on the stator.. Not saying he's wrong, just that my experience is totally diff..

JirehCycles sells an Accell 32 amp stator for 73.00 and you get free shipping on either 75 or 100.00 now..

Ace, tell me how a stator fails other than the reasons I mentioned in my first post-----chafing, debris, in-correct spacing thus, rotor rubbing or maybe shorting out from a poor plug connection as Mike said..
I'm not sure how that would short out the stator but maybe.. I know that a poor plug connection will allow arcing between the plug pins and will eat them slowly away..
Bottom line---they don't fail for anything other than External reasons..
All they are is Insulated wire wound around a framework..

As I mentioned before ----- you might luck out and get enough side-play in the chain to remove the Comp-sprocket,,, other-wise you'll need to remove the clutch et al..
Have a Ball

[aceharleywrench]

Frisco,
It seems we have opposing views on a few things.I need to remember that most of the people here are fixing things themselves on a limited budget & only have to deal with a specific problem.You guys need to remember that I repair these things all day,every day & I can't afford to have something leave the shop that isn't 100% correct (nothing hurts a shops reputation more than the dreaded "comebacks") I have used every charging system component known to man at one point or another & I have my favorites (stuff that wont come back to haunt me) I'm sure you can understand that,as a professional,I can't solder regulator & stator wires together & send the bike down the road.What would happen if the bike I did that to needed a regulator replacement while the customer was on a trip? I'm sure I'd get a nasty call from either the customer or the shop he took it to.

As to your question about stator failure,I have seen a multitude of stators that had fried insulation that were not chafed,oil soaked or improperly installed.If you've had good luck running a regulator after that has happened that's great for you.I haven't had that same luck & 100 bucks for a new regulator sounds like cheap insurance against a break down.

[wideglidebill]

so,...



Is wild rider an ok brand?