monster s4r regulator on fire!!!

[Metzis]

Hey guys i can't catch a break with my bike 3 days ago my bike died from battery so i changed it, i didn't worry about it though as it was an old battery... Yesterday i saw oil from my rear shock i said what the heck is a 10 years old shock it is normal, so while i was driving to my garage at my fathers house today so i can take the shock out, i saw some smoke while i was on the traffic light it thought i was oil from the shock so i keep driving... After 1 minute of driving when i parked the bike i saw a lot of smoke coming out. I look the exhaust but there wasn't any smoke from there, then i pick up the seat and booooom alternator was on fire... It melt the canister which the hose from the crank breather ends... pfffff i think i had enough!!! I will start driving again my 37 year old Vespa px 150 which goes with the same  internals since 70s just Gas, 2t oil and gearbox oil from time to time..

[DarkMonster620]

You mean your regulator . . .

[Metzis]

yeah sorry the voltage regulator is what i mean....

[tuxicle]

Replace with a Shindengen FH020AA, lots of folks (myself included) have done it. Works well, stays very cool to the touch even after extended rides. You can get a kit here:

http://roadstercycle.com/

[Metzis]

because i am without bike right now and i can't wait like a month for this part to come over here plus my local dealer has the original part in stock (obviously) i was thinking to take the original part and go to a guy over here to machine for me a 5mm aluminium plate to place it underneath the regulator for better heat abduction what do you think will this do any good?

[stonemaster]

if you wanted to get fancy have em do u some cooling fins on the plate

[jerryz]

putting a substantial aliminium 6mm thick heat sink under the regulator helps reduce overheating  but the other weak point is the connectors to alternator  wiring which overheat and cause wiring fires ,,, replace with soldered connection or heavy duty crimps .

Shindengren  is the best option ...

[Metzis]

Yeah i read about it and is very good upgrade but i can't wait that long without a bike so will try to do few upgrades to the original one.... Thanks for the advises!!!

[Buckethead]

The extra aluminum is a good stop gap. I did basically the same thing after mine died.

The other thing I did in an effort to ward off the inevitable repeat failure was to go to get some computer CPU heat sink compound (LIKE THIS) and squirt it into the hollow in the base of the new regulator before mounting it to the plate.

I don't know how much difference it's actually going to make, but the plate it's mounted to definitely gets warm after a ride. I'd rather have the heat in the plate than the regulator. 

[Metzis]

hey i thought exactly the same thing.... I have some of that to spare from a restoration i did on my pc few months ago.... For sure it makes the heat abduction much more efficient....

[brad black]

while i can appreciate your paranoid over reaction, the truth is that there are many, many of these bikes running the std reg in the std location without issues.

if you had dealt with the dead battery issue by investigating why rather than just replacing this might not have happened.  batteries just don't fail as a general rule, and old ones work just as good as new ones ime.

so without getting all high and mighty on you, it's just a good example of why it's a good idea to investigate any sort of failure for causes other than the obvious.

[Metzis]

I am over reacting because in 3 month period i have spend for this bike tones of hours and i don't want to mention the money also, and it just don't give me a break!!! Everything is falling apart one after an other, i fix something a week or less something else fails. I really didn't make a further inspection because the battery wasn't just old it was also almost done, i was just postpone to buy a new one because i wanted to go for a lithium one and i didn't have the money for the moment... So as i was telling it is not the regulator that i am moaning these fails at jap bikes also maybe is just bad karma if anyone believe in and i can stay away from problems with my bike. Just this weeks problems "Rear suspension oil leak, regulator,under seat  oil  canister melted, oil pressure switch" almost 400â,¬ without labor cost Just this week...

[Metzis]

After my delirium i have to say that of course Brad is correct and the right thing to do was to investigate further the battery problem. But..... :/  Anyway after the installation of everything (waiting for the shock for the moment) i will drop the bike to an expert to check the electric circuits from top to bottom just to be sure...

[koko64]

Time for some ouzo, you deserve it.

[Metzis]

Ha ha ha or maybe some Raki because i am from Creta, but also Ouzo will do the job!!!!