Sports: RE: [DucatiST] 2002 ST2 regulator/rectifier

Jack,

Don’t feel bad that you couldn’t get the R/R into that space. Ducati couldn’t do it either, the whole aluminium casting has to come apart to get the R/R in or out!

Thanks for the information and yes, I will clean and silicone those connections!

Dave G

Aka The Goochman

From: st2_owners@yahoogroups.com [mailto:st2_owners@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jack Davidson
Sent: June-26-13 3:51 AM
To: st2_owners@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [DucatiST] 2002 ST2 regulator/rectifier - Paranoia

Dave,

Mine is an old one; a '98 with single-phase system. In fact, I have two '98 ST2s (Don't ask!). All the newer ones have cooling fins. My point was to say I could not have made one with fins fit into the area mine came out of. However, with a good MOSFET regulator and a mounting spot with airflow, plus large wire and no connectors, it's working great.

My Monster, 900FE, 748R have 3-phase charging and have always worked for me. I did have a regulator fail on the Monster, because it's in a spot where the wiring bundle is tight against a frame weld and it finally took the insulation off a couple of wires. Otherwise, no issues.

The advice people give that works: Clean connections at least annually and apply dielectric grease liberally. Pay particular attention to the stator plug/socket. In the 3-phase system, there is far less current per wire than the single-phase, but it's still a circuit with a pretty significant load on it. It's my belief that a very high percentage of failures occur because of faulty connections or batteries with shorted cells.

Jack in NC

On 6/25/2013 8:39 PM, David Gooch wrote:

Jack,

It’s funny that you say that the regulator is “thin without fins”. The one on my 2002 is definitely finned and looks very similar to the one shown in the STST2 USA 2001 parts manual exploded drawing. It is definitely not the same as the one shown in the 1998 version of the service manual. As an aside, the service manual recommends heat transfer paste be used when removing/replacing the R/R.

What year is your bike?

What type of regulator did you find to replace the stock one? I assume that you have a 3 phase system.

Thanks

Dave G
Aka The Goochman

From: st2_owners@yahoogroups.com [mailto:st2_owners@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jack
Sent: June-24-13 11:47 AM
To: st2_owners@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [DucatiST] 2002 ST2 regulator/rectifier - Paranoia

I guess that's a question without a simple answer, Nick. The stock ST2 regulator is a thin one without fins, because a later one won't go into that space. I mounted my replacement (finned and not from Ducati) under the nose fairing, right at the front; cut out a notch across the area from the bottom of the fairing. It gets all air from motion and can convection cool when the bike is not moving. Whether that is the best method, I am not sure. What I do know is that by moving it there, connecting it with 50-Amp wire, bypassing all connectors (stator and battery), I ha ve solved my bike's problem. From what I've seen, the early ones are all mounted in that casting. There's a flat section in there that I assume was designed for the purpose, because the rest of it is not flat.

The value of the big casting as a heat sink is questionable to me. The regulator is inside it, mounted to the bottom, so heat generated will rise back to the regulator, unless the bike is moving fast enough to carry the heat away.

The main objective (for me) is to eliminate the SCR regulator and buy something with MOSFETs. Then it works for long periods of time with no issue.

Jack in NC

On 6/24/2013 2:15 AM, Nick Woods wrote:

--- In st2_owners@yahoogroups.com, Jack Davidson <tdma@...> wrote:
> To aggravate the issue, the regulator in the '98 is inside an
> aluminum tunnel in the nose, eliminating any airflow unless you are at
> speed. Beginning sometime in '99, the charging system is the same
> 3-phase (reliable in my experience; I have 6) system that comes with
> most are all Ducs through 2006 or so and the regulator is on the side,
> by the battery. It can get convection flow there with sitting still. >
> Jack in NC

Well, that's weird! I always understood that the nose/intake was the preferred position and early RRs needed to be shifted to there to take advantage of cool air and the heatsink of the headlamp mount. Are you saying they do better down beside the motor??

NickW, 99 ST4

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