guys,what is the best way to check a stator on an 87 softail?

 

bump

 

take the plug off that goes from the regulator to the stator (on the front of the primary, just below the front jug) Use a volt meter and with engine running (regulator unpluged fm the stator) you should read 50+ volts AC coming out of the stator.(across both pins) If no voltage or if it's down in the 20 to 30 volt AC range then the stator is bad or the roter (magnets that rotate around the stator) is bad. Most likely the stator. You can ohm the same 2 connections with the bike off. Using your volt/ohm meter, measure between the 2 contacts fm the stator, It should read some resistance but not 0 (short). A good reading is maybe 20-50 ohms.check from each pin to bike ground and you should read an open or infinity. That tells you the stator is not shorted to ground. If that all checks OK then plug it back in and start up the bike. with your volt meter measure your DC voltage at your battery. It should be 14+ volts DC. if not then your voltager regulator is bad. 50+ volts AC into the regulator and 14+ volts DC out to battery. I just changed the stator on my 88 Softail custom 2 weeks ago. Hope that helps.

 

st has the solution.Make sure you set your meter to AC voltage.

Its hard to do a pin to pin test on the stator sometimes.I found that if you can get your hands on a junk
regulator you can cut the plug off and make yourself an easy adapter to check the stator with.

Good Luck

 

I am not sure about an 87, but on my 2000 I just take the inspection cover off the primary and smell. If it stings bad I know my stator fried. I just put my forth stator in and this test works everytime!!!

 

Actually if you ohm the stator out it should read less than 10 ohms not 20-50 as I stated before. Good reading = 1 to 10 ohms, Bad reading = >20, usually an open or infinate. All the stator is, is one long piece of copper wire wound around several pieces of iron, when the magnets pass over the windings they produce AC current. 7th grade science project stuff. The stink test JHog mentioned works too!