[murrill]

I just flipped my regulator over for better air flow and cooling, and ran a test on temp. Using a infa-red thermometer and a 30 minute ride with outside temp about 90 degrees the warmest spot on the regulator was 167 degrees. After the flip and the same ride, 124 degrees.

I admit I was too cheap to order the part from TPO, and used their pic for guidance. I used a piece of .095 aluminum. The aluminum also seems to act as a heat sink, much better than the insulating plastic it was mounted on before.

Considering the price of the regulator, the possibility of overcharging the battery, and the history of failure,.. seems like a no-brainer.

The forty bucks from TPO is a bargin. I proabably had five or six hours of time+material+a trip for fastners in my homemade part.

 

[i7of9]

Amen to that! I managed to get the tpo plate while they were still 30 bucks. I didn't have any instrumentation to tell how hot the VR was getting but under the seat on my S4 it was way to hot to touch after a stop and go ride accross SF in cool weather!. Flipped and rotated (so the fins are in the same direction as air flow) the VR was only warm to the touch. Big difference to my un-callibrated fingers!

By design, Duc VRs have to handle a lot of wasted current from the alternator because of the alternator design. Located under the seat, the VR just cooks from trying to keep the voltage under control. The seat acts as an insulator and there is no air flow. All semiconductor devices like that have a higher failure rate at high temperatures and could contribute to batterys popping or venting. I like my VR running cool. It gives me more confidence in the electrical system.

Borg Girl

 

[MarkV]

wow, i spent about ten minutes on my reg mounting... using a couple of bolts and nuts with an old bracket that came with an after market auto horn i never used and kept in the "parts bin". the oil separator location turned out to be the perfect spot for my power commander... hopefully i'll have my bike back very soon after my four month wait and i can post some updated pics (more on that story later after all is said and done - it's a doozie, that soap opera that is ducati north america. needless to say i've been biting my tongue lately on the whole battery thread/overheating issues.)

i'm sorta cynical of tpo parts... if you're lazy and want easy instructions with supplied parts then they're the answer for you... but if you just step back and look into what's involved well you'll realize its a no brainer. not that there's anything wrong with being lazy... our society lives/thrives off of it.

imo the separator creates more of a dead spot... remove the oil separator and the rectifier has no problem keeping cool whether the fins are up or down. my experience with italian wiring is that it's more like angel hair pasta than adequate gauge.

 

[Gman86]

Are there certain models and years that flipping the VR is neccessary? I have a 2002 M620. Should I flip mine?

 

[s4strati]

for $25, i got a sheet of aluminum diamond plate. took a couple measurements and cut out a new underseat pan from the rear shock to the tail-light, replacing the plastic bit that came short once the crank-case overflow bottle was ditched. very easy work with a jig-saw and power-drill. i've got the regulator mounted upside down right behind the rear shock and the PCIII velcroed on the top side (under the seat). drilled a couple holes to zip-tie wire slack to and called it a day. very easy, and i think it's an interesting bit to replace the stock plastic blob with. someday over the rainbow, i'll actually update my web-site with pics, etc...

 

[infoage1]

Strati, tell me your bike is up and running...

 

[MarkV]

i believe the newer bikes based off the ST frame design mount the rectifier under the seat above the crankcase breather oil seperator. the older monsters have the rectifier mounted up near the steering stem. should you relocate your rectifier? that's debatable... really the mounting has only been used over the past three years over various models beginnig with the S4 and thus far hasn't been noted for failure or the causation of one. i would have thought if it were going to be an issue it would have surfaced by now, but time will tell. of course i never thought a bunch of other stuff would happen either. :

the only reason i had cause to move the rectifier was because i ditched the crankcase rebreather loop and used that spot to mount my pcIII. dynojet suggested mounting the pcIII on top of my battery but i didn't like that idea... talk about dodging a bullet? because the rectifier was mounted to the seperator i had to be creative with a new mounting solution. i haven't changed the orientation of the fins but i did route the wiring connections so that the sub fender would cover them, i'll follow up with pics whenever i get my bike back from the clutches of dna.

at this point, my feeling is that it is an unwarranted concern for now... guess we'll see if it shows otherwise with time.

 

[s4strati]

hey tom,
believe it or not, NOPE... bike's not up and running yet. but this time, i pass the blame on my bro for f'ing up the welds on the muffler's i sent his way. okay... it really is MY fault because i should've got my arse into gear AGES ago, but it really is honestly verging on completion.
- bro's cutting/rewelding the muffler bends today (hopefully).
- the ST4 header's already mounted.
- the PCIII's installed.
- i resorted my wiring monday night (miswired my horn like a damn fool and it was shorting the entire bike's electrics!).

so what's left?
- assembling/polishing/mounting the cans once my bro's done with them (hopefully correctly this time).
- gotta fill/bleed the brake/clutch lines
- oil/filter change
- SHAKEDOWN RUN!!! (holy [email protected]!)

 

[infoage1]

hey tom,
believe it or not, NOPE... bike's not up and running yet. but this time, i pass the blame on my bro for f'ing up the welds on the muffler's i sent his way. okay... it really is MY fault because i should've got my arse into gear AGES ago, but it really is honestly verging on completion.
- bro's cutting/rewelding the muffler bends today (hopefully).
- the ST4 header's already mounted.
- the PCIII's installed.
- i resorted my wiring monday night (miswired my horn like a damn fool and it was shorting the entire bike's electrics!).

so what's left?
- assembling/polishing/mounting the cans once my bro's done with them (hopefully correctly this time).
- gotta fill/bleed the brake/clutch lines
- oil/filter change
- SHAKEDOWN RUN!!! (holy [email protected]!)

Cool, it sounds like you're very, very close. I guess you can't wale on your bro, as he is probably doing you a favor. Good thing about the electricals, lucky it was such a small thing. ST4 header? How many mm are those? Are you using Stuart's PCIII map?

It's been years since I've done a "ground up", but I know how you feel. I hope "SHAKEDOWN RUN!!! (holy [email protected]!)" doesn't turn out to be an accurate description.

Good luck.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree with MarkV and Strati, if someone wants to move their voltage regulator for whatever reason, it is very easy to fashion a mount oneself. Hell, I even zip-tied mine behind the sidecover to my frame for a couple weeks when I was experimenting with my crankcase breather system (which I later restored to stock). Even if one doesn't think they have the skills, this is a good place to practice and learn.

As far as TPO, I share MarkV's cynicism. I think TPO is an opportunist, preying on newbie's, using misinformation and exaggeration. A good example of this is "The TPO Monster Emissions Removal Kit".

http://www.tpoparts.com/products/emissionssystemm.html

 

[marrahm]

Tom,

where did you end up putting the reg? I'd like to move mine to a cooler spot and keep the oil res, but haven't figured out a way to do that yet.

thanks,

mike

 

[infoage1]

Tom,

where did you end up putting the reg? I'd like to move mine to a cooler spot and keep the oil res, but haven't figured out a way to do that yet.

 

[s4strati]

stock s4's header is 42mm. the st4's is 45 and since the cans slip-on under the engine, i have control over how much cornering clearance i get with the slip-ons i install whereas the s4's stock header (as with all monsters) touches down relatively early in hard-leaning.
for the mapping, my ECU's already been fiddled with so I don't think going to a map for a full system will be necessary. i'm gonna start with a map for an open airbox + cans and will fiddle from there. if necessary (or if $$$ allows), i'm gonna get a custom map built at a dyno shop. the only bummer is i really doubt it'll ever apply to anybody else's bike unless they go 45-50-52mm... and i'm not gonna bust my bro's chops unless he f's it up again... ha!

 

[i7of9]

Work smarter not harder!

i'm sorta cynical of tpo parts... if you're lazy and want easy instructions with supplied parts then they're the answer for you... but if you just step back and look into what's involved well you'll realize its a no brainer.

 

[MarkV]

work smarter, not harder... that axiom implies you're doing work... ordering a kit is not doing work, it's paying someone else to do it for you. glad you're happy to have a professionally finished mounting bracket for your rectifier which spends 99.9% of the time sitting under your seat. if it gives you piece of mind great, you're a satisfied customer. ;D

hey don't get offended, it wasn't a slam against you in particular, have you seen the tpo website? i'm glad the guy is doing what he wants but c'mon there's a fine line in advertising and hype. i'm not sure most of his kits are legit... $25 for a smog canister removal kit? two m5 screw's, two aluminum spacers, a y joint, some plastic plugs, and a glob of locktite? come on. i just feel tpo's justifications for his parts aren't up to snuff and some of his claims are very questionable. i mean he's charging $40 for that plate and hardware plus shipping that you have on your ride... like i said before most of our country makes a living in the service industry because us folks are lazy.

i used a bolt, a nut, a few nylon washers, and a scrap of aluminum from stuff i had laying around... and about the same amount of effort you put in. tom did it cheaper and faster than me with some tie wraps. ;D guess tom is the smartest one. ;D

 

[murrill]

I guess my original post of 5 to 6 hours to make my flip over plate seems absurd....I have tools. I am a finish carpenter with an engineering degree. My plate is polished has holes thought out for weight savings without loss of strength from vibration, and probably way overdone to be under the seat.
But I know it looks better than any I've seen any one else do.
What can I say??

As to wire ties or mounting from one bolt...The aluminum plate needs to make even contact with the VR to act as a heat sink. The temp of the plate is within 6-8 degrees of the VR. This heat transfer may be more significant than air flow for the drop in temp. I could run another test...

Yes, TPO's text in their desciptions sounds like a bad infocomercial. I thought the most absurd was the spacers for the rear sets. Ignoring the 3/32 inch differrence with the rubber mounting might destroy your bike and cause a crash.
But they are sponsers and I feel guilty copying some one else. The price for the parts for some of the less "gifted" members is a good value for a little insurance of reliability.

 

[MarkV]

you made your own... what else is there to say other than you worked harder even if smarter (sounds like a lot more thought) than the rest.

 

[Diverrick]

TPO only takes Paypal as well. I have only been a victim of internet identity fraud once, and that was through paypal. If you do not like paypal, a check with a one week wait. What protection do you as a consumer get?

I will not do business with any company that does not accept credit cards. It is the only protection you get.

As to the Emissions removal kit, what a rip off. Plus wouldn't that get oil mist on your rear tire at some point???