more issues with sparks

bill · Sep 15, 2013

I thought I would have a look at my primary belt with 35,000 miles on it as I replaced one last month on another bike with 40,000 miles. low and behold the sparks alternator rotor is starting to come apart.

I am starting to think that every thing they make is trash. so far the EI is not worth the price of the box it is in, CNW has had issues with the stator and now I see this. I will no longer support them either. It looks like everything they make has quality issues.

concours · Sep 15, 2013

What are the other choices?

Hobot · Sep 15, 2013

Man oh man what a great forum where others go out of their way to destructively test things for the rest of us or reveal a new or known Norton fault that chews up their stuff but not others. The ole Lucas mag rotor would fail in the center hub not the outer business rim. What does inside of Sparx stator look like?

norbsa48503 · Sep 15, 2013

I am sure those Sparx parts are fine that Bill just rides too hard always at the 5000 thingy....
I got me a Wassel....

MikeG · Sep 16, 2013

Guess I'd beter keep an eye on mine. Already have problems with the insulation cracking. What is a good alternative?

batrider · Sep 16, 2013

I believe Lucas cured the problem they had with the early ones. Mine has been OK for about 35K miles. It's a later one from the 3 phase Powerbase kit.

Hobot · Sep 16, 2013

Neither Norton engines nor the charger should be stressed much till like 6000+ rpm so running 5000+ as much as ya like should not injure either. Lucas redid the casting or \welding process of the surround on the core to solve the loosening fault. Peel Sparx with Lucas rotor survived horrific collision heating and ablating of the inside of stator so what was left of the exposed laminate plate stood proud up to 1/8" of removed resin and rotor face scored but worked a charm after the ceramic like crust binding the gap cleaned out. It was run in a sealed dry belt primary so ran hot as any one else's. After the rpm wipe out the outsides turned a burnt browish turd color instead of the nice clean green. Maybe their produciton process has changed.

batrider · Sep 17, 2013

Some of you are talking about the stator -- The rotor is the inner part (that rotates). It is metal.

Hobot · Sep 17, 2013

The photo's above are taken to show the magnetic face of the rotor to have scuff marks, not out of round nor loose magnets or hub fit. That implies something made the rotor face collide with something. The surface marks do not seem to run with the direction of rotation so if not rubbing inside of stator, how did that occur? If the rotor was installed with the casting gap showing before it was run then that would imply both a bad new item and a bad assembler observation. Does the stator interior show damage too or not? What is being claimed as wrong with the Sparx rotor? That it was sent obvious faulty new to begin with or it was made so not to fit inside stator while running w/o rubbing with abrasive friction? The photo's only shows a portion of the rotor surface contacted which implies to me out of round shaft rotation/wobble which is something Sparx would not be responsible for.

Torontonian · Sep 17, 2013

Looks to me like a longish slot chunk of the casting metal has gone and left home. But where did it go ? Surely it would eat up - damage the stator before sitting in bits at the bottom of the primary casings. Steve those scratchy marks are a mystery too ,an attempt to remove the stuck rotor ? Camera shots all fuzzyish so probably camera made in China too or operator wobbly on rice wine or rice based beers such as Budweiser.

Hobot · Sep 17, 2013

Ok I can't imagine someone installing with a chunk missing so implies it came apart w/o rubbing to cause it and thrown chuck would injure rotor and stator mating relations. Still mystery on what the rotor shows marks crosswise to spin. Peel's mean test of Sparx stator was with a Lucas rotor not the Sparx so makes me glad I am not the one to discover-test the Sparx rotor to 'unprovoked' failure. Norton owners have to take in the fact that there "will be" a good percentage of random failures and expenses to endure and recover - no fault of their own but picking the wrong hobby horse addiction.

Torontonian · Sep 17, 2013

Warranty ?

PeterJoe · Sep 17, 2013

From looking at the top view of the rotor, it appears as though this may have been a casting flaw. It could have formed an air bubble within the casting along the back edge of the magnet. After the rotor was machined it left a thin membrane of metal over the top of the air bubble. Of course the defect would not be seen. You would need expensive non-destructive testing to see such casting flaws.

Once the engine was running, this thin metal membrane cracked and with centrifugal force flung the material outward towards the stator assembly. This piece of metal may have even rolled up into a little ball or metal tube and rolled along the rotor causing those unusual scratch marks. So actually the piece that fell off the rotor may not be a very big piece of metal at all.

Then again it is hard to be certain without looking at the part if this is the case.

xbacksideslider · Sep 17, 2013

In the first picture, it appears that the magnet has come loose and risen out of the casting. Probably wedge shaped and not keyed into the casting. The scratches at right angles to the direction of rotation may have happened upon removal of the rotor, scraping against the stator?

Hobot · Sep 17, 2013

Ok we see what the rotor looks like but what does the stator look like if run with the magnet sticking out as much or more than the running gap? If could of destroyed the stator to bind up primary and really take a toil on engine and hobby time.

bill · Sep 17, 2013

the first picture is what you stated, 1 segment has risen and was rubbing the stator. the second picture shows materiel has also come out of the rotor. the scratches are from me removing some melted materiel from the rotor to see what was wrong with it. I have ordered a new wassel rotor as I am done with ANYMORE sparks parts.

xbacksideslider said:
In the first picture, it appears that the magnet has come loose and risen out of the casting. Probably wedge shaped and not keyed into the casting. The scratches at right angles to the direction of rotation may have happened upon removal of the rotor, scraping against the stator?

more issues with sparks

bill

concours

Hobot

norbsa48503

MikeG

Mikeg

batrider

Hobot

batrider

Hobot

Torontonian

Hobot

Torontonian

PeterJoe

xbacksideslider

Hobot

bill

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