What did you do to your bike today?

[3Phase]

Tod,

You can use a terminal block from Radio Shack.

The one I put in my '80G three years and a whole lot of miles ago has stayed fresh since the day I put it on. I used ring terminals but spades would work.

Reparing Alternator Connector Wiring



The Regulator/Rectifier harness connection eventually burned up too and I got tired of messing with it so I cut it off and used self-amalgamating tape and ring terminals with brass machine screws and nuts to replace the connectors. The only 'problem' with it so far is that it's not plug-and-play and taping the individual connections is annoying. Overall it's not as annoying as the intermittent charging system weirdness caused by bad connections so when I get another 'tuit I'll try to fit another terminal block there and see if I can lose the tape.

[crazy steve]

Here's what you need.....

http://www.wirecare.com/deutsch-conn...DTP&contacts=4

Rated for 25 amps continuous, these are my choice for replacing the alternator connections. Not cheap, but after replacing 'other' connectors a few times the cost looks a lot better....

The Mikes connectors don't look heavy-duty enough.

[jwhughes3]

http://www.wirecare.com/deutsch-conn...DTP&contacts=4

Of course, they are German! Over-engineered.

John

[jwhughes3]

Yup, and you stole my damn bed at the motel so I was pumping up my air mattress at 3 am after a 260mile flying trip in the dark.

Those twisties near ES are interesting at that time of morning in the dark.

I did not steal it Greg...I saved room for you (nohomo)

John

[3Phase]

HOW much!?

Steve,

What kind of crimping tool do you use for these bad boys?

I was thinking about getting a couple of those for the Alt->Harness and R/R->Harness connections even though it'd be ~ $80 for the assemblies, pins and boots. Then I added their crimp tool to the Shopping Cart and it went up to ~$330!:-

HDT-48-00 - Hand Crimp Tool, Size 12AWG - 20AWG - $249


Also, I've changed the Red wire from the Battery to the Ignition switch to a 10 gauge wire. The R/R->Harness connector uses 5 pins so I could use a 4-pin and they offer a single-pin 12G/25A Douche connection that might clean up the 10G Red and work with the HDT-48-00 hand tool. After that they skip 10G entirely and the next size is 8G/100A that needs a ~$670 tool!

Size 4 and 8 Hand Crimp Tool HDT-04-08 - $668.58


Sure, I guess I could use a reliable 8G/4G connector too:
SubTotal: $998.34

[bikerphil]

Douche connection SubTotal: $998.34

LoL.......

[crazy steve]

Steve,

What kind of crimping tool do you use for these bad boys?

I was thinking about getting a couple of those for the Alt->Harness and R/R->Harness connections even though it'd be ~ $80 for the assemblies, pins and boots. Then I added their crimp tool to the Shopping Cart and it went up to ~$330!:-

You don't have to spend that much......

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harley-OEM-E...716177&vxp=mtr

This is the 'mid-grade' crimper he sells, he's also got an 'economy' version (4 crimps vs 8) for about $35 that will work just as well with a little fiddlin'....

[3Phase]

He laughs....

It doesn't mention Amperage but something like this is a little closer to what I was thinking about using for the Regulator/Rectifier connection:-

Terminal Strip
5 Position

(TSL) 411-5
5 position single row barrier terminal strip. 0.401" x 1.755" x 0.314" high. 1.51" c-c mounting holes.





$1.75 each

$998.34
- $1.75
--------------
$996.59



The 4 Position strips are similar to the 5 Position strips and there are better ones available, covered and rated for 30A or greater, for $5 to $10.


Steve: Only $100? (animated raise eyebrows smiley goes here)

[crazy steve]

And how did you come up with $80? Two complete plug sets (male, female, pins/sockets, etc) come to $57.22. You don't need the boots, those are for extreme conditions. The 'basic' receptacles have silicon seals on each wire entry. You do need 'sealing plugs' on any unused wire openings (2 included in the above total).

Like I said, not cheap but if you want bulletproof, this will do it....

[3Phase]

And how did you come up with $80? Two complete plug sets (male, female, pins/sockets, etc) come to $57.22. You don't need the boots, those are for extreme conditions. The 'basic' receptacles have silicon seals on each wire entry. You do need 'sealing plugs' on any unused wire openings (2 included in the above total).

Like I said, not cheap but if you want bulletproof, this will do it....

It's not totally insane until you price the tools so the $35 crimper might work. You would not believe how much fiddling I'd do to save more than $900. Or maybe you would!

The sealing plugs: 114017 - Sealing Plug, Contact Size 12-16 - $0.26 ea. Not too bad!


To replace the 4-pin Alternator --> Harness and the 5-pin R/R --> Harness connectors requires two 4-pin connector assemblies + one single-pin connector assembly.



From the Cart:

With little rubber booties -- SubTotal: $80.76
Without little rubber booties -- SubTotal: $73.08


Deutsch Receptacle Assembly
Total: $24.96 DTP - 4 Pin, Receptacle, Black Qty: 2 [@ $7.38 ea.] Price: $14.76
DTP - Wedgelock, 4 Contact, Receptacle Qty: 2 [@ $0.58 ea.] Price: $1.16
Size 12, Solid Pin, 12-14 AWG, Nickel Plated Qty: 8 [@ $1.13 ea.] Price: $9.04

Deutsch Plug Assembly
Total: $31.22 DTP Series - 4 Socket Plug, Black Qty: 2 [@ $9.43 ea.] Price: $18.86
DTP - Wedgelock, 4 Contact, Plug Qty: 2 [@ $0.58 ea.] Price: $1.16
Size 12, Solid Socket, 12-14 AWG, Nickel Plated Qty: 8 [@ $1.40 ea.] Price: $11.20

DTP4P-BT - DTP - Receptacle, Boot, 4 Contact, Gray

Price: $1.92
Total: $3.84

DTP4S-BT - DTP - Plug, Boot, 4 Way, Gray

Price: $1.92
Total: $3.84

Deutsch Receptacle Assembly
Total: $8.10 DTHD - Receptacle, 1 Way, Size 12, End Cap Qty: 1 [@ $6.97 ea.] Price: $6.97
Size 12, Solid Pin, 12-14 AWG, Nickel Plated Qty: 1 [@ $1.13 ea.] Price: $1.13

Deutsch Plug Assembly
Total: $8.80 DTHD Series - 1 Socket Plug, Size 12, Black Qty: 1 [@ $7.40 ea.] Price: $7.40
Size 12, Solid Socket, 12-14 AWG, Nickel Plated Qty: 1 [@ $1.40 ea.] Price: $1.40

[crazy steve]

You can save a few bucks by using the 4-pin DTP connectors for both the three AC lines from the stator and the 12V output to the battery at the regulator, then use a DT 2-pin for the field coil connections rather than a DTHD. These are rated at 13 amps, plenty for the job.... and half the price.

Although the OEM regulator connections don't seem to fail like the alternator connections do (or the alternator connections are the cause of failed connections at the regulator). Personally, if those looked OK I'd leave them. But those connections near the battery get damaged by outgassing from the battery (yes, even so-called 'sealed' batteries outgas), so they're the ones to go bad first. There's also the issue of heat; Yamaha used high-temp wire from the stator to the first connection, they wouldn't have done that if it wasn't needed. Heat increases resistance, generating yet more heat, so that's a contributing factor also.

[Rasputin]

Bought pressure washer so I lined up the running bikes to give them a bath. I should have bathed them first but I took pics of them as they patiently waited.
Only three of these are currently insured for the road.

[3Phase]

Six out of four smart-lookin' XSs prefer Dial soap?

... I lined up the running bikes ....

They look great!

Uh, which bike is which? It looks like you've got five, three Specials and two Standards, out there patiently waiting but you only have four in your sig.

Left to right:
'78E Dresser
'81LH Midnight Purple WIP
'79SF with drilled rotors
Mystery XS: Another '79SF?
'78E with 'Jammer

The '78E parts bike doesn't run so it's not shown and is XS11 #six or are there only the five and the Dresser or the 'Jammer is a running parts bike?




Crazy Steve:

I already have 2 ea. 4-pin assy listed, I don't need a third and they're more expensive than one-pin connectors anyway.

I'm not replacing the 2-pins (Green and Brown, ignore unused Black wire) for the Voltage Regulator connector. It's fine so adding another 4-pin connector would cost even money but it would take care of all eight R/R wires without needing any $0.26 plugs. That is something to consider.

With a spendy (or any other) connection I put in I want the Red wire by itself so if it toasts again it only takes out itself and leaves the neighbors alone. The White wire that baked was the one for the Headlight Relay. The relay coil shorted and the new replacement diode I had painstakingly installed with a spiffy new heat-sink valiantly held its ground instead of exploding until the Stator --> Harness --> Rectifier connectors were able to safely finish melting themselves together.

Yeah, no kidding heat is a problem for the entire length of the Alternator --> Harness --> Rectifier circuit; battery vapors, not so much. After three years there is no sign of corrosion or even discoloration on the new terminal strip, probably because I fixed that ate-the-[ ]-up OEM charging system so it quit overcharging.

They should have run high-temp wires (three White, one Yellow for '78/'79 or just three White for '80-82) all the way from the Stator to the Rectifier and not just where it runs along the engine and frame by the exhaust pipe. Of course bundling the sturdy high-temp Stator wires in with the regular Field wires was a stroke of pure genius.

[BA80]

And I thought I was an addict with 3.

[Rasputin]

They look great!

Uh, which bike is which? It looks like you've got five, three Specials and two Standards, out there patiently waiting but you only have four in your sig.

Left to right:
'78E Dresser
'81LH Midnight Purple WIP
'79SF with drilled rotors
Mystery XS: Another '79SF?
'78E with 'Jammer

The '78E parts bike doesn't run so it's not shown and is XS11 #six or are there only the five and the Dresser or the 'Jammer is a running parts bike?

I guess it is time to update the signature. I have 4 more here but only two of them will ever see the road. Once those two are done then I think I will take up knitting or some other hobby.