Smoke and burning smells are bad, right?

[Pain]

Took my 81 special out for a short ride, and the tach died at the same time as I got a strong eletrical burning smell. When I pulled over I had smoke from under the gas tank. Bike was still running, and I was only a few blocks from home, so home I went.

Pulling the gas tank I found this -




And confirmed the bike was not charging. I really have not spent a lot of time going through and testing wires yet, at work now. My question -

Assuming the wires are intact, should I just get a Geezer unit, plug it in and hope? Is there something else I should be checking? I see the worn insulation and can probably fix that. I was hoping to take the bike on a long road trip end of this week, and this is obviously a hurdle to overcome. Looking for thoughts and opinions.

[tw1980]

Smoke and burning smell mean one thing,a short circuit.Probably in your case it is most likely worn insulation on a wire or wires if none of the electrical devices or plugs look smoked.Repair that problem first then go after the charging problem.Check fuses then regulator and rectifier if still not charging.

[tinman905]

Looks like you have some wire issues for sure judging by the cracks in your wires. I would pick up one of geezer's regulators even if your's is fine. It's a great upgrade for your bike.

If your tac is down your head light might also then your field coil or stator might be the problem, after you check the resistance on those wires that should tell you if it's your problem. Look in "search" for posts relating to your problem there are many tips there that will help .


Like many of have done in the past ,clean and use dielectric grease on all your connectors. 30 yr old wires are prone to cracking so have a good look before you take any long trips.

[Pain]

The headlight is still working. The only things NOT working are the tach, and the battery isn't charging. I'm hoping the problem is isolated to the regulator/rectifier.

Am I headed in the right direction with that?

[bikerphil]

Check the connector behind the fuse box with the white wires. These are the main wires coming from the alternator. This in a common trouble spot. They can corrode and melt.

[Pain]

Speaking of fuse boxes (which I am now also thinking about replacing. Maybe I can just call in sick?) I don't have the two screws that are supposed to hold it in place. DOes anyone have a size/thread for those? Searching the forums isn't getting me anywhere.

But I am going to be taking it (more) aprt when I get home. I have a selection of wires available. Trying to decide if I am just going to replace the regulator anyway with a Geezer model (which seems to really be the cats meow).

[CatatonicBug]

Check the connector behind the fuse box with the white wires. These are the main wires coming from the alternator. This in a common trouble spot. They can corrode and melt.

I second this one. Mine corroded in the connector behind the fuse block mounting plate, and got hot enough to melt the connector, causing a short. This killed the tach connection and prevented charging. I would check there first.

[cowboybob998]

Yep, the fuse box, had trouble with mine in the same place, got the new one right here just aint put it on yet, get one from TC

[Pain]

I'm going to see if I can find a source for a replacement fuse block locally. I actually have 2 OEM ones in a box. After spending the $$ to get the regulator I feel a bit gun shy.

Of course, maybe the fuse block will be okay

[Dragon Tamer]

Remember, all electrical/electronic components run on smoke. If you develop a leak and the smoke gets out the remaining electricity will not be able to build enough pressure to work properly! I know that that is not Ohms law but it should have been. Smoke usually leaves some tracks behind when it escapes so check carefully for them. I will second (or third) the idea of the connection behind the fuse block, it has let me down once also. I did not see any smoke at the time but I may have been traveling faster than smoke at the time also, it has been known to happen around me!

[Ivan]

Looking at your pics, I don't see any signs of overheated wiring. Usually an overloaded wire will burn a track through the electrical tape and the insulation will melt to other wires and some of it will char and fall off the wiring. If anything I would bet the underside of your regulator is melty.

Here's what I did see that is not good at all. The green wire with the yellow stripe and the other green wire have small splits in the insulation. These are tell tale signs of someone using scotchlocks on the wiring. [IMG]this is a scotchlock![/IMG] These were designed to work on solid strand wire (home telephone stuff) in a dry environment. They are evil on automotive wiring and motorcycle wiring that is exposed to the elements. The worst part is the stranded wire, which will suck water into the wire via capillary action. Chances are that you will find corrosion in that wire several inches into the insulation. I think the bimetallic action from the steel on the scotchlock aggravates this.

The only proper ways to repair wiring on exposed electrical systems is with solder and heatshrink that has a wax inner coating that seals the joint or with the newer butt splice crimp connectors that are heat shrinkable and also have the wax sealer. These are pretty much bullet proof repairs, and won't let you down if dome correctly. If you are looking to "T" into a wire, the best way is to strip a bit of insulation away, solder and heatshrink.

Hope you get your electrical problems solved. And remember to avoid scotchlocks like the plague and NEVER twist and tape. EVER.

[Pain]

I will admit to twist and taping, but when I am on the side of the road anything that gets me moving is fair game.

Took it more apart last night and played with my electrical testing stuff (I am not good with electrical problems, but have the tools) and it seems all the wires are in good shape (well, except the insulation but I think I can fix that). Attempting to remove the regulalor caused me to start to strip screws and I called it a night. Long day at work, another long day today and needing some sleep.

Back at work again, glad I have another xs11.