Reparing Alternator Connector Wiring

[3Phase]

The alternator connector melted and shorted two wires together in the connector. Here are the pictures of the repair and one picture of the 1-ton van horns I put on a few weeks ago:-

Alternator 4-pin connector is melted and broke when separated; notice the round rubber battery bumper plug just below the upper fuse box mounting plate standoff



Radio Shack 4 position terminal strip



Non-conducting, acid-proof nylon screw and nut, rubber battery tray bumper plug and 4 position terminal strip



Drill a hole in the rubber bumper for the nylon screw



Nylon screw goes inside the rubber bumper facing out



Rubber bumper pressed in place with the new hole drilled



Terminal strip mounted on nylon screw



Alternator wires marked and connected to the terminals



Plastic coffee can lid to prevent accidental contact with the wires and lock in freshness and flavor



Everything back in place including the AC Delco horn relay



Spare TCI held in place over the fuse box with vacuum hose



Right side cover back in place



1971 Chevrolet 1-ton van horns mounted on my XS1100G



That's all, folks!

Regards,

Scott

[CatatonicBug]

Or, you could just spend less than $5 and get a new set of the proper connectors from Geezer...

[GARTHXS]

necessity

Is a motherf@#

[3Phase]

Or, you could just spend less than $5 and get a new set of the proper connectors from Geezer...

Good thought there Bug! But:
I can't ride the bike without a charging system.
I don't like friction type connectors for high current loads.
Tony's in Oregon and I'm going riding tomorrow morning.

I spent $2 today and I'll never have to worry about that particular connector again. It can be taken apart and the wires are marked for when I have to work on the bike. It's easily reversible so if I ever hit my head and decide to go back to friction type connectors I can do that with no problem.

Thankfully, the charging system is once again back to its good old self and I don't need a regulator/rectifier. It charges the battery even at idle and the turn signals work with ignition off.

It's done!


Regards,

Scott

[GARTHXS]

hmmmmm

I wonder if that is al eftover from the last time your bike died

[3Phase]

Is a motherf@#

Nah, the only difficult part of the job was finding the coffee can lid and it was more fun than building my own regulator/rectifier.

More flags, more fun -- six flags!


Regards,

Scott

[CatatonicBug]

I don't need a regulator/rectifier. It charges the battery even at idle and the turn signals work with ignition off.

Huh? How do you not need the Reg/Rect? This "mod" doesn't remove or add anything to the circuit, does it? The Reg/Rect is a safety feature for the eletcrical system, and changes the AC voltage coming from the alternator into DC voltage for the battery and the rest of the bike. How have you taken care of that?

[psycoreefer]

I think what he meant was that he didn't need (a new) regulator/rectifier, because his old one was still working fine.

[b.walker5]

Good looking fix, and one I will do myself this Winter (without the coffee can lid, I have 4 term connectors with little snap on plastic covers over the terminals) but 2 questions arise.
1. Why do you carry a spare TCI ? , and
2. Does improving these connections make that much of a difference that you get charge at idle or do you have some other mod already on board for this?

I get squat from my alternator untill at least 1500, but I idle at 850 - 900.

[3Phase]

Huh? How do you not need the Reg/Rect? This "mod" doesn't remove or add anything to the circuit, does it? The Reg/Rect is a safety feature for the eletcrical system, and changes the AC voltage coming from the alternator into DC voltage for the battery and the rest of the bike. How have you taken care of that?

No, this mod doesn't remove anything except a connector that every third person and his or her dog has trouble with or will have trouble with. As Brian said, I don't need a new regulator/rectifier because the one I have is working fine now that the wires aren't touching each other and shorting the stator!

I do have two spare OEM regulator/rectifiers if I need them but I am planning to make my own just for grins.

FWIW the regulator/rectifier is not a safety feature. AC won't charge anything, it'll just move the electrons back and forth in alternate directions. The electrons in your AC house wiring and all of your AC appliances are the same electrons that came with them whenever they were made.

Electrons moving in one direction is known as DC and it will charge a cell instead of bouncing its electrons around and creating heat. Cells connected together form a 'battery' of cells. All generators generate AC current. DC generators mechanically rectify the AC into DC by using a commutator and heavy brushes. AC generators, alternators, don't have a commutator so the AC is rectified with diodes -- fewer moving parts, not safety per se.

Good looking fix, and one I will do myself this Winter (without the coffee can lid, I have 4 term connectors with little snap on plastic covers over the terminals) but 2 questions arise.
1. Why do you carry a spare TCI ? , and
2. Does improving these connections make that much of a difference that you get charge at idle or do you have some other mod already on board for this?

I get squat from my alternator untill at least 1500, but I idle at 850 - 900.

Thanks, Brian! I hope your leg heals up quickly and stays straight this time. Doctors....

I carry a spare TCI because they're all getting old and it's one of the only failure-prone parts that I can't figure out some way to do without or jerry rig on the road out of old light bulbs, coat hangers, chewing gum, duct tape and WD40. I'd carry a spare breaker plate with points and condenser but I'd have to fab it ahead of time so it's easier to carry a spare TCI.

The TCI is moderately expensive and it takes time to get one delivered that may or may not work and I don't want to sit in a motel for a week or rent a truck to get my bike home. It's plug and go with a spare.


The alternator connector I replaced is only one part of the total modifications I have made and you must use a coffee can lid or it won't work!

A few months ago the main wire from the battery overheated and shorted to the frame, leaving me struck along side the freeway. I got rid of the 14 gauge OEM wiring and ran 10 gauge wire from the battery to the ignition switch, then 12 gauge wire from the switch to the fuse box. I also got rid if the friction type connectors at the ignition switch and installed screw type connectors.

The change in wire gauge and the screw type connectors gave me charge at idle and working turn signals with the engine off. Now that the alternator is working again I have charge at idle again. Actually, I have a little more charge at idle than I did before the connector melted. The turn signals would have worked with the engine off but the battery was dead.


Regards,

Scott

[GARTHXS]

spare

T

Good looking fix, and one I will do myself this Winter (without the coffee can lid, I have 4 term connectors with little snap on plastic covers over the terminals) but 2 questions arise.
1. Why do you carry a spare TCI ? , and
2. Does improving these connections make that much of a difference that you get charge at idle or do you have some other mod already on board for this?

I get squat from my alternator untill at least 1500, but I idle at 850 - 900.

The spare tci is actually a flux capicitor and when he reaches 99.9 MPH he opens a hole in the space time continuem and travels through time!!!!!

[3Phase]

The spare tci is actually a flux capicitor and when he reaches 99.9 MPH he opens a hole in the space time continuem and travels through time!!!!!

You weren't supposed to mention the time travel, Garth, now everybody's going to want to go back, way back, back into time!


sdrageR

ttocS

[GARTHXS]

sorry

I guess the cats out of the bag, mcfly. Oh BTW when I looked at you signature in the mirror it said you were full of poop!!!!

[b.walker5]

T

The spare tci is actually a flux capicitor and when he reaches 99.9 MPH he opens a hole in the space time continuem and travels through time!!!!!

Okay, if he can do that then he can gather up all of the collected fixes and improvements and go back 31 years and fix these things so none of us have any problems now

[b.walker5]

The alternator connector I replaced is only one part of the total modifications I have made and you must use a coffee can lid or it won't work!

Sooo... Does the smell of good coffee help with cold starting like it does with me?