Mikes XS regulator/rectifier=total frustration

Royboy

Royboy

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In an effort to somewhat modernize the 77'D and make it as reliable as possible I continue to update and upgrade the various systems. Most recently I decided to change out the old regulator and rectifier to a solid state combined unit. I ordered up Mike's part #24-2089 and in a few days it arrived. Only took a couple hours to swap out the old components and install the new. But upon start up she would only run on battery voltage, 12.36 or so volts. Not charging even up to 3500 rpm, So I assumed the Mike's R&R was somehow faulty and returned it. Mikes showed a lot of class in replacing the unit at no cost even though it's not their policy to do so. Today we installed the replacement unit and still no charge. If I reconnect the old regulator and rectifier they work just fine, charging up to around 14.50 volts at 3500 rpm.

So unless Mikes got a whole batch of bad R&R's I'm doing something wrong. Damned if I can figure out what. I tried the nylon screws even though I didn't think that was necessary, no joy. Tried wiring up a combo R&R from a late model bike I just junked out, no joy. Triple checked my wiring and then had my buddy and super tuner go over the work, no joy.

I'm totally stumped. This is not a complicated process but I'm missing something. In the past I've just gone RG's way and used the Chrysler Motors regulator and made my own rectifiers with Radio Shack parts. But Radio Shack is no more around here and I'm up the creek. I'd post up a pic but when you've seen one wire you've seen them all.

Oh, should mention the brushes and stator are in great shape.

Any thoughts?

roy
 
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Most of us get our rectifiers off eBay now. We buy a single three phase unit which is just what's needed. No need to string two single phase units together anymore like in that Radio Shack mod.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151314178350?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

NewRecs.jpg


NewRec2.jpg


There is one little "gotcha" with these units. The spade terminals are 3/8", not the normal 1/4". 3/8" female spade crimps can be found but not easily. But, it is a simple matter to narrow down the tabs with a cut-off wheel on a Dremel so the 1/4" spades fit .....

RecTerminals.jpg


It's very possible Mike's got a bad batch. They wouldn't know, they don't seem to check anything, lol. It's also possible they were sent the wrong type, the ground switching or regulating kind. Your charging system needs the power switching type. The '80 and later charging systems use the ground switching type regulator.

There's more to that nylon screw mod than just switching out the screws. You have to change the wire on the inner brush. You need to feed it switched power. Originally, it has a ground wire on it.
 
Yes RG, I did run a ground leg from the unit's case to a ground lug on the frame. I think I'll take 5 Twin's advice and order up the rectifier in his link. I'll couple that up with the VR115 regulator and get on with my life.
 
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Well Roy, one thing you can really count on about Mikesxs is there continuing selling of cheap junk parts. They seem to have enough new and repeat customers that they can just keep on selling crap. I just tell everyone to try to buy your parts everywhere else, and make Mikesxs the very last choice to buy parts.

For sure, 5twins post is the way to go.
 
retiredgentleman said:
Well Roy, one thing you can really count on about Mikesxs is there continuing selling of cheap junk parts. They seem to have enough new and repeat customers that they can just keep on selling crap. I just tell everyone to try to buy your parts everywhere else, and make Mikesxs the very last choice to buy parts.

For sure, 5twins post is the way to go.
Click to expand...
 
Just to put a lid on it, this morning I installed the VR115 regulator and the rectifier referenced by 5twins which I sourced off ebay, and a new Pamco with E advance. Bike is running better than ever and making a strong 14 volts at 3,000 rpm.

Happy.

roy
 
Hey can someone tell me where 5twins got those cute black metal holders for his 30 amp bridge rectifiers? And are those connectors coming from mikes?
 
If you don't want to manufacture your own and you want to buy regulators and rectifiers or combination units. with the confidence of a guarantee, try Oregon Motorcycle Parts. He builds all his own products and stands behind them 100%. I've purchased from him for a few different projects, like my Kawasaki A7 and he will custom make parts and not charge extra.

http://www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com/index.html

John
 
Aardvark,

5twins used a piece of steel angle and a bit of creative cut and bend to fab together his rectifier mount. On mine I simply took the original thru bolt from the stock rectifier and used it to attach the new rectifier in the stock position. There is a slot machined into new part which will accept a bolt head and allow this to fit up. A certain amount of parts bin scrounging was involved.

Wiring connectors at the rectifier are part #34524 from your local Ace Hardware's automotive electronics section. I salvaged and reused the stock connector to attach the rectifier to the bike's stock harness. (a bit of fiddling but not too bad). You can also source new connectors from Rick's Wiring. https://ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/ As 5twins mentioned above the new rectifier's spade terminals need to be narrowed to 1/4" to accept the female connections. It actually took longer to type this than it did to trim them to fit with a Dremel cut off wheel.

roy
 
Well thanks Roy for your time. After reading threads back 12 years about everybody's rectifier creations over the years it's cool to find a single discreet device for making our own. My 18 year old and I were given an XS2 by a customer of ours that had been sitting for 28 years in his garage, never touched! He asked us to haul it away for him 'cause he was passing soon.

Thus began a love relationship for my son & I for a bike model we were totally unaware was so coveted! We are restoring it to near original for now; I am teaching my son the electrics of the ACG and it's system before we eventually go with a PMA. I really enjoy ya'll's "Garage" and thanks for the reply. I will probably do mine like yours using the pre-existing parts -- trying to teach him frugality & common sense too. Thanks again. Shoot I could probably grinded down (15) 3/8" tabs by now I am so slow @ texting!
20160905_181304.jpg
 
Good luck with your build! For many of us these old XS650's are a source of great entertainment. Good basic design, old time, pre-digital technology and transportation to boot!
From the pic I'd say your previous owner has taken some liberties with the old girl. Just how long are those fork tubes?

You guys should start a build thread so that we can watch your progress.

roy
 
I am totally new to these forum type websites but I can try to figure it out. Right now we are trying to gain direction into what we are building towards; other than just staying stock. Flat tracker, racer, chopper hard tail, totally original, retro, ghetto monster, etc. My son & I have dual purpose bikes to ride here in the Colorado mountains so now we have a pet Frankenstein! My son is so enthralled with the motor that he video recorded it idling on his iphone and walked around for several days just watching the video and listening to the audio of the engine! He'll have nothing to do with re-phasing the crank. He wants it to lope with a moderate cam! I was thinking of a cross between flat-tracker & Steve McQueen's German motorcycle from the movie the Great Escape. Do'in camo paint & wide low straight bars. But some of these other bikes with TC Bros stretched hard tail frames where the bike is engine, two wheels & you are way cool too! Right now though we are concentrating on sub-systems because the bike sat so long; it's a wreck. Luckily our BS38's came out good after a gazillion hours of cleaning & TLC. Now we are waiting on our bridge rectifier from China & are going through the wiring harness looking for resistances that shouldn't be there. I had my kid cleaning each square inch of the engine & frame with straight de-greaser and a nylon scrubber just like my dad taught me. He loves it! I have not measured the fork length but between them and the bars the bike seems of poor geometry; handling wise. Neither of us like it. Thanks for your interest. I hope to get involved with this forum because I KNOW I am going to need advise! Later Mr. Royboy. Aaah, keyboards are so much better than typing on phones.
 
Royboy said:
In an effort to somewhat modernize the 77'D and make it as reliable as possible I continue to update and upgrade the various systems. Most recently I decided to change out the old regulator and rectifier to a solid state combined unit. I ordered up Mike's part #24-2089 and in a few days it arrived. Only took a couple hours to swap out the old components and install the new. But upon start up she would only run on battery voltage, 12.36 or so volts. Not charging even up to 3500 rpm, So I assumed the Mike's R&R was somehow faulty and returned it. Mikes showed a lot of class in replacing the unit at no cost even though it's not their policy to do so. Today we installed the replacement unit and still no charge. If I reconnect the old regulator and rectifier they work just fine, charging up to around 14.50 volts at 3500 rpm.

So unless Mikes got a whole batch of bad R&R's I'm doing something wrong. Damned if I can figure out what. I tried the nylon screws even though I didn't think that was necessary, no joy. Tried wiring up a combo R&R from a late model bike I just junked out, no joy. Triple checked my wiring and then had my buddy and super tuner go over the work, no joy.

I'm totally stumped. This is not a complicated process but I'm missing something. In the past I've just gone RG's way and used the Chrysler Motors regulator and made my own rectifiers with Radio Shack parts. But Radio Shack is no more around here and I'm up the creek. I'd post up a pic but when you've seen one wire you've seen them all.

Oh, should mention the brushes and stator are in great shape.

Any thoughts?

roy
Click to expand...
I see this is an older post but I am experiencing the same thing. But purchased in '24. I've checked my wiring many times and no charge. Ethan from.Mikes says brown goes to isolated black on alternator. I'll try that. Yes maybe bad or wrong reg/rec.
 
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650Skull said:
Might help. Put this together a while ago. Some things may have changed??

www.xs650.com/threads/wiring-in-a-70-79-combined-reg-rect-to-all-points-
Click to expand...
Link doesn't work. Thank you for responding. Isolating the black wire on the alternator with nylon screws and removing the black wire out of the alternator harness and going straight to the isolated brush did nothing. Cleaned up my old stuff and it works perfectly.
This is a 76 that I got for free in 15. Been sitting forever. No history. Close to riding. But rec/ reg from mikes has to be bad. Tried every possible way. Like to get back all the time I spent messing around with it.
 
lorenzo said:
Link doesn't work. Thank you for responding. Isolating the black wire on the alternator with nylon screws and removing the black wire out of the alternator harness and going straight to the isolated brush did nothing. Cleaned up my old stuff and it works perfectly.
This is a 76 that I got for free in 15. Been sitting forever. No history. Close to riding. But rec/ reg from mikes has to be bad. Tried every possible way. Like to get back all the time I spent messing around with it.
Click to expand...
Link fixed.........

https://www.xs650.com/threads/wiring-in-a-70-79-combined-reg-rect-to-all-points-model-xs650s.52339/

Already having the Combined Reg/Rect it is worth trying to work it out. Not to put a dampener on them but mikes Reg/Rect have had some mixed results
If it doesn't work out then this is what most are doing.

Reliable and reasonably cheap. 80 and later i for any bike that is running a Factory Ignition, (A Type). 79 and earlier is for any bike that run on points, (B Type)..........i point this out because bikes have been changed from points to Factory Ignition and vise versa
https://www.xs650.com/threads/diy-reg-rec-5twins-and-jim.55842/
 
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Not read trough but the Combo Reg Rec .If you Connect it wrong it can fry faster than anyone can spell " No Blue Smoke "
I Learned it the hard way Buying a set on line for an 1980 that in Europe is the old type With points and no TCI
Not in the US for an 1980
Never got it working.
But defect parts is also Plausible at times
Better cheaper results with the Auto separate parts
 

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