battery died what to check frist on charging system

[danxs650mass]

rode the bike all week end than monday the battery is dead its a new walmart battery so im thinkn its the chargeing system just wondering where to start its a 1972 xs650 anybody know what the weak spot is on these years i checkd the fuses and they are all good dont know where to go next any help will be great i have the pamco ing and that works great is there a after market charging system??????

 

[pamcopete]

dan......,

The weak spot is the rotor, so measure the resistance of the rotor windings from one of the slip rings to the other with the brushes removed. Should be 5 Ohms.

While you have the brushes out, check the length of the brushes that contact the slip rings. Should be 3/8" long.

Then, check out these resources for DIY replacements for the regulator and rectifier.

http://xs650temp.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=gotopost&board=Charging&thread=3246&post=19006

http://xs650temp.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=gotopost&board=Charging&thread=3473&post=20564

 

[bloodthirstysystem]

mine just died this weekend. pushed it 1 mile back home and saw that my negative terminal vibrated loose at the frame. check the simple stuff

 

[pamcopete]

blood...........,

Good point. I had the positive cable terminal break off once on me. Luckily, I always carry tie wraps with me and I was able to tie wrap it onto the battery terminal.

Tie wraps are a great quick get me home fix. Tied up the kick stand once when the spring broke.

 

[danxs650mass]

ok thanks i will look for a loose wire frist does any one know what year rotors will work in a 72 motor i have a couple of parts bikes a 77 and 75

 

[pamcopete]

dan...........,

All the rotors will work in your model, including the later years with the magnet for the TCI. Check your parts bike rotors by measuring the resistance across the slip rings. Should be 5 Ohms.

 

[danxs650mass]

ok thanks i will check the ohms on them i have a good fluke meter and i just orderd the radio shack 276-1185 fullwave rectifiers and some heat compound on line im gonna try to make that rectifier it will give me some thing to do at work 1/4 al will be thick enuff? thanks for the info

 

[pamcopete]

dan......,

1/8" is better because the idea is to expose the heat to the air and thicker metal traps the heat.

 

[danxs650mass]

ok thanks 1/8 will be easyier to find than the 1/4 the brushes 1 seems longer tha the other but there both more than 3/8 maybe im measureing the wrong way

 

[pamcopete]

dan....,

Generally, the outer brush travels further and faster so it wears more.

 

[danxs650mass]

im getn 5.7 ohms on the rotor is this passalbe to be used ??

 

[pamcopete]

dan.....,

Touch the test leads of your meter together to see what their resistance is. Typically, it is .3 Ohms. Subtract this from your reading of the rotor to get the true resistance:

5.7 - .3 = 5.4.

Actually, either 5.4 or 5.7 is acceptable.

 

[weekendrider]

dan, 5.7 is a good number. Look elsewhere.

 

[danxs650mass]

 

[danxs650mass]

made my recifer out of the radio shack parts and still only gettn 12.3 volts at the battery some said to run a ground wire form the motor to the frame ?? will that do anything i guess its worth a try wat ealse can i replace in the chagring system ?

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[pamcopete]

dan....,

1. Unplug the regulator.
2. Run a jumper from the battery + terminal to the green (outer) wire brush on the rotor.
3. Start engine.
4. Measure battery voltage.
5. If it climbs to 15 Volts, then your regulator is bad.
6. DO NOT LET THE BATTERY VOLTAGE GO ABOVE 15 volts!
7. This is just a test for the regulator, not an alternative. During this test, the voltage from the alternator is unregulated.

 

[danxs650mass]

i did what you said now the bike wont even start it just cranks and sounds like im not getn any spark i think i blew out my pamco ing and im not sure how to check for spark i was told if i ground out the plug to check for spark it will ruin the coil so now i dont know what to do this sucks it ws running so good just last weekend and it always started so fast with that pamco ing i noticed when i but the jumper on the pos termal on the battery it did spark a little like there was a draw of current maybe i need a new reg and pamco ing and start all over agian

 

[inxs]

i was told if i ground out the plug to check for spark it will ruin the coil

- if you DONT ground the plug you will have problems
- have a search through the pamco stuff-there is a proceedure to test the pamco unit

 

[pamcopete]

dan,

Here is a test procedure to test the PAMCO without having to run or even turn the engine over:

1. Use a voltmeter and check for battery voltage on each of the red/white wires with the key and kill switch are turned on.
2. The dual output coil has to have both spark plug wires connected to a spark plug at all times.
3. To test for spark, connect one of the spark plug wires to a spark plug that is grounded to the engine.
To test for spark without having to turn the engine over, do this procedure:
1. Remove the PAMCO rotor.
2. Remove the locating pin in the advance rod.
3. Reinstall the rotor, but without the pin.
4. Replace the nut holding the rotor on loosely. This will allow you to spin the rotor to produce a spark without having to turn the engine over.
5. Connect one of the spark plug wires to a spark plug that is grounded to the engine, but not installed in the engine.
6. Make sure that the other spark plug wire is connected to a spark plug in the engine.
7. Turn on the ignition switch and the kill switch.
8. Spin the rotor while looking at the gap in the spark plug for a spark.
9. Turn off the kill switch and the ignition switch.

 

[danxs650mass]

ok sounds like a test that i can do the only thing i realy dont understand is number 8 spin the rotor do mean spin it by hand ? i hate too be a pain in the balls thanks dan