CDI ignition unit placement

[takehikes]

It’s mind boggling that Yamaha put this cdi unit under the battery. I’m guessing they wanted some air around it? I’m thinking about building an electric box to hide wires and such and wondered if it needs to be out in the open or ok to be enclosed.

 

[650Skull]

Sorry to correct you but Yamaha never put a CDI unit under the XS650 battery box...............TCI unit they may have........

 

[takehikes]

Sorry to correct you but Yamaha never put a CDI unit under the XS650 battery box...............TCI unit they may have........

Ok TCI …….. same question.

 

[nj1639]

I ran a '79 converted to TCI and kept the unit under the stock seat, over/ in front of the battery. My current '77 TCI conversion is attached to the side of the battery box, left side, hidden by the side cover. Both hidden but not totally enclosed. Uni pods on the '77 gave me the space once the air boxes were removed.

 

[650Skull]

It’s mind boggling that Yamaha put this cdi unit under the battery. I’m guessing they wanted some air around it? I’m thinking about building an electric box to hide wires and such and wondered if it needs to be out in the open or ok to be enclosed.

The why......Who knows but at a guess i would say when the separate Regulators and Rectifiers, (70-79), were replaced with the solid state Combined Reg/Rect, (80-83/4), and placed on the frame down-tube behind the motor they put the TCI unit under the battery box as it was now a vacant area to attach something.

Does in closing it in an electrics box do it any harm?........... Maybe not but these TCI's are getting old and a few of them have had problems due to the solder on the boards getting old and cracking making problems for the circuits. Enclosing them in a box with other electrical components, with no ventilation, could in my mind make it deteriorate faster than it would out in the open air. ...........another consideration may be vibration. Under the battery box it is shielded, to a degree, by the battery box dampers. An electrical box made up is usually bolted/welded straight to the frame.

 

[takehikes]

I’m chopping mine so I’m thinking I’ll attach it to the side of the battery box and rubber mount the box or maybe the unit itself. Reg/rect going back in stock location hopefully. I have to get many other issues worked out first.