When you follow Curly's charging guide, any time you test for voltage the key needs to be on. Anytime you test for resistance the key is off.
These rules apply on any testing. Voltage = power on, resistance = power off.
On resistance tests it won't matter which probe touches which terminal. There are tests that you touch the probes one way then reverse them. Diodes get tested that way. On your bike the rectifier gets tested that way because it has diodes inside.
On voltage tests the red lead goes to positive, the black to negative.
The first thing I would check is the length of the brushes, the book calls for about a 1/4 in minimum length, anything less than about 3/8's is getting to short.
Often that's all that's wrong.
While you have the brushes out is a good time to check the rotor's ohms.
To do the test, set your meter to it's lowest ohm scale. Most digital meters that's 200. Now touch the leads together, this reading is for the leads, remember this number, it gets subtracted from the test reading to get the actual ohms.
Now touch one probe to each slip ring, where the brushes touch the rotor. Also touch one probe to a slip ring and ground.
When you get a reading on the rotor you need to subtract the probe to probe reading from the reading you got. Example, one of my meters when touching probes reads .5 ohms.
If I test a rotor and get say 5.7 ohms, I subtract the .5 from the 5.7 and get 5.2 ohms. The rotor should test 5.25 ohms + or - 10% or 4.5 to 5.5 ohms. Thats the spec from the 78 book. In the 70 book it says 5 to 7 ohms most check out about 5 to 6 ohms.
From slipring to ground you should not get a reading.
If it reads way high or way low or gets a reading to ground, then the rotor needs replacing.
Testing the stator is done in a simular fashion. To test the stator, follow the wires from the stator up to a large connector. It has 8 wires in it. There is also a yellow wire in it's own 1 wire plug. Unplug these connectors. On the big one you will find three white wires. think of them as three pairs of wires. Test the three pairs of wires as you did the rotor sliprings. Should get about .9 ohms + or - 10%, no reading to ground.
Checking all the connectors in the wiring harness for clean and tight is a good idea.
One thing, if you put your bikes year, model and any mods in your signature people won't have to ask what your bike is and whats been done to it.
Leo
