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Stella - 1977D survivor, back on the road.
Awesome Daniel, I look forward to meeting you and Stella tomorrow! Fingers crossed I'll get my brakes fixed today.
DanielBlack
XS650 Junkie
I'm rooting for ya!
Dammit - I wish we could join in. That sounds like a fun run.
Yeah I wish you could be here Pete.
TimeMachine
SeventyEighte
Great to see another success from you "standard" savers , It would be a fine day to ride with any of you ! Kudos DB 
-RT
-RT
DanielBlack
XS650 Junkie
Thanks TM, but let's temper the celebration for bit longer, yes? No champagne until a rectifier lasts 100 miles with the lighting fuse reinstalled.
Agreed. There's one artsie who thinks like an engineer.
Just another oddball thought.
The better/newer Delco regulators incorporated a temperature-correction circuit, to offset/correct the temp/voltage slew of its reference zener diode. These regulators are mounted inside the alternator case, and experience underhood engine heat. I don't know enuff about it, which way it adjusts the internal reference voltage, but Delco felt it important enuff to incorporate it.
That being said, I wonder if your voltage swings may be in response to a heat correction, or lack of, or exposure of your regulator to a heat environment that's different from the original installation..?
If that's the case, then I wouldn't worry about the voltage drift...
The better/newer Delco regulators incorporated a temperature-correction circuit, to offset/correct the temp/voltage slew of its reference zener diode. These regulators are mounted inside the alternator case, and experience underhood engine heat. I don't know enuff about it, which way it adjusts the internal reference voltage, but Delco felt it important enuff to incorporate it.
That being said, I wonder if your voltage swings may be in response to a heat correction, or lack of, or exposure of your regulator to a heat environment that's different from the original installation..?
If that's the case, then I wouldn't worry about the voltage drift...
DanielBlack
XS650 Junkie
Thanks 2M. If you don't know enough about it... Sounds quite possible, though. And I'm less worried about the voltage swing after seeing it bounce back a few times.
Here's what I've observed on my commute home, the long way.
Still no lights, cruising voltage dropped to 14.0v after a half mile or so. This stayed consistent for the next 8 or so miles. At this point, dusk was beginning to settle and I put in the lighting fuse.
Now, with the lights circuit inline, cruising voltage was a consistent 13.7/13.8v. Not too bad.
Here's a concern: sitting at idle with my lights on, voltage dropped to 12.0/12.1v (12.5-12.7 w/o lights). As I took off, voltage would jump up to about 12.7v, then slowly raise to 13.8v. Not good for riding in city traffic. I'm going to guess this is a symptom of a tired battery?
All told, this rectifier has seen four heat cycles, 30 miles without lights, 10 miles with lights. At the end of today's ride the rectifier was cool to the touch and diode numbers were up where they should be, .
Still Hesitantly Optimistic in Phoenix
One more thing I observed this evening, AZ Bike Week is obviously here. The streets are packed. Mostly groups of 10+ on custom machines that strangely look very much alike.
Here's what I've observed on my commute home, the long way.
Still no lights, cruising voltage dropped to 14.0v after a half mile or so. This stayed consistent for the next 8 or so miles. At this point, dusk was beginning to settle and I put in the lighting fuse.
Now, with the lights circuit inline, cruising voltage was a consistent 13.7/13.8v. Not too bad.
Here's a concern: sitting at idle with my lights on, voltage dropped to 12.0/12.1v (12.5-12.7 w/o lights). As I took off, voltage would jump up to about 12.7v, then slowly raise to 13.8v. Not good for riding in city traffic. I'm going to guess this is a symptom of a tired battery?
All told, this rectifier has seen four heat cycles, 30 miles without lights, 10 miles with lights. At the end of today's ride the rectifier was cool to the touch and diode numbers were up where they should be, .
Still Hesitantly Optimistic in Phoenix
One more thing I observed this evening, AZ Bike Week is obviously here. The streets are packed. Mostly groups of 10+ on custom machines that strangely look very much alike.
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.....yup, and I'll bet that NONE of them look quite like Stella!
Harrumphh - custom my @ss.....
....most of those clowns wouldn't know a rectifier from their own....well, anyway.
On all of this data - I wonder if this is simply how things are supposed to work. Maybe nobody has ever looked at this much data so carefully and so nobody was ever aware of these fluctuations.
Anyhow, I hope you all have a great ride tomorrow!
Harrumphh - custom my @ss.....
....most of those clowns wouldn't know a rectifier from their own....well, anyway. On all of this data - I wonder if this is simply how things are supposed to work. Maybe nobody has ever looked at this much data so carefully and so nobody was ever aware of these fluctuations.
Anyhow, I hope you all have a great ride tomorrow!
DanielBlack
XS650 Junkie
I expect some drop, of course. But all the way down to 12v?
DanielBlack
XS650 Junkie
I'm trying not to get too caught up with exact numbers, mainly looking for trends. And the dreaded no-charge-at-all.
Also, I fully expect and hope much of what I'm seeing is normal.
Also, I fully expect and hope much of what I'm seeing is normal.
Yes, I'm pretty sure mine routinely drops that low, or nearly so. Like I mentioned, I don't have a "numbers" meter, just that color changing L.E.D., but it always turns orange (12.25-12.45V) or starts flashing red (12-12.25V) if I'm at idle long enough.
DanielBlack
XS650 Junkie
That's comforting, thank you. Do those with mounted numerical meters concur?
If you want a warning for a "no charge" condition, try this mod .....
http://xs650temp.proboards.com/thread/9140
My white light never comes back on after starting even though the charge rate drops pretty low. In other words, it never stops charging completely.
http://xs650temp.proboards.com/thread/9140
My white light never comes back on after starting even though the charge rate drops pretty low. In other words, it never stops charging completely.
Yup - and of course, besides engine RPM, that number would depend on the state of charge of the battery which would be a function of lighting system load (including how often and for how long you used your brake light and turn signals etc., the ambient air temperature, etc. Etc. Etc.
Sometimes, we can be hypnotized by too much data - and so I think your strategy of looking for longer term trends is right on.
I just had a look at the modification for the no-charge light and I'm doing that on Lucille ASAP. BRILLIANT!
Sometimes, we can be hypnotized by too much data - and so I think your strategy of looking for longer term trends is right on.
I just had a look at the modification for the no-charge light and I'm doing that on Lucille ASAP. BRILLIANT!
DanielBlack
XS650 Junkie
That's a good mod, and I've been thinking about adding it. But, I don't think it would alert me to the failures I've been experiencing.
When my rectifiers went, the yellow and white wires still saw full AC voltage, it just wasn't making its way to the battery.
I believe it may be more accurate to call that mod an alternator monitor, as opposed to charge system monitor.
When my rectifiers went, the yellow and white wires still saw full AC voltage, it just wasn't making its way to the battery.
I believe it may be more accurate to call that mod an alternator monitor, as opposed to charge system monitor.
