Wiring Harness Question-

[connor1]

Using the attached wiring diagram as a guide. Not sure about the lower left side of the diagram where it shows the alternator connecting to the rectifier. None of the wires are colored. Am I to assume there is an idiot proof plastic connector between the alternator and rectifier? And there is a mysterious green rectangle with a green and brown wire coming out of it on the diagram. What is this?

I am running a Pamco electronic ignition.

 

[Shakey]

The three alternator wires are all the same (white or yellow) so it doesn't matter which order you attach them to the corresponding white or yellows on the reg/Rec
The green triangle is an earth - either through the mounting points to the frame or connected to an earth wire.

 

[connor1]

The three alternator wires are all the same (white or yellow) so it doesn't matter which order you attach them to the corresponding white or yellows on the reg/Rec
The green triangle is an earth - either through the mounting points to the frame or connected to an earth wire.

I'm sorry, I meant grey rectangle, look for it betweene the alternator and the reg/rec. It has a green wire and a brown wire coming out of it. Not sure what it is.....

 

[XSLeo]

That box is the brushes. Brown is power in, the green is power out to the reg/rec.
The three wires that come from the alternator to the reg/rec have no color because they are white and white printing on a white back ground is hard to see, so just the outline of the wires are shown.
In a stock harness there are plugs that only go together right. On a home made harness it's up to who made the harness to get the wiring right.
Leo

 

[connor1]

That box is the brushes. Brown is power in, the green is power out to the reg/rec.
The three wires that come from the alternator to the reg/rec have no color because they are white and white printing on a white back ground is hard to see, so just the outline of the wires are shown.
In a stock harness there are plugs that only go together right. On a home made harness it's up to who made the harness to get the wiring right.
Leo

About the brushes, I thought that brushes were an internal part of the alternator(maybe these are shown as a separate box in the wiring diagram to confuse novices like me)...I have several wires that come out of the left side lower cover (where the clutch cable goes) that terminate in a six prong plug. There are also two separate wires. Are these two separate wires connected to the business end of the brushes?

 

[gggGary]

Open the cover, you will sooner or later, But no the two separate wires; one is yellow and gets capped off, the other is blue and is the neutral switch which you will probably cap also. The brush wires are in the 6 connector plug you will find one is brown and one is green JUST like the picture!

 

[XSLeo]

In a wiring diagram, it shows how the wiring goes from an electrical point of view, not the Physical view point. So what a diagram shows is not exactly what it looks like on the bike.
Just follow the wire colors and you will be fine.
The six wire plug usually has the three whites, the green and brown wires from the stator and brushes, it also has the blue wire from the neutral switch in there too. The only other wire near there is the yellow wire, it come up from the stator and is in a single plug that goes to the safety relay, if no SR then it gets capped off.
The brushes are the green and brown in the 6 wire plug.
To get the alternator to function you just hook up the three whites from the stator to the three whites of the reg/rec, the brown wire from the brushes to power after the main switch, the green to the green on the reg/rec. The other wires on the reg/rec the brown to power after the switch, the red to battery positive the black to battery negitive.
Just as the diagram shows.
Your bike won't run well or long without a good battery and working charging system. so get it right first, then add the ignition to get it to run, then once running add the lighting.
Leo

 

[connor1]

This reg/rect I have only has 4 wires coming out, a black, a yellow, and two browns.

 

[XSLeo]

If the thing you think is a reg/rec and only has 4 wire's then it isn't a reg/rec. All the stock reg/rec's used by Yamaha had 7 wires, Three whites, a red, black, brown and green wires.
The 70-79 used seperate mechaical reg and rec. The reg on those had three wires, a green, brown and black.
What year is your bike?
Pics of the item will help us figure out what it is.
The only thing I can think of coming close is a safety relay, the early units have four wires. Most have a yellow, black and two red/whites or a red/white and a red. None with your color combination.
Leo

 

[connor1]

XSLeo-

Thanks for the reply.

For pics of the parts I am working with, please see my thread "Wiring Issues 2". This is my first "build" and I have been at it for 1.5 years! Just got her running last week and that was very exciting.

The engine is off of a 72 XS2 that was nicely restored in 2009. The new owner promptly flipped the bike, bent the top tube 3" from center and trashed the forks and the tank. Amazingly, the rest of the bike is intact. I have put the engine and other bits onto a 73 TX frame. I am going with the cafe look, so I am trying to create a minimalist wiring harness.

I not sure if I am missing a part or just cannot grasp where some of the wires connect to from the wiring diagram. I do have the new harness from the 72 bike, and would rather not chop it up. I do have most of the harness from the 73 bike which I bought for as a rolling chassis. I you don't mind, please take a look at the pics and tell me what you think. Someone with your experience with these bikes may be able to get me pointed in the right direction.

Thanks again.

 

[hmusket]

Did you see my reply to your pictures in your other thread? I believe what you are referring to as the regulator, is the starter safety cutoff switch. Take another look at the battery box for a similar looking part, with green, brown and black wires coming from it.

 

[connor1]

Hmusket-

Thanks. I just looked at the battery box in the 72 frame and I see where "something" was mounted to the side via three threaded holes in a triangle pattern. I see these regulators for sale on ebay for about $20. Maybe this is the missing link?

 

[hmusket]

I think so. Rather than buying a used regulator you may want to consider the Chrysler swap, like what XSLeo uses. If you do get one from eBay, make sure the seller knows what they are selling, I see too many misidentified parts.

 

[XSLeo]

The 72 and 73 used the same reg and rec. As in the first pic.
Here are some pics of the reg's and rec's that fit the 70-79 and the combo reg/rec of the 80 up bikes.
If you look you will see the reg of the early bikes has a green wire wound resister along the edge. No green resister, it's not a regulator.
Doing the Chrysler reg mod is a good thing, inexpencive, availible most any where and come with a warranty. Often a year free replacement.
Doing the Radio Shack rectifier mod is an easy inexpencive up grade too.
Doing the reg/rec mods you won't have to do but some minor rewiring of a stock harness to work. The 72 wiring harness is about as simple as most of the simple diagrams. Use it and mod as needed or start with the remains of the 73 harness and build a new one.
Either way will be ok.
Leo

 

[connor1]

Leo-

Thanks. The pics are very helpful. It's great of you to take the time to help. I hope to post of pics of the nearly completed bike. It runs and I should have the tank back soon. Now to get it charging.

 

[larksnostril]

XSLeo,
hello..got a newbie question.
1981SH...in pretty good shape except there are more wiring problems cropping up that to me add up to real old wiring is real old wiring and probably should be replaced cuz you never know when something will crap out..that's my basic assumption. Did a banshee swap and installed Pamco ignition, hot coil etc and all that been totally worth it.
Now, I want to do some long, long trips on this bike and the real old wiring gives me the heebeegeebees. I know I'd learn a ton by sorting out every thing that comes up one at a time IF I could do that on my own time...not in the middle of the night east of nowhere arkansas.
So, here's the questions..[1]is Mike's the best or only place to get a new wiring harness since I can't one anywhere else...[2] Are there any really stupid moves not to make in ripping out the old one and installing the new one?
thaks for any advise.

 

[XSLeo]

I would start at one end of the bike and start checking every connection in the harness, Clean, tighten and a dab of dialectric grease to keep it clean. This will cure most of your electrical problems. I did this one the 81 I have and everything electrical works just fine.
You have already changed a few things so there are somethings that I would remove, just because when they fail it can be just a PIA or might get you hurt. Things like turn signal self canceler, reserve lighting units. Most anything that isn't nessasary to get the bike to run.
Removing the stock harness and building a new harness is not a hard thing to do. Find a wiring diagram, look in the xs650 tech section, that has your charging system and ignition. Use that as a basic harness adding what ever lights you want.
This will elimanate all the extra crap of thye stock electrics and lerave you with a simple basic electrical system.
Leo