Rectifier help - please before I explode

[kawakid]

What a week.

The week of my MOT and needing the bike it decides to snow and the rectifier to go.

Long story cut short, bulb went last week, new bulb went, tested elecs and it was pumping out 19v with revs, tried to remove rectifier bolts sheared. Took bike to garage he managed to remove rectifier, (he doesn't supply them), brought bike back he'd over tightend a bolt and I had to drill it out.

Now my major problem is the my old rectifier had a male connector block and my new one has a female. YUP

I bought this from www.gear4bikes.com whom were the only person who could promiss delivery the following day.

Now on their website it did say (may require plug/socket swap with old unit)

However which pin do I connect to which. The terminals are the exact oposite of each other and will infact plug in to each other .

ie https://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b82/mondeokid/rectifier1.jpg

However the wiring colours look different,

Here is my email to gear4bikes.com (WHOM HAVEN'T RESPONDED).




Which pin goes to which pin on my old unit, the bottom row is all yellow
the same on the new unit.

However the top row on the new unit is brown, then white & red then black.

On the old unit the top row is white, brown, then black and yellow.

--------

Now I also don't know if it makes a difference, but the wires seem to go in to the back
of the rectifier differently, I guess the first is the original).

ie the old one from the left, is yellow,white,yellow,black & yellow, yellow then brown.

the new, black, yellow,yellow,brown,yellow, white & red








Please can anyone help
https://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b82/mondeokid/rectifier2.jpg
____________________
I've a twin and a 4.

[stinkwheel]

Well three yellow all together as you supposed, the order is not important.

Pretty much all reg/recs do the same thing on motorcycles and have the same wires, just different colours.

I do know that on Kawasakis, the white wire carries the charging current and needs to be thicker than the others. So if the white/red wire on your new reg/rec is thicker than all the others, it is a safe bet it fulfills the same function.

The other two are an earth and a sense wire. The sense is usually brown and you have one on each so I'd suggest these go together. Then you are left with your two earths.

If you agree with my logic, what it sounds like you need to do is get a watchmakers screwdriver (or the proper tool if you have one) and carefully wiggle the brown and the red/white contacts out of the connector block on your new reg/rec (this is a fiddle but do-able). Now put them back into the block the other way round.

I'd like to stress that this is just an educated guess, don't do it if you aren't happy with my reasoning.

EDIT: the other way of doing it would be to chop the connector blocks off both the loom and the reg/rec and replace them with individual bullet terminals. That's maybe making a mountain out of a molehill though.

[kawakid]

[instigator]

Tell you what mate. That is scary.

Not only did MY rectifier go this week but I got a replacement and have to do the plug swap too!!!!



Except I have to swap 2 plugs on my rectifier and figure out what 2 wires not to use.

[finpos]

Just to further re-assure - WHITE/RED is a good bet for the charging wire on a non-specific Kawasaki regulator. So stinkwheel's swap two wires idea seems right to me too.

I think you are going to have to chop the connector off your old rectifier and crimp or solder the new rectifier onto it. Use plenty of heatshrink


finpos.

[stinkwheel]

Or Vehicle Wiring Products sell the spade terminals suitable for clicking into those connector blocks. They also sell a little widget for extracting terminals from the blocks.

[kawakid]

Hi,

Thanks for the help, I've got a couple of problems.

I couldn't seem to find the part I required to go in to the block, i've measure it, its 25mm. It has a little notch that can be pushed up to
lock the pins in place.

https://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b82/mondeokid/rectifier4.jpg

But the fact that I was immediately going to have to modify something that I've just spent £71 on is quite worrying. I'm going to have to ask about warranty.

The official part was £91, but the local dealer couldn't say how long
I would have to wait.

One other thing, I've tried making a few small cables with male
spade terminals at each end. I thought that this could be a good idea, but if you look at the pics, the spades go in. But a bit of metal
is left out, it wouldn't touch the other spades. But could this spark
or jump between the 2.

You can see this on the picture below.


https://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b82/mondeokid/rectifier5.jpg



Any help appreciated.
____________________
I've a twin and a 4.

[stinkwheel]

Those pre-insulated terminals you've used are crap for motorcycle wiring. The idea of using a 'bridge' seems ok but you are intorducing another two joints in the system, something else to go wrong.

If it was me, I'd chop the blocks right off and connect the wires up individually using non-insulated bullet connectors with silicone sleeves over them (pretty much the standard way of joining motorcycle wiring before connector blocks came in and a lot more weather resistant). But then again, I have them sitting in my shed and the tool to crimp them with.

That or fit my own connector blocks. Part number MC6 on THIS PAGE
https://www.vehicle-wiring-products.co.uk/VWPweb2000/multicon/photo/mc6.jpg

They only cost £2. If there is a maplins near you, they would most likely stock something similar to save postage.

[instigator]

You reckon Maplins will stock them?

I'll need to rewire my rectifier properly tomorrow along with a few other connections prior to it's sale. Might give them a call and make sure. Cheers

On a seperate note, I prefer the idea of using thenon insulated bullet connectors with the silicon sleeve. Where else would stock them? Maplins is about 30 miles away from where I live. Guess I'll have to..

Kawakid, is that not a '28mm spade'? 28mm seemed a common size when I was trying to wire my clocks up professionally.

[finpos]

Just be very wary of the connectors you can get in maplins - most of them are designed to sit in a box in your living room. Put them on a bike and they will rot and drop off.

finpos.

[kawakid]

Hi Greg,

We have a Maplins fairly close near to that Bradford Motorcycles you went to with me.

I've just sent an email to gear4bikes.com i'm not happy, I think for the £21 difference I want the proper unit.

I think Stinkwheels idea for 2 new terminal blocks is the best i'd need 2 male blocks.

If I don't get a refund i'll do this.
____________________
I've a twin and a 4.

[stinkwheel]

[kawakid]

Thanks Stinkwheel for all your help.

I do understand what to do, and thanks for the part codes etc.

I have just had a response from gear4bikes.com and to be fair, they have said they have had problems emailing me. (We do have a fairly strict spam server at work).

They've talked to the manufacturer and they now have another part code for the ER5. Which they are going to send.

My issue with all this , was i've spent £71, as soon as I hack in to the wiring, any guarantee has gone, which is what gear4bikes.com said.

Hopefully the correct part will be here tomorrow.

I think a lot of suppliers think that the GPZ and the ER5 are identical, they are not, especially with the electrics, if I'd have simply gone pin to pin, i'd have had big problems.

Now there's something for using the official parts, £20 more, but zero hassle. Last 2 pattern parts I've got I've had problems, piston seals and now this.

Its just soo annoying all of this, it doesn't help I've an MOT at 9am tomorrow, I've just charged the battery, its only 2 miles from here.
____________________
I've a twin and a 4.

[kawakid]

Hi,

Update, bits4bikes.com phoned me and said their supplier had the
correct rectifier.

This came 9.30am, fitted at bike went throught the MOT no problems.

Also they sent the replacement unit without first asking for the old one back, just said send it back next week.

Ohh they had emailed me lots of times, our works quarantine server, brought them to me 2 days later. Dohhh

So no issues at all with gear4bikes.com
____________________
I've a twin and a 4.