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Burnt Electrical Wires

cowboyup3371

cowboyup3371

Forum Guru
Past Site Supporter
I replaced my RR last year with one from Duaneage and replaced the bullet connectors with the "insulated" spade kind. I put dielectric grease over them before crimping them so I thought everything was fine.

When removing the sense wire from the brake light connection, I came across a burn mark on both ends of the power connection:

RectifierBurntWire2.jpg


RectifierWireburnt1.jpg


The second wire showed signs of corrosion (might have gotten wet????) and crushed easily when I removed it from the first. I cut the connector off and reterminated it but am wondering if I could have done something wrong or do I maybe still have an electrical issue out there someplace?

I'm replacing the fuse block so hopefully that might have fixed some of it but any suggestions as to where else I can look that would feed to much back to the RR
 
Do you mean the sense wire has burned, or did you mean the red positive wire (the "power connection" ?) has burned? If the later, are you feeding this directly to battery (thru fuse), or using the original harness connection wire?
 
It's the red positive wire and it runs directly from wiring harness into rectifier like the old one did.
 
cowboyup3371 said:
It's the red positive wire and it runs directly from wiring harness into rectifier like the old one did.
Click to expand...
Ok, cleaning up fuse box is a good place to start, since power from r/r goes to harness and then thru main fuse to supply bike's needs and dribble a little back to battery.
 
I was using some of those connectors, and I think the problem is that they suck. Several of my r/r connections were using those and looked just like that. They were fine at first, but got crispy over time. I think the conductive material starts to oxidize and gets enough resistance to get hot under that kind of current. One time while tuning my bike I could feel them and they were HOT. Other places I've used those connectors haven't fared as poorly.

My solution was to switch to Posi-Seal Weathertite connectors (by Federal Mogul) with the wire ends generously coated with dielectric silicone compound. They're twist-on weatherproof butt connectors, and are available at NAPA (unfortunately their price is kind of ridiculous: $10 for two of them :eek:). If you can wait maybe you can find them online for less. Never even feel warm.

You can try to use the same type of connector again, but I'd go with new ones, fresh wire ends, and douse both with dieletric compound. I'm a believer! I put that stuff on every connection now.
 
Those were poor connections that caused your problems. You need to get the proper crimping tools for your connectors or use another type of connector. Those weather tight connectors are good for splices, but not made to take apart. What you need to use is an opened type of connector and a crimping tool that curls the open wings around and back into the center of the wire as it crimps it, just like the factory crimps. You can get a Weatherpack tool on Amazon that will cover any wire from 22 to 14 gauge for about $30.00. A common electrical crimping tool is not very good. There are also tools that will make a perfect crimp on the type of connector you used. Soldering the connection is also good, but would require a different type of connector, the opened type. A good solder joint is just as shiny as the melted solder. If it is moved at all before it sets, the joint will get dull, and could make a bad connection, a cold solder joint. The advantage of solder is that you could make a crude crimp and still have a good connection.
 
I use my trusty Weller 200w gun tin the wires and, a splice tube- solder it together and two layers of shrink tubing. Never have any problems
 
So that wire was one where the original connector had a problem, so you replaced it with a crimp on connector, correct?

My expereince with similar has been that when the original connector had a problem and was heating up repeatidly for quite some time, that the wire then gets brittle. And then the crimp on connectors are not reliable, since the wire is brittle and not ductile. THis is my thereory based on my espereince/observations with bad connetions in charging circuit and replaceing them with crimp on connectors like you have. (I think I am the only one that has made such statements, about the wire being brittle.) I found that using the crimp on connectors on the stiff brittle wire that the crimp on connetors not staying good connections but loosing up and then heating up again where it is crimped (as can see in yhour photo, is heating up at the crimp). I could recrimp them again harder, but would loosen up again in a year or less. Maybe you can cut back the wire a ways if the wire is not so brittle away from the connector.

Or other option is to use some other sort of connection means, most folks recommend using solder connections and heat shrink insulation, which is a very good connection but doesn not allow for easy disconnection for testing is needed.

Or other option that I have used (and most folks do not like) is to use the small gray wire nuts. May not be the best, is not what most folks recommend, but does allow for disconnection. And use black tape to keep out moisture.

.
 
Thanks guys. I did cut back one wire and recrimped it with the same kind of connector I am currently using. I want to get some WeatherPack connectors to replace some others so I may just go that route later when I have more money. For now, I've got to keep things low so I can pay the tax man. However, I will try to keep more of an eye on things.

Is it possible that this will burn up my RR?
 
cowboyup3371 said:
Thanks guys. I did cut back one wire and recrimped it with the same kind of connector I am currently using. I want to get some WeatherPack connectors to replace some others so I may just go that route later when I have more money. For now, I've got to keep things low so I can pay the tax man. However, I will try to keep more of an eye on things.

Is it possible that this will burn up my RR?
Click to expand...

It depends on which connections, but the primary ones to cause issues are between the R/R and the battery. For example a dirty connection to a blinker will not cause a charging issue. The voltage drop measurements in the stator pages are to measure dirty connections between R/R - battery. Often it is not so much the surfaces of the bullet connector that is dirty but the crimp that have corroded.

There have been endless debates about soldering connections but in the general case of motorcycles, I much prefer soldering a crimp unless you apply dielectric grease to a fresh crimp connectors.
 
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Not at all. You can get a real good ratcheting type In the $30.00 range. I have one that has a red, blue and yellow dot on the crimp dies for the common insulated barrel type connectors that are color coded. That crimping tool would have made a perfect connection with the connectors he used. For $75.00 you can get the same tool, with 5 die sets to cover all types of crimp connectors. For another $35.00 you can get a die set for spark plug wire end crimps. The aircraft industry for one, requires the use of ratcheting crimping tools to insure proper crimps. The common electrical crimping tools suck. The tools I have are good and would last our type of use a lifetime. They are not production line tools, they might be in the $300.00 range.
 
OldVet66,

Are these the types of crimpers you're talking about?

http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Industrial-PIC0380T-Ratchet-Crimping/dp/B002YKRN36

I'd really like to try the GM Weatherpak connectors/crimpers at some point. The economy crimpers + a starter kit is about $80 so that's a luxury which will have to wait for another time.

CowboyUp3371,

In any case, I'd highly recommend using the dielectric grease/gel/silicone compound. It's about $3/tube which will last for a long time. Apply generously and protect your connections from corrosion. It also helps in disassembly, as I've noticed those connectors can be a struggle to pull apart as well.
 
The secret is that when you crimp the stripped wire it should be shining new copper! Obviously as per the discussion earlier the correct crimping tool and matching terminals must be used. Using spade terminals that use the same crimping method as the original bullet connectors makes for a proper crimp. These are readily available just about anywhere.

Over engineering the connection with the latest 1000 year half life space shuttle approved terminal is just a waste of time and money. The original bullet connector or a similar spade connector will do the job just as well and probably last another 30 years! Just terminate it properly, make sure it pushes in properly, cover with dielectric grease if you are paranoid and hang it so that the water covers face opening down and you are set!
 
Vintage Connections sells some nice crimping pliers with replaceable dies so you can select the type of crimp you want. These guys also sell all kinds of OE type connectors and terminals. Good stuff. http://www.vintageconnections.com/
 
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