Charging system connector options

[GSJim]

Over in my GS650G project thread, I mentioned finding some burn marks on a connector in the headlight bucket caused by stator to regulator current. I also mentioned that I was planning to use a three conductor Metripack connector between the stator and regulator. I have no serious concerns about either the ground or 12V wiring. The ground wire is short and goes directly to the frame ground under the battery box. I could shorten the 12V wire a bit by going directly to the battery through a 15A fuse. The stator wires have bullet connectors and are fairly short, so I don't have a lot of extra wire to play with on the stator. The existing bullet connectors show no signs of corrosion or burning. So now I'm dithering about the connectors to use. I did a bunch of searching and reading and have a question before I cut the wiring.

In see three possible options, listed in order of increasing reliabilty:

1. Cut the three yellow wires from the regulator and install bullets to match the stator. This will significantly shorten the current path and eliminate several connectors and several feet of wire. On the down side, I will still have one bullet connector on each phase. (I may do this anyway until I confirm that my charging system works.) I see mixed opinions on bullet connectors on this and other forums.

2. Cut the stator and regulator wires and install new connectors (spades or Metripack). I am considering the sealed option because the connector would be under the battery box and could get pretty dirty. My main concern here is the short stator leads which don't give me much room for error when cutting and crimping new connectors.

3. Cut the stator and regulator wires and either crimp or solder them. This is the most reliable, assuming my connections are good, but makes separating the stator and regulator for testing more difficult. This bike has already eaten a stator and a regulator, so I would like to keep my options open for a while.

And now, the question: Are bullet connectors reliable enough for this use, or am I just setting myself up for more problems later?

Thanks.

Jim

 

[Steve]

1. NEW bullet connectors are no less reliable than most other new connectors. Feel free to use them with confidence.

2. Sealed is not really necessary, but it's not bad. Just use some dielectric grease on the connection to protect it.
You can also consider connectors from Eastern Beaver. Several types available, sealed and unsealed.

3. You might think that soldered is the most reliable, but there is not usually much of a strain relief beyond the solder joint, and wires will tend to crack right there. Besides, if you ever have to work on the system again, it's a royal pain to go in and unsolder your connections.

.

 

[rustybronco]

http://vintageconnections.com/ nice and new terminals!

 

[GSJim]

http://vintageconnections.com/ nice and new terminals!

I had that site open in another tab when I posted my original question. I was looking at their RTL crimper because my crimper doesn't do open barrel connectors. They also have a decent (and cheap) terminal extraction tool.

Jim