Regulator/Rectifier replacement

[tsassman]

I have a '79 GS1000E that has a separate regulator and rectifier. I want to replace with a combo unit like the Shindengen SH232-12. I have read many post about doing conversions but have not found one that addresses changing from a separate to a combo. Has anyone done this to their bike if so could you explain the wiring details?
Thanks,
Tim

[Anonymous]

Re: Regulator/Rectifier replacement

The electrex usa website list a reg/rect for your bike. You could contact them about it. I've them to be quite helpful when I got one for my 450.

Sam

I have a '79 GS1000E that has a separate regulator and rectifier. I want to replace with a combo unit like the Shindengen SH232-12. I have read many post about doing conversions but have not found one that addresses changing from a separate to a combo. Has anyone done this to their bike if so could you explain the wiring details?
Thanks,
Tim

[tsassman]

Just shot them a e-mail with a detailed question. Thanks Sam

[earlfor]

Re: Regulator/Rectifier replacement

No problem. My 79 750 was originally separate regulator and rectifier and I changed it over. Real easy to do. Disconnect the three stator leads (usually yellow). Unbolt and remove your regulator and rectifier and their connecting wiring. Throw away. Cut and cap off the 12 volt positive and negative leads into the harness that came from your old rectifier. Bolt new R/R combo unit in place. Connect the three yellow AC input leads on it to the three AC yellow output leads of the stator. Connect the R/R red DC output lead to either battery positive terminal or to the positive Input terminal on your starter solenoid. (that is the terminal that has the big wire running to the battery positive terminal) then connect the black DC R/R output negative to your battery negative terminal.

When completed, run the bike at 5K rpm and check battery voltage at the battery terminals with the headlight on. Voltage should be 14.7 to 14.8.
If it is above 14.9, then your new R/R is faulty. A momentary spike above 14.9 is ok, but it must not hold that voltage.

Earl

I have a '79 GS1000E that has a separate regulator and rectifier. I want to replace with a combo unit like the Shindengen SH232-12. I have read many post about doing conversions but have not found one that addresses changing from a separate to a combo. Has anyone done this to their bike if so could you explain the wiring details?
Thanks,
Tim

[AOD]

Thanks Earl. I bought the replacement R/R from CycleRecycle2 recently, but didn't know I had to do all of what you just said to replace my two units with the one.

I hope to try and do this tomorrow...if I have the proper terminals to hook into the battery.

~Adam

[tsassman]

Thanks for the info Earl. My wiring is a little different so let see if I can explain it right. On my 79'1000E model I have 3 wires coming from my stator or as it is listed in my book the generator. The colors are green/white, white/blue, and yellow. The G/W goes straight to the lighting switch, the W/B splits into 2 wires with one going to the rectifier and one to the regulator, the Y splits into 2 wires and does the same thing.

There are 4 wires coming from the rectifier. 1) white/blue going the the stator, 2) yellow going to the stator, 3) white/red going to the lighting switch, 4) red wire that splits with one end going to a 15A fuse in the fuse box and the other end going to the ignition switch.

There are 2 wire coming from the regulator. 1) yellow to the stator, 2) white/blue to the stator.

On my new reg/rect I have 3 yellow wires going to one pin connector and a red, a green, and a black going to the other pin connector. My question is do I still connect the 3 wires coming from my stator to the 3 yellow wires coming from my new reg/rect even though one of the wires coming from my stator goes to my lighting switch? Thanks,
Tim

[Sandy]

You have to remove both the regulator and the rectifier units from your bike. When you remove the rectifier you will notice you have five connections coming from the stator. You have a duplicate Yellow and W/Blue wire. Just tie the extra ones back, you won't need them. You only need one W/Blue, W/Green and Yellow wires from the stator. Disconnect the red wire at the wiring harness and tape up and tie off the remaining red connector in the wiring harness. You won't be using that either. If you haven't done so yet it would be a good time to check the stator output. It should be around 70 - 80 VAC at 5,000RPM between any two wires from the stator and you should not have any continuity between those wires and ground. You will notice that one of the wires from the stator (probably the W/Green) plugs into the wiring harness instead of the rectifier. That wire runs back to the headlight switch and returns to the rectifier via a W/Red wire. You won't be reconnecting these two connectors either. You can just leave those two connectors bare, they are not live. You don't have worry about any of the wires from the regulator, just remove it.

The Honda R/R should mount were the old rectifier was, you may have to slightly enlarge one of the holes for a proper fit.

Wiring of the Honda R/R easy. Crimp and solder the appropiate bullet connectors to the yellow wires on your new R/R. These yellow wires will plug directly into the stators W/Green, W/Blue and Yellow wires. If the existing connectors look heat damaged replace both ends of the bullet connectors. Actually replace both ends of the connectors anyway. The green and red wires will connect directly to the battery so you may need to extend these wires and you need to crimp and solder ring connectors on these two wires and put the red one to the postive battery terminal and the green to the negative battery terminal. The smaller gauge black wire is for the switched DC power. I put mine on the White/Orange wire on back of the fuse box. Just remove the fuse box, pop the cover off the back, wrap the black wire around the W/Or wire and solder in place. There is also access to this wire in the main harness, but this is a little neater.

When you test the charging system it should charge somewhere around 14.6 to 14.9 VDC. When you initially start the bike it may charge at slightly over 15VDC, that is it little high but should settle down to the proper voltage with a few seconds. If it is charging at 17VDC or more the switched black wire is not properly connected.

Good Luck. ....Sandy.

[tsassman]

Great explanation! Just what I needed! I will be replacing all of my bullet connectors and soldering new ones, cleaning and checking all of my electrical connections, installing the new R/R, and checking my stator for correct output.

Thanks,
Tim

[earlfor]

Thanks Sandy.

Earl :-)

[Sandy]

You're welcome. I've had lots of tips and help from you guys at GSR and don't mind helping when I can, so thank you too. I've used these Honda R/Rs a number of times over the years and they have always proven reliable. Most of the Honda R/Rs off the mid to large displacement models from mid seventies through mid eighties have sufficient capacity to handle the electrical load of our GS's and conveniently bolt right in place on most applications. If you're runnings extra lights or heated stuff like grips and vests you might look at the R/Rs that came on the early Silverwings and Goldwings. Although I don't know the exact specs, they seem to be a little heavier duty and can be identified by having two red and two green wires rather than just one of each. This allows you to run and extra positive and negative wire for added security.

[AOD]

Wow, you could look all over the net and never find info so clear and to the point than that. Thank you Sandy.

Earl, how long has your R/R worked the way you described hooking it up? The guy from CRC2 described a similiar process to Sandy's when we talked on the phone.

~Adam

[AOD]

Sandy and Earl,

I have my new R&R in front of me here and it's wiring harness is identical to my existing regulator wire harness, even color. W/red W/blue, yellow, red, black ground.

So...my question then, do I follow Earl's directions above?

Thanks guys,

~Adam

[Sandy]

Earl's directions are more relavent for the R/R you have. Whether you connect the red positive to the starter terminal or the battery terminal doesn't really matter much. It's actually the same wire just one end is on the battery the other on the starter. Negative is best to go directly to the battery. Do disconnect the stator wire going to the headlight switch and connect it directly to the R/R. Looks as if you got an original Suzuki one piece R/R because Suzuki, just to confuse the issue, is probably the only company that doesn't use the standard yellow stator wires. Good Luck, hope it works out.

[earlfor]

The R/R's on both bikes have been fine since I did the replacement. That would be 4 years on one and 3 years on the other.

My method of connecting the R/R was recommended by the guru at Electrex in ca. (phone conversation) My experience since that conversation about 4 years ago is he was 100% right. :-)

In following those instructions, I have never again had a single problem with an R/R.

However, the one thing you must not do is run with your headlight off.
You must consume the extra stator leg that is now in the loop 100% of the time. You could turn the headlight off IF you turn something else on that consumes an equal amount of electricity. (such as heated gloves, vest, lighting, etc)

Earl

Wow, you could look all over the net and never find info so clear and to the point than that. Thank you Sandy.

Earl, how long has your R/R worked the way you described hooking it up? The guy from CRC2 described a similiar process to Sandy's when we talked on the phone.

~Adam

[AOD]

Looks as if you got an original Suzuki one piece R/R because Suzuki, just to confuse the issue, is probably the only company that doesn't use the standard yellow stator wires.

I got the R/R replacement through CRC2 after talking with them on the phone, they said I can replace the two pieces with one. On the box it says 'Rick's Motorsport Electrics, Inc' - Made in the USA.

Thanks for the help guys.

~Adam