Author Topic: Ricks rectifier/regulator (Read 7801 times)

rocks · « **on:** February 28, 2016, 08:30:33 AM »

Hi everybody,

I finally upgraded my old rectifier and regulator with Ricks rec/reg combo on my 1975 CB750F. I went head to test if everything is working, but apparently the battery reads 15.5V around 3000rpm.

I made sure the battery was fully charged prior to testing (charged overnight).

Is it something I should worry about? I read somewhere that if it's over 14.5 it might overwhelm the battery.

Thank you,

calj737 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 28, 2016, 09:03:30 AM »

If you're reading 15.5v with the Regulator attached, you could have problems... Battery type? Even if, the battery were not fully charged before testing, the Regulator should limit the charging voltage to 14.5v-14.8v maximum.

Bodi · « **Reply #2 on:** February 28, 2016, 09:41:49 AM »

Check the voltage on the black wire to the reg/rect with bike running and lights on. This is often rather low because of parasitic voltage drop in the harness: some is unavoidable but old and corroded connectors, fuses, and switch contacts make it worse.
The regulator tries to keep the voltage on that black wire at ~14.5VDC, assuming it's exactly battery voltage. Whatever the voltage drop is, the regulator will then be trying to maintain the battery at 14.5 + drop voltage. Over 0.5V drop is too much in my opinion.
Cleaning all the connectors and checking that the fuseholder is good (installing a blade fuse replacement would be a good idea, the original one is toast by now) would help. Some install a small relay to connect the reg/rect directly to battery "+" (fused of course) to eliminate the voltage drop affecting the battery float voltage.

rocks · « **Reply #3 on:** February 28, 2016, 09:49:20 AM »

Thanks,
I did replace all fuses with blades. How do I check the black wire? What should the voltage be at that wire?

rocks · « **Reply #4 on:** February 28, 2016, 02:49:46 PM »

I tested the voltage between the black and green wires, and the voltage was at 14.5v at 3k and up rpm. But at the battery poles was 15.5 and gets little higher.

The battery is like new. It's a superline duraboost

Bodi · « **Reply #5 on:** February 28, 2016, 03:52:36 PM »

OK, with 14.5 at the regulator and 15.5 at the battery, you've measured a 1V drop between the battery and the black wire. Some regulators are adjustable to compensate. You can add a small relay powered by that black wire now going to the reg/rect, switching power directly from the "MAIN" fuse output to the reg/rect wire. That should give you closer to true battery voltage at the regulator and solve the overvoltage.

rocks · « **Reply #6 on:** February 29, 2016, 10:07:40 AM »

Apparently Ricks R/R might be the problem. I put back the stock rec and reg, and everything was fine.

What a waste of money

calj737 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 29, 2016, 12:32:10 PM »

Send it back, they should refund your money. Or replace it with a proper working unit.

Davidov · « **Reply #8 on:** March 02, 2016, 09:27:21 AM »

What was your resting voltage (Key off) of the battery?

rocks · « **Reply #9 on:** March 10, 2016, 10:55:40 AM »

ok, I returned the Rick's Rec/Reg and they sent me a new one, but it does the same thing.
The charging is working fine with stock rec and reg. Maybe because it was adjusted or something.

Could my alternator be the issue? Coils ?
I am running out of options.

Some are suggesting a relay at black wire, what kind of relay ?

calj737 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 10, 2016, 11:14:17 AM »

If your stock unit is working fine, then there is nothing wrong with the stock components. If you install the Ricks, and it doesn't charge, you're installing it wrong. Simple as that. Post the model number of the Ricks unit, and a picture please.

Davidov · « **Reply #11 on:** March 10, 2016, 11:24:29 AM »

The instructions that come with the Reg/Rec are very specific about your battery resting voltage (key off).
Also voltage drop from the battery + terminal to the 12v+ feed wire.
Have you gone over this yet?

Duke McDukiedook · « **Reply #12 on:** March 10, 2016, 12:45:02 PM »

Quote from: rocks on February 29, 2016, 10:07:40 AM

Apparently Ricks R/R might be the problem. I put back the stock rec and reg, and everything was fine.

What a waste of money

Normally these are not 'upgrades'. If your stock equipment was working fine before why change it?

Kenzo · « **Reply #13 on:** March 10, 2016, 06:39:13 PM »

I just fixed a very similar problem...

1976 CB550F, new Rick's Rect/Reg, and 3 1/2 year old Ballistic EVO2-8 Lithium battery I robbed from my dirtbike(KTM w/ electric & kickstart).

Battery was at the bare minimum resting charge voltage of 13.2v. Battery Tender Plus said it was charged. Turn on the key battery dropped to 6v and headlight dimmed to nothing. Kick it and it fired up, ~11v at idle and ~15.5v at 3K rpm...WTF?

Rather than asking here and raising angst of Lithium haters I determined it had to be the battery.

Got a Scorpion LiFePO to try out, installed it and everything perfect once again...all voltage at or near specs.

Sounds to me like you have the same problem.

Cheers,
Kenzo

calj737 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 10, 2016, 07:34:29 PM »

@Kenzo - I use a Ricks and a Shorai with no problems whatsoever. Until we know how Rocs has it wired, there's little point in speculating. Besides, if it were his battery, then the stock components would not charge either.

Duke McDukiedook · « **Reply #15 on:** March 11, 2016, 07:10:27 AM »

What type of charger did you use for your lithium battery. Hopefully you used a lithium specific charger.

Kenzo · « **Reply #16 on:** March 11, 2016, 07:17:23 AM »

Quote from: Davidov on March 11, 2016, 07:01:14 AM

Quote from: Kenzo on March 10, 2016, 06:39:13 PM
Battery was at the bare minimum resting charge voltage of 13.2v.

That doesn't make sense. It could only be over 13V if you checked it immediately after removing a charger, or shutting off the engine.

A brand new battery will have 12.6 volts, resting. Key off, engine off, no external charger, even after sitting for 45 minutes.

This is not true for lithium batteries.

Quote from: DukieDukenDuke on March 11, 2016, 07:10:27 AM

What type of charger did you use for your lithium battery. Hopefully you used a lithium specific charger.

Not required from personal experience AND per manufacturers instructions.

Cheers,
Kenzo

Kenzo · « **Reply #17 on:** March 11, 2016, 07:45:13 AM »

http://www.ballisticparts.com/batteryInstruct.php

ChopSticks · « **Reply #18 on:** March 11, 2016, 07:55:19 AM »

Quote from: Kenzo on March 11, 2016, 07:17:23 AM

Quote from: Davidov on March 11, 2016, 07:01:14 AM
Quote from: Kenzo on March 10, 2016, 06:39:13 PM
Battery was at the bare minimum resting charge voltage of 13.2v.

That doesn't make sense. It could only be over 13V if you checked it immediately after removing a charger, or shutting off the engine.

A brand new battery will have 12.6 volts, resting. Key off, engine off, no external charger, even after sitting for 45 minutes.

This is not true for lithium batteries.

Cheers,
Kenzo

My sportster battery is 12.6 full resting, but my CB750 battery stays around 12.8 at full resting

rocks · « **Reply #19 on:** March 11, 2016, 10:41:11 AM »

Quote from: DukieDukenDuke on March 10, 2016, 12:45:02 PM

Quote from: rocks on February 29, 2016, 10:07:40 AM
Apparently Ricks R/R might be the problem. I put back the stock rec and reg, and everything was fine.

What a waste of money

Normally these are not 'upgrades'. If your stock equipment was working fine before why change it?

Honda upgraded them why shouldn't I? I just think they better...

rocks · « **Reply #20 on:** March 11, 2016, 10:50:24 AM »

Quote from: calj737 on March 10, 2016, 11:14:17 AM

If your stock unit is working fine, then there is nothing wrong with the stock components. If you install the Ricks, and it doesn't charge, you're installing it wrong. Simple as that. Post the model number of the Ricks unit, and a picture please.

The installation is straight forward.
Yellows to yellows
Red to Red
Green to Green
Black to Black
White to White

I measured the voltage between Black and Green at the harness (Regulator disconnected) with key on, and it measured 1v drop from battery terminals.
Tried to do I quick as I could. But 1v is a lot.

Am I looking at Alternator/Stator issues?

calj737 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 11, 2016, 10:54:24 AM »

If that unit came with a 6-way plug, it has a Loose WHT and a RED in the plug. Reverse those. Attach now LOOSE RED to battery POS. BLACK goes to ignition switched 12v. GREEN to chassis.

If you aren't wired this way, then the R/R isn't sending a charge back to the battery.

rocks · « **Reply #22 on:** March 11, 2016, 05:17:34 PM »

Quote from: calj737 on March 11, 2016, 10:54:24 AM

If that unit came with a 6-way plug, it has a Loose WHT and a RED in the plug. Reverse those. Attach now LOOSE RED to battery POS. BLACK goes to ignition switched 12v. GREEN to chassis.

If you aren't wired this way, then the R/R isn't sending a charge back to the battery.

I am not sure what you meant with loose, but the white wire is not in the plug. The black wire in the harness is a 12v switch wire, the Red is the battery (attached to solenoid), so I did install them the way you mentioned, and that's the instructions way.

calj737 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 11, 2016, 05:21:06 PM »

The WHITE wire needs to be in the plug (opposite the WHITE coming from the alternator). Your alternator should have:
3 - Yellows
1 - White
1 - Green
Also, the GRN/RED Neutral and BLU/RED Oil are in the plug.

Typically, the 10-100 model from Ricks comes with the plug oriented as such:
3 - Yellows
1- Red
1- Green
1 - Loose White
1- Loose Black
1 - Loose Green

Swapping the RED from the plug (Ricks) with the WHITE, then routing the RED to battery POS, works perfectly.

So, what model did you buy, because the picture you posted didn't allow me to see a plug?

rocks · « **Reply #24 on:** March 12, 2016, 09:24:10 AM »

Quote from: calj737 on March 11, 2016, 05:21:06 PM

The WHITE wire needs to be in the plug (opposite the WHITE coming from the alternator). Your alternator should have:
3 - Yellows
1 - White
1 - Green
Also, the GRN/RED Neutral and BLU/RED Oil are in the plug.

Typically, the 10-100 model from Ricks comes with the plug oriented as such:
3 - Yellows
1- Red
1- Green
1 - Loose White
1- Loose Black
1 - Loose Green

Swapping the RED from the plug (Ricks) with the WHITE, then routing the RED to battery POS, works perfectly.

So, what model did you buy, because the picture you posted didn't allow me to see a plug?

I have 10-100 model as you described it above.
I have a loose white, black, green on the harness, so I can't put the white in the plug.

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Author Topic: Ricks rectifier/regulator (Read 7801 times)