Topic: Unseen charging issues?

[n9viw]

I've been through all the FAQs, the archives, and all 13 pages of the current site, looking at peoples' charging issues. I've learned a lot (already learned a lot the hard way, but I learned more), but I haven't come across my particular problem.
'76 CB550k, approx. 24k miles (I think- I sold the original speedo). ALL electrics and wires have been changed- all new wiring, new points/condensers, Electrex R/R, new batt. fully charged, all new lights, all new switches. Yes, I'm chopping it.
Now the bad part- back in '98, before I knew my arse from my elbow about bikes, I made The Ultimate Mistake- I jump-started the bike from a RUNNING VEHICLE. The battery, brand-new that day, did get me home, and it's a good thing- the charging circuit was FUBAR. I replaced the now-blown stock rectifier with a Rick's Motorsports model, and the stock regulator with another stock model. Thought I had it, but the bike left me stranded 20 miles from home, and when I got the bike home, I parked it before chopping it last year, which was when I replaced everything electronic... except the alternator!
Got it started the other day, rode around a mile or so, had a ball. The next day, I went to start it - the starter was sluggish, and when I finally got it started, it bobbled and spit, but didn't enjoy running. Checked it with a meter across the battery, I was getting 11.2V at idle and a max of 12.4V at a painfully high rev (no tach, but by ear I'd guess 6-7k RPM).
Downloaded and printed the Electrex Troubleshooting chart, and followed it. The new Electrex R/R tests out fine, but the values on the alternator output were... off. Took out the alternator and tested it re: the Honda FSM. Alternator coils should be 0.325-0.385 ohms, mine read 0.9 ohms!! Field coil should be 4.41-5.39 ohms, mine is down around 3.9-4.1 ohms.
My questions:
- Can a discrepancy such as this contribute to my non-charging issue?
- I simply cannot find NEW CB550 stators or field coils- do they exist? Can other stators/field coils (such as that from a CB750) be substituted?
- If not, does anyone sell TESTED used alternators?

Thanks for an AWESOME site! I've been coming here since the original Greenspun days, and am glad I can still come back to it!

Nick

[bryanj]

In all honesty i have never known of a 500/550 generator going down electrically and jump starting it could not do any damage. I have had one stator go physically duff with a broken wire so i soldered it together and it worked ok. Were you using a high quality digital resistance meter? as your readings arnt that far out.  I would still suspect a bad connection, bad ground or faulty rectifier/regulator

[n9viw]

I was using a Fluke Digital meter, which agreed with the measurements I had taken the night before with a digital Sears brand VOM. Considering the readings overall have a +/-10% allowance, but my readings on the field are 20% low, and the readings on the stator are 260% high (!!! that's not that far out?! ), I'm still inclined to think these parts must have something wrong with them. All I know is, they're not in spec, and the bike's not charging, so I'm inclined to blame the part with the most obvious discrepancies. Just wanted to know if someone could validate my suspicions.
I did not note any bad solder joints, but noticed the stock wires to the stator were very hard, almost brittle. I'm thinking of replacing them just to be sure. As for the rest of it, the connections as I mentioned are all new (using Weatherpak automotive connectors instead of the old spade lug/socket connector and bullet connectors), all good grounds, and the brand new Electrex RR24 R/R checks out fine by Electrex's own test.
This has totally got me stumped, though. I'll check the stator and field soldered connections, perhaps they've gone belly-up, who knows.  Just don't want to have to gut and rewire this thing AGAIN, that was the hardest part!

[n9viw]

Just had a thought- I always figured the R/R and field coil should be grounded to the frame away from the battery, just based on suppositions from auto work. But is it actually a bad idea to ground them to the battery neg post if there's a #4 cable from the neg post to the frame? IOW, will it affect charging negatively if the R/R and field coil don't have a local ground, or if they're grounded straight to the frame?
Thx,

[n9viw]

Figured out that last one on my own- to the battery or to ground matters not, it all gets back to the battery with a minimum of resistance difference.
My apologies to Bryan, at my insistance that it must be the alternator- Turns out it's the BRAND-SPANKIN-NEW Electrex R/R! Oy. There was one step I hadn't tried, where you disconnect the field coil, hook a multimeter to the field coil leads from the R/R, and turn the ignition on. You should get 10VDC+, and I got all of a few millivolts. D'oh!