Topic: oil in left rear cover above the shifter?

[mountaintrout]

i am having electrical issues with no recharging.  starts and goes great till the battery dies.  i took off the cover to look at where i was told the alternator would be and there is oil in it so i closed it quick.the seal obove it leaks and im afraid the seal within is leaking as well.  can anyone help me figure this oily mess out and give me a name for the seals so i can replace them?

[MCRider]

i am having electrical issues with no recharging.  starts and goes great till the battery dies.  i took off the cover to look at where i was told the alternator would be and there is oil in it so i closed it quick.the seal obove it leaks and im afraid the seal within is leaking as well.  can anyone help me figure this oily mess out and give me a name for the seals so i can replace them?

What bike? CB750 has oil in both left side covers, incl the alternator cover, no problem there. But the cover you describe is not the alternator cover, but the shift linkage cover.

[mountaintrout]

im not sure which cover is the alternator cover.  ive been told both front and rear.  im confused.  my manual doesnt show the side itself.  just the parts.  my friend said there should be no oil at all because there is a seal inside that must be bad.  the wires that are coming from the alternator are al terrible and i want to replace them.  i need to not screw up my running bike by tearing into something i have no clue of

[MCRider]

im not sure which cover is the alternator cover.  ive been told both front and rear.  im confused.  my manual doesnt show the side itself.  just the parts.  my friend said there should be no oil at all because there is a seal inside that must be bad.  the wires that are coming from the alternator are al terrible and i want to replace them.  i need to not screw up my running bike by tearing into something i have no clue of

What Bike?

[mountaintrout]

it is a 1971 cb750

[MCRider]

it is a 1971 cb750

Well then your buddy is mistaken. The CB750 has oil behind both left side covers, hence the gaskets. The alternator is behind the front, big bulbous cover, and repeating, it does carry oil. The alternator runs in an oil bath.

Your charging discharging problem may be with the alternator and others will have to help you there, but its not because of the oil.

[mountaintrout]

that is so good to know.  thank you so much 

[MCRider]

that is so good to know.  thank you so much  

Some of the electrical guys on the forum should chime in. I'm not very good on the electrical stuff.

There is a way of testing alternator output at the battery, and this is the least likely problem. Also, you would want to test the regulator and rectifier, behind the side cover, more likely problem. And you will want to look for shorts and bare wires etc, which is the more likely problem, in my experience.

I see yours has been chopped so the electrics may have been modified and moved around. And though its the least likely, in my experience, it could be the alternator.

Do a search in the forums for "charging" and such key words. This subject has been covered quite a bit.

[mountaintrout]

sounds good to me.  ill look the postings.

[mystic_1]

I tend to agree that the regulator and rectifier are MUCH more likely than the alternator itself.  The coils rarely go bad and there are no wear components in that area.

Got a workshop manual?  Go to the FAQ section, look for "Manuals FAQ" and scroll down to the one that says "Check here for loads of downloads, courtesy Einyodeler." (post #3).  Click on the link and download the manual for your bike, plus the Honda Common Service Manual which is a good read.  Don't forget to get part #2.  Pretty good idea to get the parts manual too.

The electrical section of the workshop manual has a number of simple tests you can perform in order to determine where your issue lies.

Looks to me like you have a Santee-style electrical box under your carbs.  All of your electrical components are probably in there.

Scrutinize your wiring too, so many times issues like this are caused by corrosion on the bullet connectors.

good luck
mystic_1

[mountaintrout]

i got it charging last night.  you were so helpful.  thank you.  it is amazing to have good people still in this world such as you

[mystic_1]

Glad you got it sorted.  What was the problem?  Your solution may help someone else down the road.

mystic_1

[mountaintrout]

the guy i paid to put it together was a sham.  screwed up so much stuff.  he put in a newer reg/rectifier of a 90's bike.  so it want doing a dang thing.  i got the old parts back, went back to where he butchered the wiring and started ve from the diagrams i was told to look at and had links to.  i was afraid to start the wiring but went in with my elbows deep.  got it together.  triple checked where the wires were to be then connected the battery and watched the meter go up from the idle.  it needed a bit of idle adjustment after that but it is going as of now.  however, the bad luck monsters may try to break me, but im holding on that i have it right.  with a winter storm warning and blizzard right now, i have a bit till i get her out. i call her bloody mary

[mystic_1]

Nice, glad you took the plunge!  The electrical systems on these bikes really are pretty straightforward, once you've worked on them a bit they're no big deal at all.  Now you have the pride of having fixed it yourself, and a better understanding of your machine.

Sucks that the guy you paid to do the work didn't do it right, tho.

mystic_1

[mountaintrout]

thank you for the compliment.  i learned so muck like how can 3 powers our have one with power goin in..hahah.  couldnt have done it without your help.  i will  get a pic put up of it.  i am proud.