Author Topic: Wire came off back of ignition switch!  (Read 1131 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline guitarkev66

  • Hot Shot
  • ***
  • Posts: 354
Wire came off back of ignition switch!
« on: April 28, 2011, 06:06:27 PM »
I was out for a ride with my wife today and poof out of nowhere my bike shut off.  I assumed it was the main fuse but much to my dismay I change the fuse and still nothing.  So I did some checking and pulled the rubber boot off the back of the ignition switch and the PO must have tried to re-solder the red wire on the back of the ignition and not done such a great job.  Is there anything I should know before I try to re-soder the wire myself(special solder......)?
1970 K0 CB750 JDM Blue
1972 K2 cb750 Gold
1970 K0 cb750 Blue
1970 K0 cb750 gold
1970 K0 cb750 red
1971 K1 cb750 gold

Offline phil71

  • Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,813
Re: Wire came off back of ignition switch!
« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2011, 06:13:20 PM »
get yourself a file, or whatever you can get on it, and clean that contact point, and strip back the wire to new clean copper, or the solder will not flow into it. I'm betting that's probably what the PO did .. cold solders don't hold.

Offline Bodi

  • Really Old Timer ...
  • *******
  • Posts: 5,697
Re: Wire came off back of ignition switch!
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2011, 04:01:58 AM »
Disconnect the battery first, removing the MAIN fuse should be enough but since some PO has been weirding up the wiring I would disconnect the battery "-" cable before doing anything with the red wire.
Those connectors have crimp-on spade females that lock into the plastic shell with tiny barbs in the terminal metal. You can remove the terminal part using a tiny screwdriver or something slid in beside the terminal to push the barb in so the terminal slides out the front. You can find replacements but getting one with the right barb for that shell is a challenge. If the old one is in good shape you can solder a wire on but it's best to carefully open the folded up crimped part to get the old wire out, fold it around the new wire and squeeze it as tight as you can with pliers without wrecking it, then soldering the wire in. No special solder but try to get old lead-zinc 60/40 solder: definitely not 50/50 plumbing solder, lead-free is OK if you can't get the 60/40. Use electronic solder with a flux core not "acid core".
If you can get an old harness at a junkyard you can harvest decent terminals (used, but not ruined) from the connectors on it. I have done this when I find a connector with burned terminals that can not be re-used.

Offline cookindaddy

  • I sure love this bike!
  • Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 1,153
Re: Wire came off back of ignition switch!
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2011, 05:48:41 AM »
The connectors are metric. You likely won't be able to find them anywhere locally.
This guy has them, if you want to replace with shiny new ones:
http://www.vintageconnections.com/
George with a black 78 CB750K (in Lion's Head, Ontario, Canada)