Topic: Charging system issue 1975 Honda 550/4

[43and countiing]

Thank you all. My mechanic and I will attack this, but the question is, how do you clean the female connector? What is the best method/tool for cleaning the connectors, and what result are you looking for. Bright shiny metal?

Thanks again.

[rupaulpierce]

Thank you all. My mechanic and I will attack this, but the question is, how do you clean the female connector? What is the best method/tool for cleaning the connectors, and what result are you looking for. Bright shiny metal?

Thanks again.

Others may have more refined technique, but I would hit them with electrical contact cleaner, try to get in there with a small metal brush, and add a dab of dielectric grease.


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[calj737]

The proper way to clean them is to remove them from the plastic housing. Spade connectors have a small metal "barb" on them to keep them in place. To remove the spade, push the wire farther into the housing, then use a small (think precision screw driver) flat blade and depress the barb. Then pull rearward. Once cleaned, raise the barb again gently. Push back into place. You should hear/feel a positive "click" when properly inserted.

Here's some very handy links for you to reference:
Clean up that nasty harness: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=137351.msg1549191#msg1549191
                                           http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,148188.msg1688494.html#msg1688494
                                           http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,139544.msg1579364.html#msg1579364

[Bodi]

The bullets are not difficult, disconnect and clean the male end with a bit of brasso or solvol, you want it shiny but don't polish off all the plating (assuming any is left after 40 years). For the female I use a q-tip with some of the cotton removed so it will fit in the socket, a bit of polish on it, insert and spin.
Then clean off all the polish, wipe the male end - brake cleaner spray works on the female. Put a bit of dielectric grease in the female and smear the male end. Use some pliers to squeeze the female a bit tighter. If the connection has overheated the plastic sleeve will be burnt brown or black, extreme overheating will anneal the metal so its springiness is gone. I would replace one with a blackened sleeve. They can look black just from dirt, but damaged sleeves won't clean off and look good.
The spade connections in the multi blocks come out as above, take one out at a time so they don't mix up. A photo showing what color wire goes where is good to get them in right. You can squeeze in the curled bits on the females with your pliers to snug them up. Dielectric grease is good on these as well.
Dielectric grease may seem like a bad idea but it isn't. The connection will be good even though the parts are covered in grease. The grease keeps air and water away from the metal so it won't corrode further.
For switches - unless super bad, just exercising the switch cleans the contacts by wearing off the corrosion. Avoid dismantling them if you can, the internal parts are tiny and usually there are springs to pop things out when opened.

[TwoTired]

The easiest way I've found for the females is to use a small bore brush.  Like for cleaning pellet and BB guns.  a .22 is too big, but it can be trimmed down to do the job.   I chucked mine in a battery operated drill.
A swab type seems to work best rather the wire brushes.  Just place a bit of Semichrome polish on the swap before cleaning.
It doesn't take much to remove the plating on the connectors.
Another method I've used, is to find a piece of rod smaller in diameter than the bullets,  Cut a slit in the end, and then put a strip of emery cloth in that slit, so the polish side spins outward when you chuck it in the drill.  A couple of twists in all it takes.  You could do it by hand.   But, there's a lot of them to do.

If you do remove the connector plating, then the dielectric grease, (I use the Dow corning High Vacuum grease) will function as well as or better than the plating to block corrosive attacks.

The females provide the spring tension for a tight connection.  Tight connection are needed for a low resistance joint.  If the bullet goes in too easily, squish the female more closed for a tighter fit.   This is true for the spade terminals as well as the bullets.

Cheers,

[43and countiing]

We are about to begin cleaning every connector. Still an question: What should the resistance be throughout the system vs just from the rectifier/regulator to the battery? What should every wire be at or below?

[calj737]

Healthy systems will lose no more than 0.5v, as reported to the Vreg.

[43and countiing]

Great help thus far and we start the connector cleaning tomorrow. We are wondering if there is a total system expected resistance vs just the wires from the regulator and rectifier to the battery? What should the resistance for the system be, as measured between any connections?

Thanks in advance

[TwoTired]

Great help thus far and we start the connector cleaning tomorrow. We are wondering if there is a total system expected resistance vs just the wires from the regulator and rectifier to the battery? What should the resistance for the system be, as measured between any connections?

Thanks in advance

State what tool you will use to measure this.

Here's ohm's law.  E= IxR.  (Basic electrical formula)

Normal total system draw is 10A with lighting on.   We know voltage, E=12v, and current I=10A.  Solve for resistance.  R = E/I.  R= 1.2Ω total system resistance.
With lighting off, let's say there's a 5 Amp total system draw.  Repeat math process, and no big surprise, the total system is twice the previous resistance. 2.4 ohms.  Lower resistance demands more current given the same voltage potential.

To cause a 0.5v voltage drop in a circuit and find resistance to cause it, you need to know the current being drawn through that circuit.
The black wire voltage distribution supplies all switched power (voltage and current) throughout the bike. 
If we assume that lighting is off and 5 amps is being drawn,  R = E/I.  Then 0.1Ω causes that voltage drop.  Double that resistance to get a 1V drop.  0.2Ω   For a difference of 0.1Ω

Now you must ask yourself if your measuring apparatus and probe technique is capable of indicating precision to that degree.
Contact of probe to test point can have that much resistance, even if you discount the meter lead connection and it's resistance.
What does your meter's specification say its accuracy is?

Do you have a Wheatstone Bridge that is capable of measuring such small resistance variations?

Perhaps now you can understand, why a voltage drop is a more commonly useful knowledge point to use in troubleshooting.

Cheers,

[43and countiing]

Fingers crossed while waiting for the weather to actually become rideable (Mid-May), we cleaned the connectors surrounding the voltage regulator etc. Had to replace a ground that was fried, and the fuse box. A few connectors were really nasty, but overall for being there 45 years, not horrific. Also replaced a bad repair I had done going to the right rear taillight. Prior to this work, we were getting voltage reads of 16 when revving the engine. After, our range at idle was about 13.5, and revving with the headlight on it was a very steady 14.3 or 14.4. Never went higher. So the proof will be in a long ride, but it would appear your guidance was dead on, and I thank you for your time and sharing your knowledge. I'll let you know when I take it out if anything changes.