Topic: Help with the bucket from hell

[Nortstudio]

I have read many posts on here, and elsewhere, about what's involved with swapping handlebars.  I know it can be a pain, but I looked inside my headlight bucket today for the first time, and was horrified!

I was originally just looking to fix the high beam (which I did), which had been electrical taped to some weird extra wire, attached to lengthen the correct one, which still went nowhere

It made me realize that there are other wires not plugged into anything.  Could possibly be why I don't have oil pressure light and tach light.  So I want to clean it up in there.

The problem is, I have seen mention of "easy" male/female connectors inside the bucket.  Mine seems to be more like crimp ends, with the wires having a sort of silver male end.  Is this normal?

Also, if I were to swap handlebars, do I need to cut all the older yellowing protective wrap off?  And suggestions what to replace it with?  Heat shrink?  If I need to back out the wires for the swap, do I need to pull ALL of them out of the bucket to remove the control ones from them from the bars?

Thanks so much.

[HawaiiMike]

Bullet connectors are normal for SOHC's. 
What model and year is your bike?

[Nortstudio]

Sorry.  '76 CB550k

[cookindaddy]

About the bucket wiring: it can look pretty bad at first, particularly if someone (the PO) has been in there messing about "fixing" things. You really gotta go at it with a good wiring diagram, wire by wire, a couple beers and lots of patience. It helps not to be colorblind. I went completely stock and put everything back the way Honda made it. Arranging the wires as a sort of radiating "flower" as they come into the bucket helped me. Mine works great now, totally reliable. Yes there is ONE spare wire in the stock situation, for an accessory.

You can get replacement bullet connectors and the multi-pin metric blade connector replacements from
www.vintageconnections.com
He's a nice guy and delivers quickly too.

Mine is a 750 K8 but I am sure they are all similar. I started a thread about cleaning up my headlight bucket back in June:
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=72269.msg802846#msg802846

As someone said, it all goes away when you put on the headlight, but you will know what's in there and its ever so much more comforting to know that you've cleaned it up.

[Nortstudio]

Thanks for the link to the replacement parts, and I'm not sure how I missed your original posts?  Sometimes I score with the search on this forum, sometimes it's like opening the headlight bucket

I don't have any molex in mine, as far as I could see under the rats nest, but I am going to see about tackling it today.  The idea of just making it neater appeals to me, so fixes are easily found if needed.

Do you know if I should try doing all of this while pulled out the back of the bucket?  I guess it might help for the handle bar swap???

[DavePhipps]

Once again we're working on the same thing. This is getting funny.
I just switched to lower bars and I'm going to be tackling the cable management issue this weekend.
Ihave some small zip ties that I'll be using to group cables together. It's just like doing cable management in a server room. It will take time but will reaaly help clean up the area.
Funjimmy redid his entire loom and did a wonderful job on his bucket. He replaced the bullet connectors with block connectors. Here's a pic.

[Nortstudio]

I think I could pick up some of these connectors at Radio Shack.  They have a small section with the molex connectors tucked deep in the back.

I own a recording studio - and the whole business is a constant fight against cluttered cables.  In 15 years, I don't think I have ever won

Are you pulling out the entire mess from the bucket to deal with the bars? I know only a couple of the looms go through the bars, I just don't know if pulling the whole thing would make it easier - and force me to make the whole thing neater when it goes back in.  I don't want to open up pandora's box for nothing!

Thanks for the inspirational pic!

[DavePhipps]

I forwent the cables in the bars and used a file to make small grooves in the controls so I could run the cables to the outside. I'm going to be running clipons later so I would have to do this anyway. If you are switching bars you will havew to remove the cables from the old bars anyway.
Don''t pull the main loom out of the bucket anless you really need to. It can stay there while you reroute the wires from the bars.

[Nortstudio]

I'm going to do the same with the controls - and keep the wires outside.  i can see myslef deciding AFTER I cut holes, that I really NEED it just a hair to the left

i guess my question is, are the cables that I need to pull from the bars (and everyone agrees to only pull them from the bucket - not the controls) all wrapped in the same "harness?"

That would be much easier to leave the rest in there - but what's the chance of that?

Also, do you plan on drilling a small hole for the post/pin that holds the controls in place?

[Mavryk03]

i have a 75 CB550k1 and did a clubman handlebar swap for my cafe and had wiring problems as well turn signals were not working and break lights you just have to plug and play but all the males should have the same colors as the females like someone said earlier in the post and also was told to get a good connection to spice the green wire from either side of the bucket holes ( green wire) with a  14-16 gauge wire and run it back to the coil with a little ring connector and mount to the bolt from the coil to the frame just make sure it metal on mental, worked great all my lights work now now problems just an idea, and i hate wiring so you have to have Patience's good luck

[Nortstudio]

Thanks.  Member Sea had clued me in to the ground running to the coil bolt.  Forgot to mention that.  Great call!

[Duanob]

I hope you have a good wiring diagram (or two) it's like driving through a new city without a map. You will get lost. It helped me figure everything out pretty easy. I wondered why hardly any of the wiring didn't work, the PO had disconnected everything and then got lost. Now everything works as it should. And now I'm not intimidated when I need to get into my bucket.

As far as handlebars go the 1976 has a through-the-bar wiring. My newer lower profile bars from a 77 didn't have the holes cut. So I took a round file and modified the lower section of the right side switch so the wire loom runs on the outside of the bars, which is what they did in 77 anyway. Then zip tie the loom to the bars on a couple of places and you're good to go. If I want to swap for different bars it's not an afternoon of frustration trying to feed wire looms through the bars.

[Nortstudio]

Good analogy.  Or maybe it's more like driving through a new city without a map, strapped to the top of a taxi cab!

I have 2, the original I downloaded from here, and the colored one from the oldmanhonda site.  Very helpful indeed.  I figure I want to do it right, if I'm going to get in there at all.  And since I was thinking about trying some new bars, this would be the time to get it all straightened around.  I'm fine with it running n the outside of them.  As you said, if it turns out I have chosen the wrong ones, I can then switch to a new set easily.

Thanks for all the help folks!

[Mavryk03]

Thanks.  Member Sea had clued me in to the ground running to the coil bolt.  Forgot to mention that.  Great call!

yeah no prob glad to help

[1974CB750rider]

Download the wiring diagram and I guarantee once you start matching up wires you'll find its not nearly as bad as it looks. I agree totalley that when you first look inside there it looks like a rats nest.  Once yo have a colorcoded wiring diagram its not that bad just be patient. Oh and like the guy above said a couple of beers helps to.

[Nortstudio]

I picked a great time to quit drinking!

The color diagram definitely helps.  The thing that is still a little confusing is when a couple same color wires go into a common connection with a black.  I was hoping it would be as simple as pulling them, and then just finding the same color again, and match them back up.  The 3 and 4 gang connectors make everything even more confusing.

  I need to get to the point where I'm brave enough to just start separating things.  There is no way for me to get things out of there without pulling everything apart - they are all intertwined at this point.  I guess I am going to need to label which connectors get which cables.

Thanks for the encouragement.

[KingCustomCycles.com]

Cheap spray lube helps get the wires out of the old bars and a dremel tool will make fast work of the notch in the housing that is needed to run the new wires outside.  Remember to drill the locking/alignment hole so the controls angle somewhat inward on the clubmans or they will be uncomfortable. Enjoy.

[DavePhipps]

When I removed my hadlebar wiring I liberally srayed silicone lubricant into the bars. It still took much effot to get them out though.
Don't worry about diconnecting them so much. All the wires are color coded and go back together fairly easily. The multiple green(ground) and black (hot) wires only need to be conncted to other green and black, not specific ones. The simple way to say it is, find two wires the same color and connect them.
Good luck M8, post pic of your final product, it wold be nice to see how it turns out.