- Thread starter Cato
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Soon started working on the Trophy 
I wouldn't want to do that on a Friday afternoon as once I get into it I find it difficult to stop until I find the problem.
I wouldn't want to do that on a Friday afternoon as once I get into it I find it difficult to stop until I find the problem.
Cato
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I actually did it for that reason.Soon started working on the Trophy
I have to be back so that Barbara can get up to visit her Mum so I knew I'd only have time for a quick look today.Alternator is putting out 14.4 v, no obvious cable/connector issues, a quick check with the clamp was showing a draw with the ignition off. So out with the meter and something is pulling 0.4 a with ignition off, straight to the heated grips and disconnected them but it wasn't those.
So it's a nice point to start tomorrow morning, panel off and start pulling fuses. If not then look for partial shorts etc and on we go.
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"I only bought it in for you to tidy up a loose wire by the footpeg"Is it home time yet?
Three dozen rusty fasteners, four panels and a fuel tank later and the list of things contributing continues to grow. This is a good example of why it takes so long and costs what it does.
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Cato
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I'm 3 hours in so when I find the cause and let him know I'm half expecting "That's a lot just for a ...."."I only bought it in for you to tidy up a loose wire by the footpeg"
I got onto taking loads of photo's for reference/evidence a while back partly for that reason.
"Given your decades of experience in automotive, plant & machinery repair, how long do you think it should have taken to do this?"
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One of the reasons I've never been self employed, run my own business etc. is my inability to estimate the time required to do a job
so I wouldn't have clue.Greeves246
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Wasn’t just the time taking all the panels off a bike, it was the time putting them and all the fixings somewhere safe especially with new bikes.
Cato
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Customers are quite often happy to tell you how long it will take.One of the reasons I've never been self employed, run my own business etc. is my inability to estimate the time required to do a job
You can't really even give a ball park with a bike this age. Just removing the panels can vary between half an hour and two hours depending on rusty fixings, cable ties, damage, random screws/bolts etc. Then add on questions like "What work has been done to the electrics in the last 23 years?" and the quote becomes "it'll cost the sum of time taken multiplied by my hourly rate.".
Cato
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Well that's the problem found, and as I'm sure you'd have suspected it wasn't just one thing. 3 connectors with terminals bridged by gunk, and a diode pack for the alternator.
Impossible to prove now but I suspect the connector issues did for the alternator diodes as when it wasn't running there was voltage to both sides with the 'high' voltage at the cathode. So I reckon around 5 or 6 volts at the cathode. Start the engine and it was flowing in the correct direction but with full alternator output 14 + volts at the anode. Equally I suppose it could be two unrelated faults. Once the connectors were cleaned and stopped bridging you still had a draw with the alternator connected. Before I cleaned the connectors but had disconnected the alternator there was also a draw although it dropped by about 0.1 or 0.2 of an amp, only when I did both did it stop the draw. This one took some head scratching.
Bit of an odd set up of a partly bussed fuse box didn't help once the mank had taken hold.
Impossible to prove now but I suspect the connector issues did for the alternator diodes as when it wasn't running there was voltage to both sides with the 'high' voltage at the cathode. So I reckon around 5 or 6 volts at the cathode. Start the engine and it was flowing in the correct direction but with full alternator output 14 + volts at the anode. Equally I suppose it could be two unrelated faults. Once the connectors were cleaned and stopped bridging you still had a draw with the alternator connected. Before I cleaned the connectors but had disconnected the alternator there was also a draw although it dropped by about 0.1 or 0.2 of an amp, only when I did both did it stop the draw. This one took some head scratching.
Bit of an odd set up of a partly bussed fuse box didn't help once the mank had taken hold.
Cato
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In other news, the customer wants his raptor engine pulling for a crank replacement. I do feel for him with such a big bill as it's an expensive lesson in the cost of such 'toys' and how important maintenance and proper use are.
It's not a job I fancy TBH, but work is work so on we go. I'll just shove it to the back of the queue and concentrate on clearing the other work first and see if I can get my enthusiasm up.
It's not a job I fancy TBH, but work is work so on we go. I'll just shove it to the back of the queue and concentrate on clearing the other work first and see if I can get my enthusiasm up.
Cato
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Just one to make you chuckle, or shake your head, or both.
Bloke rings about sorting out the wiring on his KZ650. It needs the loom tidying up, connecting and converting to electronic ignition. He wanted a quote.
Then he says it'd need to be done at his place because "I can't get it down the stairs from my flat."
After I stopped laughing I told him I only work here, and I certainly won't be lugging my tools into his flat. Once I'd seen it here I would be able to give him an estimate, but it's not going to be a cheap job. Apparently he's going to get a 'mobile mechanic' to have a look at it.
I doubt I'll hear from him again, but if I do I imagine it'll be a lot more expensive the next time round as I'll have to remove all the Temu connectors bodged on along with everything else.
Bloke rings about sorting out the wiring on his KZ650. It needs the loom tidying up, connecting and converting to electronic ignition. He wanted a quote.
Then he says it'd need to be done at his place because "I can't get it down the stairs from my flat."
After I stopped laughing I told him I only work here, and I certainly won't be lugging my tools into his flat. Once I'd seen it here I would be able to give him an estimate, but it's not going to be a cheap job. Apparently he's going to get a 'mobile mechanic' to have a look at it.
I doubt I'll hear from him again, but if I do I imagine it'll be a lot more expensive the next time round as I'll have to remove all the Temu connectors bodged on along with everything else.
Every distributor I came across whenever possible got the adjusting screw replaced with a new slotted screw and internal shake proof washer .... after being in a UN 3 ton truck ( 1974) that broke down in the middle of an active military area .
It had a well cammed out Phillips head points adjuster screw and a flat washer that had loosened , the points had closed and as it did " Bang Bang Bang .... Garry no go ) . The whole of the Turkish sector stood too and I was held at gun point by people who weren't playing for 1/2 hr or more till an officer came among who spoke broken English .
I played the squaddies idiot with a big grin , doing sign language pointing to the cab going " Vrum vrum Verrrummm Bang Bang , pointed to Allah knowledgably , then my self and pretended to use a screw driver to sort it . Under gun point I got my tool box out and reset the points by eye , started it . It ran as sweet as a nut & so I ******** off PDQ in the direction of Nicosia with the other half of our convoy pair .
Funny thing is , I didn't have a brown trouser moment ..more concerned they might have ended up red.
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....... Apparently he's going to get a 'mobile mechanic' to have a look at it.
I doubt I'll hear from him again, but if I do I imagine it'll be a lot more expensive the next time round as I'll have to remove all the Temu connectors bodged on along with everything else.
You could put him onto the "auto electrician" that did the 3TA, at least you will know what to expect if/when it gets to you
Just clarify please .Well that's the problem found, and as I'm sure you'd have suspected it wasn't just one thing. 3 connectors with terminals bridged by gunk, and a diode pack for the alternator.
Impossible to prove now but I suspect the connector issues did for the alternator diodes as when it wasn't running there was voltage to both sides with the 'high' voltage at the cathode. So I reckon around 5 or 6 volts at the cathode. Start the engine and it was flowing in the correct direction but with full alternator output 14 + volts at the anode. Equally I suppose it could be two unrelated faults. Once the connectors were cleaned and stopped bridging you still had a draw with the alternator connected. Before I cleaned the connectors but had disconnected the alternator there was also a draw although it dropped by about 0.1 or 0.2 of an amp, only when I did both did it stop the draw. This one took some head scratching.
Bit of an odd set up of a partly bussed fuse box didn't help once the mank had taken hold.
14.2 volts charging . A new LA battery is 13.2 fully charged , shouldn't the charge voltage have been 15 to 17 volts to get the PD for charging? I've often had leaky charging diodes especially on the early Lucas alternators for the Mini C range cars
Cato
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The loose version for alternator output is 14 to 15, the norm/ideal is 14.2 to 14.5. If it runs over 15 for any length of time it'll cause the battery to gas and eventually fail completely. An important factor is also the size of the battery, a bike battery is about 20% the size (electrolyte volume & AH) so they heat up much more quickly if things aren't right.
This one is a Nippon Denso alternator, and if they're out of the 14.2 to 14.5 range then the diode pack/regulator has failed as they're always in that range. Some other makes do have a wider 'that'll do' range.
Memmeddu
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At home with random diarrhea, no I have not painted the walls in brown (yet) but I've added lights on the homeshop to illuminate the mess on my workbench.
Added a wall outlet too but it's still not connected yet because I'm short of a pg thingy to route and seal the cable in the junction box (on the rainy side of the shop)
Those are illuminating the bench both sides
I'm going to tide up again the homeshop because I've actually reached 499 subscribers on my YouTube channel so I have to thrust in myself and in my work and restart making videos.
So I need a clean work surface that's wider than the previous one Wich I'll still use for thumbnails and to fasten a vice cause it's way more robust than this salvaged school bench.
Still asking myself if I should mention or not why I've been far from YouTube for so long.
I'm not begging for support and it's not a channel subject.
But something I have to say to those 500 that decided to follow me because I'm the engine making videos ok but subscribers are actually the fuel that make it run
Added a wall outlet too but it's still not connected yet because I'm short of a pg thingy to route and seal the cable in the junction box (on the rainy side of the shop)
Those are illuminating the bench both sides
I'm going to tide up again the homeshop because I've actually reached 499 subscribers on my YouTube channel so I have to thrust in myself and in my work and restart making videos.
So I need a clean work surface that's wider than the previous one Wich I'll still use for thumbnails and to fasten a vice cause it's way more robust than this salvaged school bench.
Still asking myself if I should mention or not why I've been far from YouTube for so long.
I'm not begging for support and it's not a channel subject.
But something I have to say to those 500 that decided to follow me because I'm the engine making videos ok but subscribers are actually the fuel that make it run
