Subject: Re: See Guzzi run. Run guzzi, run
Author: Zerhackermann .
Date: May 14, 2001, 11:43 AM
Post ID: 1706717642
The paint is fair. I did stick the tank on and the sidecovers and toolboxes.
All that green. I showed it to Missus and she said "Boy that's...green" I
think I need some John Deere stickers. Probably should have gone a little
darker.
As for the electrics, It ain't the wiring. I built a whole new harness
because it came to me with some wretched farmer brown electrical tape and
lamp cord modifications. I think the factory issued kits for that, I see it
so often.
Gawd I HATE electrical tape. Either solder the shit RIGHT or get real live
shrink tube. Just SAY NO to electrical tape. There is not one square inch of
that crap on this bike.
but I digress.
I did get the charging system going, but I did not take it to a shop. Since
the system is so simple and I was 85% sure of the generator and 100% sure of
the battery and 99% sure of the wiring that left just the regulator. The one
I had said marelli on the cover, but two screws and that is gone so for all
I knew it was a Bosch with the wrong cover. So I called my local shop, Moto
Int'l. They didn't have any regulators so I called Mark at MG Classics. He
told me yup he had the reg or compatible replacements. "But before you go
spending money try this..." I love that... That is exactly what I used to do
when I ran my PC fixit shop. In about 5 minutes Mark gave me a couple of low
tech, percussive maintenance type things to try.
First I hosed out the generator with electrical contact cleaner. Then I spun
while running a green scrub pad on the armature. Then I tested the contact
between the poles on the generator. Solid continuity with .002 ohms
resistance. Good. Then I cleaned out the contact breakers with 400 grit
sand paper on the regulator. The I hosed it down with contact cleaner.
Hooked everything up and fired up the beast.
The red light stayed on.
So I whanged on the generator with a hammer. Mark says stuck brush. I didn't
hold much hope there since the generator seemed to be okay. But I though
maybe it was part of the ritual.
The redlight stayed on.
The I poked at the DF and D+ contact breakers with a screwdriver per Mark's
instruction.
The red light stayed on.
about now I was getting really frustrated and down right pissed off. See
there is this BBQ this coming weekend that I would love to attend on my
shiny Guzzi. I have tires on the way (might barely make it in time) and all
I have to do is sand and paint the saddle bags. ANd fix the %$#@! charging
system.
SO I wander off to fiddle with some other items on the bike before I take
the regulator out and smash it flat so no one would ever mistake it for a
working unit again.
Round about 3 AM I am dirty, a little high from paint fumes, tired and more
than a little discouraged by the charging system. The it occurs to me that I
haven't manually operated the B+ contact breaker while the bike was running.
And Mark had said ALL the breakers. Oh what the hell. SO I fire up the bike
and gingerly poke at the breaker with a screwdriver. I kinda shy away as I
was expecting a spark and I had already been bit by the coil and I had been
electrocuted by a 220 circuit a few years ago, So I'm a little jumpy around
the stuff.
Nothing.
The red light was off.
WTF? Must be a fluke. I just manually did its job that's all. I'll start it
up again and the light will stay on until I prod the breaker again. and....
The red light went out.
WTF? A small bubble of hope rose in my chest. That or it was the bean
burrito and Rainier. So I fired up the bike and peered at the breakers on
the reg...I could SEE them operating. But I was still skeptical and hooked
up the meter. at top whack I was getting 13.8 volts. shit, my beemer with
it's alternator only does 13.5.
Mark, you rule. SOrry you missed out on selling me a new regulator. But
you'll see a better return down the road I bet.
Now I only need tires and to stick the tank on the bike and I am riding.
| hey choppa- that's the ticket. mine's rattlecan too. some of that stuff is really decent. you should be able to find a starter/alternator shop in the yellow pages, or a private volkswagon repair shop. i would bet that the armature needs to be smoothed up in a lathe. is it possible that the wiring might have a break in it somewhere? ----- Original Message ----- |
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