Alternator/regulator problem?
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 224
Likes: 118
From: Kentucky
Alternator/regulator problem?
Hello folks,
I'm putting a friends 1972 FLH back together for him, working on the wiring and things are going well but when I put his regulator back on and was still running the wires to tail lights and to test to make sure which wire was the brake light I hooked up the battery and got an arc. So the last thing I did before it arced during testing was the regulator so I unplugged it from the case and no arc. I'm not electrically inclined so does any one have any ideas, bike is not ready to run. Oh I did put an ohm meter on all the pins in the case and on the regulator to ground and got no reading if that helps. Thanks.
I'm putting a friends 1972 FLH back together for him, working on the wiring and things are going well but when I put his regulator back on and was still running the wires to tail lights and to test to make sure which wire was the brake light I hooked up the battery and got an arc. So the last thing I did before it arced during testing was the regulator so I unplugged it from the case and no arc. I'm not electrically inclined so does any one have any ideas, bike is not ready to run. Oh I did put an ohm meter on all the pins in the case and on the regulator to ground and got no reading if that helps. Thanks.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,664
Likes: 184
From: Indiana, USA
I assume you have a 2 pin connector plugged to the block which is the stator assembly. the only other connection is a single wire from the regulator to the battery.
If you have an arc when you plug the 2 pin connector and the arc goes away when you unplug it...... you have a stator shorted to ground inside the inner primary.
Use an OHM Meter, set it to beep, touch 1 lead to the block and touch each of the 2 pins in the block connector. If you get a beep the stator is shorted to ground somewhere.
If you have an arc when you plug the 2 pin connector and the arc goes away when you unplug it...... you have a stator shorted to ground inside the inner primary.
Use an OHM Meter, set it to beep, touch 1 lead to the block and touch each of the 2 pins in the block connector. If you get a beep the stator is shorted to ground somewhere.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 224
Likes: 118
From: Kentucky
It is directly to battery plus, and I just thought to check continuity between the four pins in the case and there is between all the pins it doesn't matter which what does that mean?
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,664
Likes: 184
From: Indiana, USA
I am not sure about a 4 wire stator but I assume it is 2 separate sets of windings around the stator. The stator generates alternating current (AC) same as your house electrical plugs. The regulator converts that alternating current to direct current (DC) If you have a short between the 2 sets of windings you would have a short between the phases. I would expect 2 pins to be both ends of 1 set of windings and 2 pins to be both ends of the 2nd set of windings. I would not expect any pin to have continuity to more than 1 of the remaining 3 pins.
You have 1 phase going positive and 1 phase going negative creating alternating current (AC) from the stator. I would think if you are getting continuity between any of the 4 plugs you have a short between phase windings on the stator. Imagine taking a wire and putting 1 end in 1 side of the electric outlet in your home and the other in where the other blade of a standard plug goes, "BANG" a short and may pop your breaker. Your regulator is seeing that same thing.
You have 1 phase going positive and 1 phase going negative creating alternating current (AC) from the stator. I would think if you are getting continuity between any of the 4 plugs you have a short between phase windings on the stator. Imagine taking a wire and putting 1 end in 1 side of the electric outlet in your home and the other in where the other blade of a standard plug goes, "BANG" a short and may pop your breaker. Your regulator is seeing that same thing.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 8,590
Likes: 3,361
From: Cental, MI
I will assume, (not good) that if the 4 pin plug to the case is the problem... since the regulator is still attached during your tests... that a winding in the Alternator stator, or a pin itself, is Grounded...but hard to troubleshoot from a keyboard...
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Club Member
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From: Niles Canyon Ca.
The old 4 pin 17 amp stator systems had a habit of eating regulators, went through 4 of them on my 72. Dumped everything and went to the later 32 amp stator & reg and haven't had an issue since.
PS you do the swap use the original rotor on the bike now not the repop on that comes with the kits. Contrary to what gets said it works just fine and is a beefier design than the cheap import replacements.
PS you do the swap use the original rotor on the bike now not the repop on that comes with the kits. Contrary to what gets said it works just fine and is a beefier design than the cheap import replacements.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 224
Likes: 118
From: Kentucky
Thanks for all the reply's, I found the information I needed in an old Clymers manual. The regulator is toast but the stator passed the tests. The book had a a good write up of how to perform the tests with an multimeter and a diagram of the pin layout and the internal layout of the regulator.