Regulator/Rectifier drainage holes
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Regulator/Rectifier drainage holes
Just in case this helps others. I ride my 2011 VRCSF all year round here in the UK. After some bad weather riding in December had a check engine light come up and found that the battery charging voltage was very low/intermittent.
I checked the alternator output and made regulator/rectifier measurements using info in this forum. The alternator was OK, but the reg/rect wasn't, and both connectors showed heavy corrosion despite their rubber boots. Although I clean the bike quite carefully, it looked like mud/salt/water had accumulated in the bottom of the radiator cowling eventually penetrating the connectors and the reg/rect filling resin. The dirt was worst on the right hand, output side of the reg/rect probably due to parking the bike on the kick-stand, the dirt couldn't drop past the ribs in the cowling.
I drilled 2 x 3/8", 10mm, drainage holes in the bottom of the cowling each side of the centreline just behind the reg/rect location, then fitted the new reg/rect. I can now easily blow/flush dirt out and keep the oil cooler clear too.
I checked the alternator output and made regulator/rectifier measurements using info in this forum. The alternator was OK, but the reg/rect wasn't, and both connectors showed heavy corrosion despite their rubber boots. Although I clean the bike quite carefully, it looked like mud/salt/water had accumulated in the bottom of the radiator cowling eventually penetrating the connectors and the reg/rect filling resin. The dirt was worst on the right hand, output side of the reg/rect probably due to parking the bike on the kick-stand, the dirt couldn't drop past the ribs in the cowling.
I drilled 2 x 3/8", 10mm, drainage holes in the bottom of the cowling each side of the centreline just behind the reg/rect location, then fitted the new reg/rect. I can now easily blow/flush dirt out and keep the oil cooler clear too.
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usmc68
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Sep 12, 2017 06:59 PM
