Identify this KZ 400 Part

I have a 1974 KZ 400 project going and want to see if someone can tell me what this part is. I've got everything stripped down and when I look at the manual and wiring diagrams for this bike I notice two things that confuse me. First it didn't have a regulator or rectifier behind the right side cover as it should. Second is this part that I have enclosed a picture of. It was mounted with one bolt on the left hand side just forward of the battery box.I first thought it might be the regulator/rectifier and it may be but none of the wires are what my diagram says they should be. There appears to be little indication of any previous owner messing with the wiring as far as I can tell. Any help would be appreciated as always.

Thanks,

Mike

Sorry the picture didn't go through and I didn't realize it still posted. Anyway this is the mystery part.

Looks like the rectifier, but I don't recall them being in an enclosure like that.

From seeing the red splice on the left side of the enclosure, I suppose previous owners tried for a substitue regulator/rectifier. Are those 3 yellow wires,a red wire with a colored stripe and a black wire all at the top?

Look here too:
www.armbell.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=17...97a97ca&mforum=kz400

IT's three yellows, a red with yellow stripe and a green. The red with the yellow stripe is spliced as you mentioned into a red wire that goes into the contraption here that i am thinking might be the regulator although it looks different than all the pictures I have seen of a regulator. The green wire is spliced into a black wire a few inches down the line. I think i can figure all this out if i can confirm that these two items were at least acting as the regulator and rectifier. I initially thought there was not much splicing done by a previous owner but I now think that might not be the case.

Trace back the wires. If the three yellows go to the alternator, the green goes to ground, and the red goes to the plus side of the battery (or starter relay) then yes, I'd say it's some kind of homemade or possibly adapted rectifier/regulator.

M, From what I can see, It is a rectifer (at least), The wafer'd plates are it's diodes. The Green ground identifies it as HONDA, who's rectifiers of that era used a seperate (points type) regulator. it's cage is probly of PO's constuction. luck G

gane wrote:

M, From what I can see, It is a rectifer (at least), The wafer'd plates are it's diodes. The Green ground identifies it as HONDA, who's rectifiers of that era used a seperate (points type) regulator. it's cage is probly of PO's constuction. luck G

Yeah, I was going to mention the green ground, but then the hot wire should be black (if Honda). What a great idea...use the color for hot that everyone else uses for ground! :huh:

Tried these websites?

www.regulatorrectifier.com
www.ricksmotorsportselectrics.com
www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com
www.accel-motorcycle.com/

Can you determine if there is a zener diode in that thing? If so, it may be a version of the old british regulator/rectifier, which was a simple rectifier outputting into a zener diode, which controlled the output voltage. Works, until the zener opens or shorts, which leads to total burnout or no voltage at all.

Since you have what appears to be a three phase alternator output, you should be able to adapt a later Kawasaki R/R unit, or possibly find an original.

The british zener regs looked like a rounded off triangular version of the more modern reg/recs with aluminum heatsink fins. At least the ones I've seen looked like that. The ones I've seen only have one wire since they are grounded to the frame and only act on the DC side. (Not that I've seen many, just the classic Triumph/Norton ones.)

If it's a 74 400, it likely will have an excited field alternator which means he'd have to get the regulator from Oregonmotorcycleparts.com, (if the one he has doesn't work.)