smoking 78 kz650 regulator/rectifier

ok, the bike will run fine for about 45 minutes or so, then the battery dies. Charge up the batt, and it works fine. I think i need a new regulator/rectifier, as I tested it with a multimeter as instructed in the shop manual. This morning I tried to start it up again and the reg/rec started to smoke. Upon further inspection, I noticed that something has gone missing: three wires and a plastic, three-prong connection all terminated in a plug...the plug and one half the plastic connection are gone.
Is this missing plug and now open wires the reason the reg/rec started to smoke?

Any help appreciated. i am so close to getting this thing running well, and it seems for everything I fix 2 new things pop up.

One more thing...do I have to replace the reg/rec with another 78 model? Can I use ones from later models? Any aftermarket/new ones I can use?
Thanks

Post edited by: cmrhodes101, at: 2006/10/06 15:21

There have been a few cases on here (myself and a smoked up garage included) where the reg/rec smokes up and burns the wires. Replace the reg/rec, and any burnt wiring and you should be good. I've also heard that sometimes hooking up the battery in the wrong order (not to be confused with hooking up to the wrong terminals) will fry the rec/reg because it can't handle current flowing in the opposite direction than intended (which a little bit of that happens if you hook up backwards, and/or if there is a bad short somewhere in the wiring) so out it goes.

What is the correct order? Positive, then negative on, and reverse for taking off, right?

I think I fried mine when jumping the bike from a running car, which I now know not to do.
I found a reg/rec on ebay for 139$, but I found an aftermarket part for less...any ideas if the aftermarket part will work?

Thanks for your help.

cmrhodes101 wrote:

What is the correct order? Positive, then negative on, and reverse for taking off, right?

I think I fried mine when jumping the bike from a running car, which I now know not to do.
I found a reg/rec on ebay for 139$, but I found an aftermarket part for less...any ideas if the aftermarket part will work?

Thanks for your help.

Why would you jump it from a car? Push start it.