Trying to Rescue a Late 1970s (1977??) Kawasaki KZ1000

Some reading for you. 

Rectifier starts on page 196. Regulator on page 197.  

www.kzrider.com/modules/ServiceManuals/K...Service%20Manual.pdf

Mikaw wrote:

Some reading for you. 

Rectifier starts on page 196. Regulator on page 197.  

www.kzrider.com/modules/ServiceManuals/K...Service%20Manual.pdf

Thanks Mikaw, I'll share the results.
 

Snowing all day here, so might as well be at the workbench and away from the TV and refrigerator!!

For the workshop manual rectifier test, I was diligent and literal with the procedure, but got infinite resistance in both polarity directions on the positive rectifier wire to three yellow wires.  Ditto for the black ground wire from the rectifier.  But who knows what's really going on inside the multimeter on the ohm scale?

So I did a test light method with a low wattage bulb that was not likely to fry anything.

The first polarity in the video is positive battery to positive rectifier wire.  I guess this should not conduct as you'd be draining the battery all the time, and my light did not light.

The second polarity in the video is negative battery to the positive rectifier wire.  And the light shows conduction at all three yellow wires.  I guess this is why you fry the bike if hooking up the battery backwards.

Not in the video, is the positive battery to negative rectifier, with conduction and the light lit.  And the opposite polarity connection, not conducting.

I think the 46 y old rectifier is good, though this test is insensitive to low milliamp conduction since the light is close to a 1 Amp draw.

Next step is seeing if the snow blower has life.........


 

I would say it will work. It's the regulator that usually goes out. I fried my rectifier by using a 100w quarts pincel beam for riding out here. Worked great until one of the diodes unsoldered itself due to being run so hot. I replaced it with a GS 650 rectifier I still have (I never throw anything away) and it worked great but I was boiling the battery because the regulator wasn't working anymore. Got a used one and ditched the Marshall headlight for a halogen sealed beam. I loved that pincel beam. Was running a 55w low beam and when oncoming cars would flash their lights at me I'd flick the high beam once and they would pass by. 
"You're a cruel man Mr. West" 
Steve

Thanks guys.

I tried to get my mind around the voltage regulator testing, which is labelled 12V RS21, according to the workshop manual procedure for "out of circuit" on page 200.

I'm using an old Fluke multimeter powered by a 9V battery, probably about the same vintage as this old KZ1000.

For the black to brown, then brown to black, resistance tests I'm getting 750 and 1040 ohms, and the specs are approximately 1050 and 300 ohms.  So very, very rough ballpark, but I suspect something is amiss.

Then I put my Fluke positive on the regulator's aluminum case, and various leads for an inexplicable range of resistances. Is this case part of the regulator circuit to ground?

See photo.

Then the workshop manual offers that there should be infinite resistance between any two leads, except the brown to black.

In the other photo, you'll see that this is mostly true, except I get 7 Mega-ohms for some connections.

Since my old Fluke didn't do the rectifier circuits correctly, maybe it's not doing the regulator correctly, and the Fluke is aptly named !!

Has anyone done this "out of circuit" test with a good functioning12V RS21, and can share the resistance values?

As is often the case, electronics have left me flummoxed!

 

Mikaw wrote:

Consider this upgrade. Nessism is the local expert on them.

www.kzrider.com/forum/4-electrical/61678...-to-get-sh775#857946

Can confirm.
I got a surplus Shindengen R/R from Nessism, and couldn't be happier.
 

Thanks guys.

I do favor the originality of Kawasaki's separate regulator and rectifier system, but in that workshop manual I note that they moved to an integrated RR for the KZ1000A4.  So even they jettisoned the separate RR early in the game.  No doubt for good reasons.

My touring days are behind me, but I can still get 3 or 4 hours away from home, so reliability is important.  I hate to impose on friends with trailers.

I like Kawasaki's colored "plug board", so I'll try to map that out and get an integrated RR fitted.

 

A Shindingen SH775 is what's known as a "Series" type R/R.  These units help preserve your stator by shutting down power generation when not needed, thus keeping it cooler, which extends life.  With a shunt type regulation system, the stator is putting out max power at all times, which isn't needed, and generates too much heat. 

I get that some people want to preserve the originality of their bike.  What I don't understand is why some people spend $100+ on a shunt type R/R, when good used SH775's can be found for half that much.

Thanks Nessism.........

My family motto is, "What I lack in intelligence, I make up with persistence"!!  Never give up, for short.

So I'm trying to understand these shunt and series regulators.

circuitglobe.com/difference-between-shun...ltage-regulator.html

Is this a reasonable starting point?

I have a lead on a Shindengen supposedly from a Kawasaki, but details aren't in yet.  Should see it in about a week.

Thanks again.

wdhewson wrote:

Thanks Nessism.........

My family motto is, "What I lack in intelligence, I make up with persistence"!!  Never give up, for short.

So I'm trying to understand these shunt and series regulators.

circuitglobe.com/difference-between-shun...ltage-regulator.html

Is this a reasonable starting point?

I have a lead on a Shindengen supposedly from a Kawasaki, but details aren't in yet.  Should see it in about a week.

Thanks again.

Shindengen made most of the R/R's for the Japanese bike industry.  You need to get a SH775 or SH847 if you want a SERIEs type.  Most Shindengen units are shunt type.  I've got a few spare SH775's if you decide you want to go that way.  Regarding the difference between a shunt and series R/R in terms of motorcycle usage, search out motorcycle sites.  The SH775 is a very popular upgrade for bikes that burn out stators regularly.

Thanks again guys:

While I'm struggling with regulation/rectification, I might as well add generation to my workload.

So I tried to assess the old girl's stator today, according to the workshop manual.

I gave the blue plug from the stator  a bit of cleaning with brake clean and an old toothbrush, then went about my resistance measurements with the vintage Fluke.

See table in pictures.

It pleased me that all the stator leads were a solid 0.6 ohms and within the Kawasaki spec of 0.56 to 0.84 ohms, and it made sense that my 0 deg C garage was going to take resistance to the lower end of that spec.

It displeased me that the stator wires to ground were not infinity ohms, but they all came in at about 15 Mega-ohms, telling me that there's leakage to ground.  Oh well, it's good to have a new stator when away from home.

While playing with this Fluke on the 20 Mega-ohm scale, it'll pick up skin conduction at about 8 Mega-ohms, so while measuring the 15 Mega-ohms from stator to ground, my fingers were well clear of the Fluke's leads.

15-Mega-ohms won't bleed off any significant power, but it may well mean that engine heat and alternator operation will take it into short circuit mode.

Appreciative of your feedback on these observations.

 

The main thing I've found was it shorted to the case. All other tests but always one leg below 50v AC. At 50 and above it would charge great. I have three that way and one new from Z1parts Inc. Got a used one that tested good and 71v AC above idle. Heat is the enemy. 
Steve