Z1A: Electric Boogaloo

[MrDavo]

In the dark and distant past I used to use Scotchclips, Halfords crimp on bullet connectors, and even that old favourite, two wires twisted together and wrapped in insulting tape. Then I wondered why I had no lights in the dead of night, or why my bike had just stopped in the middle of nowhere.

I think things took a turn for the better when I became a radio ham, and learned to solder, and make proper connections. Doing my Z1A restoration, I am damned if I am going back to my old ways, I want every connection to be like factory. I found most of a new loom in the boxes, which was a big help, but have found a couple of issues. First was when I went to replace the bow tie shaped centre loom, which is made of brightly coloured spaghetti and fits snugly behind the electrical plate. There were a couple of non standard bullet connectors, but when I removed the socket from the rectifier to the white plug, I found this horror:





Clearly the plug has overheated and burned out where the black wire attached, it was cut both sides and a nasty crimp on connector added, there must have been a short bridge wire that bypassed the plug and repaired the bike at the time. The centre loom has the necessary white plug, What I need is a new white socket, properly attached to my rectifier. Is there any firm or talented club member who could take this on, as well as source the correct socket?, I'll happily pay to have it done right.

I've seen a couple of DIY automotive block connector kits on the bay of fleas, but they don't look at all compatible with Kawasaki connector blocks.

I don't want to go down the solid state regulator / rectifier route, before you ask, not the least because I have found a genuine NOS voltage regulator in one of the boxes. CMS list that at a jolly Eu191.00 (if they had one, which they don't), the rectifier they do have, but at Eu155.00 plus p&p I'd rather pass on that and see if mine works for now, thankyou. If not I'll have to sell a kidney, the wife's car or something.

The other electrical snafu is the lead from the alternator coils. It came used, with a D&K looking label saying 'Z900' attached. The 3 wires are different colours, not yellow, but as far as I am aware that doesn't matter. What does matter is the aforementioned Halfords bullets, plus the connectors on the neutral switch and oil pressure switch which are going in the bin whatever happens.



As before if there is a firm or member who can put the original blue plug on, please tell me. If not, I'm minded to buy this short loom from Zpower:
http://www.z-power.co.uk/alternator-wir ... m-z1-z1000

and solder the three yellow wires to the cut originals, probably very close to the coils where they wouldn't ever flex (the original connections are encapsulated in expoy, I'd rather leave them alone), and insulate the joins with heatshrink.

[Philippe]

Hi MrDavo

as always: the electrics of an old bike are a boogaloo! You're not alone to encounter that mess.
The connectors of the electric plate can be bought new with the correct wiring, I guess Z-power has them. As far as I know there are no new seperate connectors for sale that fit the original connectors.(I can be wrong so someone please correct me!)
Take my advice: buy a new one!
As far as the alternator wires are concerned: buy new ones and change them, so you'll have no problems in the future.
You can also buy new bullet connectors, bikers tool box ( Ralpharama a Z1OC member) sells them . Have a look and make an order. He also sells the correct pliers to mount them.
Take no risks with the electricity, play it safe!
GrtZ
Philippe

[chrisNI]

Speak to Ralph he stocks whatever ones are available and should know what your options are...

[MrDavo]

Thanks Chris, I've sent Ralph a pm.

@ Phillipe, the wiring and sockets for the electrical plate I have got, new, in fact I accidentally have two lots, I'm going to sell one. What I haven't got is the connectors fitted to the rectifier and alternator.

[MrDavo]

I notice that most rectifiers for sale, including the odd expensive new one, don’t put the black wire through the connector block at all, but instead have a long flying black lead instead, with a circular end. I assume this is connected to earth, but where? I’m thinking possibly to the earth bolt on the engine that the negative battery lead connects to, but I don’t know this.

I’m guessing the overheating that fried my connector block was a common issue, and the earthing arrangement was modified.

[Philippe]

Hi MrDavo

the black wire is connected to the minus pole of the battery itself in order to have a good earth. Most of the heat damage to the connector blocks is caused by a bad connection, not enough friction between the male and female connector blocks.
The bad connection create "sparks" that overheat the connecting blocks and damage them. The failure of the regulator is mostly caused by a bad grounding. Kawasaki replaced the earth wire in the connector block by a seperate earth wire (the black one) in order to prevent the failure.
GrtZ
Philippe

[MrDavo]

Thanks for that info. I've ordered a used rectifier from D&K now, with the flying earth lead, now I know why its different to mine. The one I've got is pre update then, but modified later with a lead to the battery after the connector went toasty.

I can test the replacement rectifier with my multimeter, I reckon its something that either works or it doesn't.

I'm going to order the alternator sub loom from Z Power next, so all my plugs are stock. I've an extra mid loom for sale, after I ordered a new one I found another one in the electrical box.

[MrDavo]

All sorted! Blue plug because James H has kindly offered me a new alternator lead in place of my nasty one with crimp connectors, white plug because I got a used rectifier from D&K. That came this morning, as it was possibly the last nice day this week, working from home was abandoned for the day and I set to work.

I first tested the rectifier with the multimeter, at first it seemed dead until I realised that elastictrickery was not passing through the layer of crud on the earth terminal. A bit of fine wet and dry sorted that out, then all was well - full current one way on each wire, nothing when I reversed the polarity. There was some rust on the rectifier plates, I always assumed they were unpainted until I saw where the original silver paint (complete with Mitsibushi logo) had been protected by the rubber mounting damper. Then the OCD kicked in, so I carefully removed the rust with a fine wire brush on my new Chinese dremel and sprayed some Simonize silver engine paint on. I removed the original knackered wiring and fitted one of my two new sublooms.

Bracket paint touched up, replacement rectifier and wiring fitted. The fuse was 15A and the glass was broken, but there were two original 20A ones hiding in the rubber damper.



That done I couldn't resist fitting it, also my brand new regulator was fitted under the battery box and plugged into the green plug. The alternator plug is the blue one, the orange one goes to the main loom. These OEM electrical block connectors may be a beggar to source, but the make wring a lot simpler than the usual fight with coloured spaghetti that I am used to, A flasher relay has been ordered, that slips on to a tag on the left of the bracket.