The wiring socket going into the reg/rectifier on my hornet was falling apart and this probably caused the total electrical failure I experienced last week.
I want to fix/clean/recondition the wiring going into the socket - but the socket is a sealed unit that looks like it was put together with a special machine - consequently it doesn’t seem possible to take it apart to get at the connections in order to clean them up and refit the loose wiring.
Is it possible to take them apart or would I be be better off splicing in a new socket?
Yes you can recondition those blocks but to be honest I’d just buy another one. You should be able to get one that will slot straight into the female block on your bike. Ebay quite often has loads for all sorts of different bikes.
Get one that comes with with the correct metals terminals, then you just need a crimping tool to crimp them to the wires, and you just slot them into the correct hole in the block. Easy peasy - although it can take a little practice if you’ve never crimped non-insulated terminals before.
If you just want to recondition it you can slide a very narrow screwdriver, or other thin piece of metal, in the back of each hole in the plastic block to release the terminals. Then sand them down so they’re shiny and spray with electrical contact cleaner and slide them back into the block. If they’re broken or really corroded then just order some new terminals and keep the same plastic bit.
Oh, and check over all the other wiring for the charging system just to make sure it hasn’t caused any problems elsewhere. Corrosion and loose connections like that can cause things to get really hot and melt connectors etc.
This is what happened to one of my old bikes when I had a similar problem:
I’m finding it bloody impossible to remove the spade/blade connectors from the socket that goes into the reg/rect.
There is obviously a plastic clip which engages when you put the spade connector in - I put a very small screwdriver in there to try and force up the plastic and then waggle out the blade connector but absolutely no give what so ever.
The ends of the wires and the blade connectors are badly corroded and I want to clean up the wires and fit new blades - the only solution seems to be to take the socket apart, remove the wires, fit new blades, stick them into the reg/rect and then wrap the whole thing up in insulating tape as I don’t think that a replacement socket is available for purchase anyway.
Not ideal but I can’t see any other way around this.
Wrapping up the bottom of the reg/rect connection in insulating tape although not elegant should do the job though shouldn’t it?
Those little metal spades are a massive pain in the arse to get out… Patience, and some serious screwdriver widdling might do it… Apply pressure by pulling the cable out backwards whilst widdling said screwdriver see if that helps
Or chop the buggered connector piece off and start again - fit new spades and shove them in surrounded by heatshrink perhaps…?
Typically the locking tang is part of the copper connector not the plastic block, I find that using an unfolded safety pin to press this down works better than a screwdriver.
Personally I’d do my best to keep the connector block but it can be a pain in the arse to get the terminals out as the gap is so small, but it can be done. The paperclip idea is a good one.
Have a look here and you can see the little metal ‘tangs’ that each connector has to hold it in the block - these are what you need to compress. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110819228304
I’m sure you should be able to get the replacement block from somewhere. I’ll see if I can find where I got mine from.
Ahhh… Looking at that again it looks like a very specialist connector as it’s got two different sizes in the same block… b**tards!
You’re best bet is probably to try and get the connectors out, clean them up with fine grit sandpaper and contact cleaner (brake cleaner should work too) and then push them back in again. If they’re too far gone you should be able to buy the larger and smaller spade connectors separately but you may have to just get rid of the block as you suggested earlier.
Yes - I don’t think it’s an off the shelf item - i’ll try the paperclip method so I can clean up/fit new blades and re-use the connector block - if not i’ll ditch the connector block and go down the shrink wrap route.
I’m going to continuity test the reg/rect to see if that still works - followed by similar tests on the alternator - the first thing i’ll look for is burnt connectors as apparently this happens when you have charging problems/regrect failures.
Fingers crossed my electrical system didn’t get shafted.
