$400 rectifer too much?

[posplayr]

I'm always part of the solution, Jeeps... and that's your problem.

raj posts are starting to act like flypaper. It is sticking any and everyone.

[CartoonLifeStyle]

The triumph Bonneville regulator has been fitted, the first thing I noticed was that I now have a massive spark at the plugs Unfortunately the battery only gave a few turns before I had to put it back on the charger. I'll try firing her up tomorrow and will report back

[Nessism]

the first thing I noticed was that I now have a massive spark at the plugs

Are you joking? An R/R has no effect on spark what so ever, other than keeping the battery charged.

[tom203]

Are you joking? An R/R has no effect on spark what so ever, other than keeping the battery charged.

Well, he said it was named sparksalot or something and it's big-maybe acts as ignition booster while it's R and R'ing.

[Nessism]

Well, he said it was named sparksalot or something and it's big-maybe acts as ignition booster while it's R and R'ing.

[tkent02]

The sparksalot is better than the more expensive Smokeandmor unit then, for those of us with ignition problems too?

Good to know.

[tom203]

The sparksalot is better than the more expensive Smokeandmor unit then, for those of us with ignition problems too?

Yes, and it turns your stock headlight into a aircraft landing light!

[CartoonLifeStyle]

Put the freshly charged battery in today, and she fired up straight away. I think I'm going to replace the coils next as I'm not convinced they are still giving 100%.

The weirdest thing is that the blueish white smoke that was coming out of the exhaust has now stopped.

[tkent02]

Magic is a beautiful thing.

[Allie]

I think Alan Funt is hiding behind a mirror filming all of this.

[tom203]

I think Alan Funt is hiding behind a mirror filming all of this.

Someone should start a poll and see how many members on here know who Alan Funt was.

[JTGS850GL]

Alan Funt.... Now there's a name I haven't heard in a LONG time. Hello candid camera.

[posplayr]

Someone should start a poll and see how many members on here know who Alan Funt was.

With the availability of Goggle, It would be an IQ test not a memory or age test.

[850 Combat]

Yes, because averyone knows how good old English electrical systems were.

Lucas, Prince of Darkness.

60 Euros? That's way more than the Shendigan Series regulator.

Apparently it is true about a sucker being born every day.

I have personally owned a whole lot of Lucas electrical components, and I've had very little to no charging trouble. My '65 Lotus is still charging fine with the original Lucas generator and points type regulator. Same thing on my '67 Cortina. I switched my '68 Cortina over to a Lucas Alternator in 1994 because of the long long dark winters in Alaska, and my hopes of using a 12 volt hot air defroster on the rear window (hopeless). I burned up two alternators high tailing it from Healy to Anchorage on weekends to autocross it in the SCCA. That turned out to be because I was supposed to take the fan off of the generator and relocate it to the alternator. Once I did that, in summer of '95, its been fine. I'm driving it daily. I crank the heck out of the original starters on the Lotus and the '68, because they both have stock type fuel pumps, and it takes most of a full battery to fill the float bowls on the webers on the Lotus/Delorttos on the Cortina. Briefly, I used a Holly electric fuel pump on the Cortina, but it was unreliable. Probably going to hook up a Facet electric on it later today though.

I have never had a Lucas stator fail, except on my Atlas when the main bearings let the magnet move around too much. I've never burned out a Zener Diode. Somehow I burned out a coil on the '75 Norton in the early 80s, but the ballast resistor had been somehow struck and was physically broken. I have worn out a couple ignition switches on Nortons and Tridents.

Smiths instruments are crap. The late 70s XJ6 I owned 35 years ago had lots of problems with the electric window switches (the contacts would weld themselves together) and the (Delco) air conditioner. In the last six months, I changed a flasher relay on the Lotus, and on the '68 Cortina.

By the late 60s to early 70's, English motorcycle charging systems were pretty solid. Certainly no worse than Suzuki. I have also never changed a GS Stator, nor have I ever changed a non functioning GS R/R, (But I have probably changed a dozen of them) so I may just be lucky. I have owned lots and lots of Lucas for lots and lots of years, and Bosch has been a lot less reliable. I have 4 Volkswagens now. Try to keep all the exterior lights working on a VW that isn't kept inside all the time. I have drilled holes in the tail light lenses on mine to let the rain water out. No kidding.

That said, I would probably have used another 15 dollar ex Gold Wing shunt type regulator long before I would have bought that.

[850GT_Rider]

I have personally owned a whole lot of Lucas electrical components, and I've had very little to no charging trouble. My '65 Lotus is still charging fine with the original Lucas generator and points type regulator. Same thing on my '67 Cortina. I switched my '68 Cortina over to a Lucas Alternator in 1994 because of the long long dark winters in Alaska, and my hopes of using a 12 volt hot air defroster on the rear window (hopeless). I burned up two alternators high tailing it from Healy to Anchorage on weekends to autocross it in the SCCA. That turned out to be because I was supposed to take the fan off of the generator and relocate it to the alternator. Once I did that, in summer of '95, its been fine. I'm driving it daily. I crank the heck out of the original starters on the Lotus and the '68, because they both have stock type fuel pumps, and it takes most of a full battery to fill the float bowls on the webers on the Lotus/Delorttos on the Cortina. Briefly, I used a Holly electric fuel pump on the Cortina, but it was unreliable. Probably going to hook up a Facet electric on it later today though.

I have never had a Lucas stator fail, except on my Atlas when the main bearings let the magnet move around too much. I've never burned out a Zener Diode. Somehow I burned out a coil on the '75 Norton in the early 80s, but the ballast resistor had been somehow struck and was physically broken. I have worn out a couple ignition switches on Nortons and Tridents.

Smiths instruments are crap. The late 70s XJ6 I owned 35 years ago had lots of problems with the electric window switches (the contacts would weld themselves together) and the (Delco) air conditioner. In the last six months, I changed a flasher relay on the Lotus, and on the '68 Cortina.

By the late 60s to early 70's, English motorcycle charging systems were pretty solid. Certainly no worse than Suzuki. I have also never changed a GS Stator, nor have I ever changed a non functioning GS R/R, (But I have probably changed a dozen of them) so I may just be lucky. I have owned lots and lots of Lucas for lots and lots of years, and Bosch has been a lot less reliable. I have 4 Volkswagens now. Try to keep all the exterior lights working on a VW that isn't kept inside all the time. I have drilled holes in the tail light lenses on mine to let the rain water out. No kidding.

That said, I would probably have used another 15 dollar ex Gold Wing shunt type regulator long before I would have bought that.

As I recall from my days owning the '76 Bonneville, and my association with other owners - Lucas earned the "Prince Of Darkness" label primarily due to several epic bad designs that they never seemed to get right.

First and foremost was wiring. Long after the rest of the world had converted to plastic insulations, Lucas kept using cotton or fabric insulation that would wick any moisture well up into the harness. Corrosion would be evident several INCHES up on the wires. The moisture would also allow for maddingly intermittent shorts between conductors.

Second was wire size - often the conductor size was marginal at best, mostly undersized.

Third, as you mentioned was switchgear. Never properly sealed or situated to drain, allowing moisture to attack the terminals - which would then wick up into the wiring. Additionally, they often used metals that, when wet, would galvanically react with each other, accelerating the corrosion.

My favorite Brit M/C shirt was the one that showed a Lucas light switch. Three positions. Dim/Flicker/Off