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can't I just build my own R/R unit?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
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Anonymous

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Given that the R/R is rather simple in concept, why couldn't I just grab a handful of electrical parts from my local Radio Shack, and build my own R/R for the bike?

The rectifier part should be easy, given a couple 6amp/200PIV full wave bridge rectifiers, but I'm getting a wee bit confused on the voltage regulator part. I'm not finding much online for that....am I wasting my time even looking?
 
I know very little but ill bet that there is a regulator in one of those transistor cases that will do it. I once built one for an outboard motor about 18 years ago. ill bet one of the engineer types will know exactly what regulator to use and a source which i percieve as the main problem
ill bet that if you build one it will cool better also if you locate it somewhere other than the original location
 
thinking about it further, I remember my '86 Shelby Charger using an external electronic voltage regulator, mounted on the firewall. I pulled up some part numbers I had saved, one of which was a Delco regulator. Autozone lists them at $20 new. $2.50/piece for the rectifiers at Radio Shack. Total cost, maybe $30 with materials. And a hell of a lot more reliable I would think.

I think I'm gonna spend some intimate time with google pulling up some more part numbers, see if I can find a cheaper regulator.
 
I'm just about out the door to go grab some parts....this seems too easy (and cheap) in my mind to be true, but then its also cheap enough that I have to at least give it a shot. I'll let everyone know when I either get it working, or fry something :lol:
 
i think if the parts are rated fo sufficient voltage and current load you should be able to do it
 
duaneage said:
I got a honda regulaotr for 7 dollars SHIPPED from eBay.

Try and beat that deal.
Click to expand...

NYAAAAA my honda conversion was done befor i purchased the bike 8O 8O
 
Very cool. Do it. Remember however that these Suzuki systems run flat out because of the permanent magnet rotor as opposed to the automotive system that uses a controllable electromagnet rotor. In the automotive system, if you are making too much juice, the electromagnetic rotor is turned down reducing the output. The function of the regulator is to dial the elecrtomagnet up and down as it sees fit. In The Suzi, all the excess is simply dumped in the form of heat as it goes to ground through a zenor triggered Scr. Your right, its simple enough. One of the three legs is sent to the lights in the Suzi but not in the Honda which deals with the three phases on mass a much better system. I would suggest that you follow the Honda concept and not the Suzi notion. Very interested in your progress.
 
duaneage said:
I got a honda regulaotr for 7 dollars SHIPPED from eBay.

Try and beat that deal.
Click to expand...

Well, my project set me back a total of $15, I have all brand new parts, and a much better chance of getting good parts. When you're dealing with 20+ year old parts, Honda or otherwise, chances are pretty good you're going to have bum parts, especially electrical stuff.

Besides, I just like doing things myself, and fabricating stuff to my needs.
 
3phase said:
Very cool. Do it. Remember however that these Suzuki systems run flat out because of the permanent magnet rotor as opposed to the automotive system that uses a controllable electromagnet rotor. In the automotive system, if you are making too much juice, the electromagnetic rotor is turned down reducing the output. The function of the regulator is to dial the elecrtomagnet up and down as it sees fit. In The Suzi, all the excess is simply dumped in the form of heat as it goes to ground through a zenor triggered Scr. Your right, its simple enough. One of the three legs is sent to the lights in the Suzi but not in the Honda which deals with the three phases on mass a much better system. I would suggest that you follow the Honda concept and not the Suzi notion. Very interested in your progress.
Click to expand...


Looking as the way my wiring harness is set up, it appears as if all three legs are sent to the R/R unit, then there is a single positive output to the battery, and a single negative output to ground. I don't see where one leg is going to the lights.
 
eric said:
Looking as the way my wiring harness is set up, it appears as if all three legs are sent to the R/R unit, then there is a single positive output to the battery, and a single negative output to ground. I don't see where one leg is going to the lights.
Click to expand...

Depending on what bike you have it may not. All three legs off my stator go directly to the R/R.
 
eric? said:
duaneage said:
I got a honda regulaotr for 7 dollars SHIPPED from eBay.

Try and beat that deal.
Click to expand...

Well, my project set me back a total of $15, I have all brand new parts, and a much better chance of getting good parts. When you're dealing with 20+ year old parts, Honda or otherwise, chances are pretty good you're going to have bum parts, especially electrical stuff.

Besides, I just like doing things myself, and fabricating stuff to my needs.
Click to expand...
I suggest you build two and carry the other as a spare. Sound engineering is the difference between the Honda and the inferior Suzuki spec'd regulators so choose your parts and tolerances wisely and build it better than it has to be.
Good Luck!
 
Whatca ridin. I believe the "stator papers" on this site have a diagram if not check a manual for your bike. Like the last poster says, it may depend on the bike. There is also the remote chance that it has had a Honda rr installed already.
 
I'm on an 82 GS450L. First unit, and the replacement unit are both factory Suzuki parts. I suspect the first one failed high, evidenced by the blown bulbs and fried ignitor. I never put it back on the bike to test my theory. Second unit is from the junk yard, and only goes as high as 13.4VDC with headlight off. Drops to about 12.5 with headlight on. Needless to say I end up with a dead battery at the end of the day.

I've read over the stator papers, as well as several other pages on 3 phase alternators, and have a pretty decent understanding of them. What I'm catching on tho is whether I'm going to be able to use an automotive style regulator. Prolly just too tired to fully comprehend these diagrams.
 
I just cant see how a regular automotive reg will work. It would put out an increasing wattage to be sent to the rotating electromagnet as it detected dropping voltage and would cut back on the wattage as the voltage climbed. It actually does regulate. It controls how much the alternator puts out. The Suz just puts out max all the time and its reg controls the voltage by directing the excess to ground through a zenor gated SCR. I would use a 3 phase full wave rectifier to rectify the total output(all three legs) to begin with. I would then have a zenor discharge into the gate of a nice big SCR which would go to ground. The SCR would need to be heavily finned as it would get hot from the "voltage drop" across it so air flow would be an issue as well perhaps. Good night, will follow your progress and the feedback from others. Your onto a great idea.
 
I cant see how an automotive unit will work. It is not made to dump load as needs to be done with a permanent magnet alternator. It is made to supply a variable current to the electromagnetic rotor in inverse proportion to the system voltage. It puts out to control. You need to build one that recieves from the "always flat out" suz alt and deals with the excess by shunting it to ground. The excess power does not go quietly and manifests itself as heat hence the heat sink.
 
you're absolutely right. The auto style units will not work in this setup. Took me a while to pour over diagrams and white papers to figure it out.

However, I'm not done with this yet. I'm far too much into the mode of "do it myself" to give up now :lol: I'm thinking that shunting the power to ground might be part of the problem. I'm thinking perhaps building a larger unit, bleeding excess power off as heat, and mounting the regulator in a different spot, perhaps in front of the engine, where it would get a ton of air flow to keep it cool.

Right now I'm far too tired to really look this over, and I need sleep to prepare for my early morning interview tomorrow with Ford. I'll dig out my old circuits book, and see if I can come up with some different designs. It may not end up being a super cheap solution as I had originally hoped for, but it should end up being a much more reliable solution.
 
I have seen the chrysler regulator used on a motorcycle I don't know the specifics It was on a rat bike site
 
Yes, a Chrysler or other would perhaps do on bikes that use a more sophisticated alternator like I have seen on Yamahas which use an "excitable" rotor but not on the dead simple suz honda units. The output of the excitation would have to match the alternators requirements. Putting the heat sink out front in the wind is how my 67 bonnie works by the way.
 
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