71 NORTON COMMAND ELETRICAL PROBLEM
- Thread starter GIBBLES
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http://britmoto.com/manuals/Manuals/750_man.pdf
Electrical, Section J
Electrical, Section J
The best info on charging system issues is from the Triumph folks at
http://www.gabma.us/
Note: the magnets in the lucas rotors don't age well. A voltmeter on the battery should give you a clue.
Check the battery voltage with the engine running around 2000 rpm – should read around 13.7 to 14.2 volts. If down at 12 volts, you have a problem with one or more of the charging system components, or cabling/connections between them.
http://www.gabma.us/
Note: the magnets in the lucas rotors don't age well. A voltmeter on the battery should give you a clue.
Check the battery voltage with the engine running around 2000 rpm – should read around 13.7 to 14.2 volts. If down at 12 volts, you have a problem with one or more of the charging system components, or cabling/connections between them.
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Me and my buddy with boyahs had them go haywire back firing on trips when an alternator wire connection outside of primary case failed . Took a while to find that for us but may be that easy in your case. Lucas mag rotors don't go bad that often and if grabs a screw driver well or can support its own weight by each magnet then its good enough. Standard down and dirty way is remove/bypass the Lucas rectifier and Zenor [along with ballast resistor to boyah] and put in concealed or aired to public view a Tympanium or Podtronics type compact rect/reg. My 2nd Combat had its wires all mixed up and colors added, so put Podtronics box on backside of battery tray near oil tank. A real Nortoneer would diagnois and fix/replace the Lucas components of course.
concours
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GIBBLES said:I HAVE A 71 NORTON COMMAND, WHICH HAS HAD A BOYER BRANSTEN ELECTRONIC INGINTION PUT ON, ( DONT KNOW IF IT'S THE PROBLEM) BUT THE BIKE WONT CHARGE. iT'S RUNNING RIGHT OFF THE BATTERY AND KEEPS GOING DEAD. ANY HELP OR SUGGESTIONS?
Hi, welcome. Have you done the basics? voltmeter on the battery? Engine off reading? Idle? 3,000rpm? Drive cycle? Headlight on? The link to a workshop manual previously posted will give you the direction to troubleshoot. Good luck, let us know what you find.
Many, many rants that uprated charging system be retrofitted. Original is adequate if it's working.
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One failure prone area is where the alternator wires exit the stator - the insulation cracks and the wires can short or break.
The potting compound can be removed to get deeper in to effect a repair in some cases, but better to replace with a new one.
Putting an AC voltmeter from each wire to earth (disconnected from the harness) with the engine running will reveal the worst, and could save buying a new reg/rect that you *may* not need.
Still a very useful upgrade to fit a modern solid state box though :wink:
The potting compound can be removed to get deeper in to effect a repair in some cases, but better to replace with a new one.
Putting an AC voltmeter from each wire to earth (disconnected from the harness) with the engine running will reveal the worst, and could save buying a new reg/rect that you *may* not need.
Still a very useful upgrade to fit a modern solid state box though :wink:
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