if there was a short at the starter solenoid wire (1981) would that cause a volt reg to burn out.----i am rewiring the bike at the moment and thats what i think was causing it.

also can someone tell me the correct size wire to run to the coil/points.i am using 14 guage everywhere except a few places i am using 10.basically what was there but in some areas they used 16.whichi replaced with 14 because i dont think the resistence will be that much since we are talking about a couple of feet and its less prone to breaking etc.-----BUT i am wondering about my coil to points wire...i know its not life or death but what would be best?---thanks in advance?

 

BUT i am wondering about my coil to points wire...i know its not life or death but what would be best?
The best wire size to use here is 16 ga. If you go larger than that you will have trouble getting the wire into the ignition cavity and bending it around to connect.
Heavy gage wire is a requirement when the current is high, such as with a starter cable. The coil to points has no current for all practical purposes.....it's just carrying 12V to the points........pg
PS: I run a 10 ga wire from the battery + post to the regulator 'Batt' terminal.

 

i was just wondering if any extra resistance using a slightly bigger wire(16 to a 14) would have any adverse effect whatsoever.----thicker wire=more resistance.....just curious.i will go with 16.

any thoughts on the short problem?-------will any short anywhere on the bike have the potential to short out a volt reg?? i know its suppose to have a diode somewhere but i am not sure that it does.that diode protects components FROM a overcharging situation and should not have any effect on a volt reg....correct?

i used 10 gua. on the battery connections as well.

 

The only diode I have heard being on an ironhead is 1977 and later models which have a diode in the generator signal light. This model has a solid state regulator, of which I know little.
Maybe another member can answer you question of a short better than I.
If you were to ground either of the field terminals of the generator or regulator while the machine is up and running it will burn up the upper set of contacts in the regulator. This is the case for a 1976 and earlier machine. With a 1977 or newer, I will have to leave that to others (better qualified than me) to answer..............pg

edit note: 16 ga or 14 ga, it makes no difference. Either will work just fine.

 

16 ga wire can safely carry 6 Amps
14 ga wire can safely carry 10 Amps
12 ga wire can safely carry 16 Amps
10 ga wire can safely carry 25 Amps
Thinner wire more resistance per feet, but wires in bike are so short that as PG wrote it makes no difference. Thicker usually is better, ask your wife's opinion :-)
Seriously only places that requires thicker (than 16 ga) wires are:
from regulator to battery, from battery to ignition, from battery to starter relay -> solenoid.
As PG wrote bikes with solid state regulator (=electronic) should have diode with generator light. This diode protects both field coils and regulator (and battery drain), it's good idea to put it also to mechanical regulator equipped bikes.
Also it's good idea to put fuse (20-30Amps) between regulator and battery, as original fuse is between battery and ignition.

PG: I sended you a letter, it takes about week to arrive.

 

PG: I sended you a letter, it takes about week to arrive.

Thank you sepixlh.........I certainly look forward to getting it. I will let you know when I have it in hand.
Also, I meant to get back with you on the pic you sent of your back yard. B-rrrrrr...........Hey guys, when sepixlh says he lives just 500 miles south of the Artic Circle, he ain't kidding! That's some picture, and it's only November....Ha-Ha.
Later..............pg

 

wouldnt thinner wire be less resistance?
i have no gen light(prev owner) and i am unsure if i have a diode.i havent taken that section of wire off yet.i suspect that i do not.

so does anyone know if a short at the starter solenoid/relay cause the regulator to go out?could any short anywhere cause the regulator to go out?

 

NO, The resistance of a wire, under nearly constant temperature conditions, is
directly proportional to length and inversely proportional to the cross sectional area.

R = (rho)L/A

R is the resistance rho is the characteristic of the material, and is a measured quantity. Copper has a different rho than say, carbon.
L is the length of the wire
A is the effective cross sectional area of the wire.

Doubling the length of a wire increases the resistance by a factor of two, doubling the area would decrease the resistance by half.
Most introductory college physics texts have more information about this.



If previous owner has "customized" wires I can quess that he/she has chopped fuses
if so, it most likely causes your solid state regulator to burn.