Electrical Connector Maintenance / Cleaning Habits / Oxidization Removal

Any of you nerdier and more experienced VFR owners have some useful feedback on a good product and/or general electrical connector cleaning regimen? As these ladies "get up there" in years, we know them connections be gettin' dirtier and dirtier. So, let's have it. What do you like?

Here's some of the fruits of my research - would appreciate any feedback y'all can offer on these products (which one you prefer, and why...). I'll be tearing the front end apart to fix some wires to my HIDs, etc this weekend, and thought I'd take the time to spray some miracle juices in to the connectors and/or do some wire maintenance, but not quite sure what is best to use.


DeoxIT by Caig (WHICH ONE, of these million different options, should be used? OBVIOUSLY "plastic safe" is key, and a "spray on" type is easiest, but is it too high of pressure?!?! Don't know!):

http://store.caig.co...category.188/.f



MG Chemicals "Super Contact Cleaner"???:

http://www.mgchemica...-with-ppe-801b/

http://www.vetco.net...contact cleaner found this via (http://forums.corvet...d-controls.html)

Available here, also (Amazon): http://www.amazon.co...r/dp/B008UH469Q

 

Caig DeOxit. THE electronic cleaner. Safe for switches, too.

 

WHICH one? Look at that website.l link. There's like infinity options.

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my favorite is the 100 percent solution in the 2 oz bottle w/needle dropper.

 

If you really what to get down to bare metal, try my trick. I use an emery board ( cheap nail sanding board), small size. Peel sandpaper off coarse side and trim with scissors to about 1/4 wide so that it fits into female connectors. Just a couple of strokes and then turn 180 degrees and repeat. Manually do the male pins on either side, then clean with contact cleaner.

 

That's a genius idea. Nice!


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...and cheap too! I used to burnish the contacts on memory modules with a pencil eraser, kind of adapted the idea. Notice the center connector was starting to discolor. I ended up hardwiring the stator to a new Series R/R, because I have LED headlights, top and bottom.

 

What is a "Series" regulator/rectifier? Brand?


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SH775 made by Shindengen. Available at roadstercycle.com.

 

So, is my Rick's "MOSFET" R/R a "series"-type? This seems to imply that it's not: http://roadstercycle.com/Shindengen%20Mosfet%20Regulator%20about.htm

Although the Mosfet is still a shunting type regulator which means (in layman terms) it takes all the extra juice that is not used by your motorcycle electronics and gets rid of it by grounding it to the frame or negative side of the battery. The great thing about the Mosfet R/R is that it has up to date technology. It uses Mosfet style transistors. The old diode types found on most motorcycles today are 60s technology. The up to date technology lets the regulator perform substantially better and run cooler. I have close to 2000 upgrade kits out there running the Mosfet regulators and had literally no issues with them. I started out with the FH012AA, then the FH015AA and now the latest and greatest FH020AA. All have performed above expectations (actually I'm amazed how bullet proof these have been). As far as I am concerned there is no other choice for a stock motorcycle upgrade conversion. The great thing about this regulator is its ability to work with a 2 wire (single phase) or 3 wire (3 phase) stator just by hooking up either 2 or 3 wires to the gray terminal. The Mosfet technology is the best thing going until someone comes up with an affordable series R/R using Mosfet technology.

What is the difference between Shindengen FH020AA or SH775? Should I replace my Rick's with a "series"-type, and keep the Rick's in my luggage as back-up?

 

The charging systems on motorcycles (OEM shunt types) are balanced systems, that is, they are designed with predetermined loads of lights, on board computers and ignition systems. I got one because I reduced the load significantly by using LED headlights and tail lights. According to roadster.com, the guys who race and disconnect their lights totally, really upset the balance. If you are running stock lights and equipment you will be fine with the new MOSFET R/R. Don't ask me why Honda and the others just don't use series R/R to begin with! They cost about the same. Old habits die hard I guess.

 

After cleaning, you might want to consider applying Oxgard. The small metal particles in it should help keep the connectors conductive. In particular, pay attention to all of the connectors that are part of the charging system: the 3P natural connector (stator to R/R) and the connectors from the R/R back to the battery, starter relay connectors, 30A master fuse connector, probably others. By cleaning and Oxgarding these, I was able to gain about 0.5V at the battery.

 

delectic grease on everything

 

Do that and you will have a nasty green corrosive powder that builds up resistance and cooks all your connections with in a year or so.


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Hey Allyance I am running an OEM stator, and the FH020aa on my 2007. I have all factory lighting, a VFRness, direct soldered the rr/stator connection, direct connected the rr to the battery (with circuit breaker in between) and relocated the rr to below the tail for direct airflow cooling.

I am running the same exact set up on my friends 2009 zx6r, but with the newer SH775 Series rr. Both rr kits were purchased from roadstercycle.com

My MOSFET rr stays very cool. Barely makes any heat. My friends new series rr gets pretty warm. Not quite too hot to touch but it puts out some heat.

I don't get it. I figured the new series rr would make almost zero heat. I know my old compufire series rr produced zero heat.

Do you have any insight on this???


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The series types do more work when there is an increased load, because they only use what current is needed from the stator (like lights on or off). The shunt type get hot when they have to dissipate unused current from stator. I have not checked mine to see how warm it gets. Solid state devices can get very hot when they are working properly, for example CPUs in computers, output transistors in power amplifiers, all have huge heat sinks and fans.

From a test by rider:

On the good old SH-232;
at 1200 rpm, stator line current = 6.5 amp ; R/R output 12.8 volts DC
at 4000 rpm, stator line current = 11 amp; R/R output 14.2 volts DC

On the SH-775
at 1200 rpm, stator line current = 6.7 amp; R/R output 13.0 volts DC
at 4000 rpm, stator line current = 6.8 amp; R/R output 14.2 volts DC

With the SH-775,turning off headlight, resulted in an immediate drop of stator line current to 3.5 amp at 1200 rpm.

 

So would running your high-beams be better or make no difference? I had a Denon amp repaired and it does not get as warm as it used to, but it seems like I had to use it for a while and now it sounds warmer, almost like I had to "run it in."

Cheers

 

On a MOSFET/shunt running with your high beams is good (more load the better). On a series you want to run with out(less load the better).


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My HIDs probably weren't helping the compufire out. I switched back to halogens with the fh020aa


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