Ne Stator/RR - Solder or not

I was hoping I would get this done today, but I had to help my brother move some stuff and I'm just getting home.

So, 3 weeks ago my R/R died (tested after losing electrical)

I ordered a new Stator and R/R from WireMyBike.com

I have already installed the VFRness.

What is the general consensus about using the stock connections (plastic snap connection) vs soldering and shrink wrapping? One of the electrical engineers at work told me to "use a bunch of dielectric grease" and the stock connection, but I'd prefer not to do this again.

Should I cut and solder?

 

Plug it together for starters and make sure it is charging ok and then I would would do the solder and heatshrink, can't be any worse that the plastic connectors, you never know they are starting to melt till it is too late

 

The stock connectors are a sin against humanity. Get rid of the VFRness and wire it in direct. You will never have to deal with this again.

And yes, solder the connections.

 

From my experience it's usually the high voltage (yellow AC wires) from the stator to R/R that burns up, not the DC out to the wiring harness. I solder and heat shrink the yellow AC wires removing that connector all together. Dielectric grease simply insulates and prevents corrosion. It does not improve conductivity, in fact it is non conductive, hence the "di" part.

I leave the DC connector on but use Oxgard on the connections. Oxgard helps prevent corrosion like dielectric grease, but it also helps improve conductivity and thermal dissipation. It contains a mix of zinc/graphite that helps fill in the voids between the connectors effectively increasing the contact between the two. As such you don't want huge globs of the stuff mixing between the + and ground pins on the connector. Apply sparingly.

 

Solder = problem gone.

 

well, not if the connections are cold joints due to improper technique. stick with the lead/tin stuff. That silver bearing crap requires too much heat and doesn't flow as nicely, only use should be for plumbing.

 

Solder makes a better/cooler connection then a plug could ever hope to. Ox-Gard for all the connections you don't want to solder.

 

For those who suck at soldering, what crimp tool is recommended?

 

Soldering is simple once you understand what you need to do. First twist the wires tightly together. Second, with a soldering gun or an Iron, heat up the wires while watching the insulating plastic so it does not melt. While iron or gun is still on the wires, apply the solder to the wire, not to the iron. Solder will draw into the spaces making a great mechanical and electrical connection. It takes very little practice to make perfect soldering joints.

The mistake most people make, who don't make good soldering connections, is they apply the solder to the hot iron tip while the wire is still cold. The solder will not draw into the strands of wire. Usually all you get as a glob of solder on the conntection. This applies to non stranded wire as well.

 

well, that would have been better advise than all the ones I read where people are swearing by the VFRness.

Turned out my Stator looked kinda fried too. About 2/3 of it was dark brown (the rest creamy carmel).

Waiting for my brother to come over to help me test the output of the new Stator and the workings of the new R/R.

 

Regarding soldering the wires I don't bother twisting the wires together, I get solder onto each wire, then bring them together and then melt the solder together and then slide the heat shrink over. I have been using this method for probably 50 years and never have a problem, and for anybody suggesting that the solder will get hot and melt, may I suggest that to get enough heat into the solder to have it melt then you are also going to have a lot of burnt insulation on the wires as well so the solder joint is the least of the problems. The reason the plugs melt is not because of the amount of power going through them it is because a bad connection starts arcing and this is what generates the heat

 

Agreed. If it gets hot enough for solder to melt, then the wires coming apart is the least of your concerns.

I understand you may have had great success over the years without twisting them. But twisting the wires together serves two purposes. A better mechanical connection overall, and also a good way to hold the wires together while you heat them up enough for the solder to properly bleed into the crevices.

 

I had a VFRness. It's better than what Honda provided, but you still have the connectors which are not weatherproof and have been known to be a source of many a thrown tool. My stock R/R gave up the ghost while about a 100 miles from home. Luckily I was riding with a buddy. We bought a battery and I got the bike home. I went with a ZX-10 R/R with water proof connectors and wired direct with a fuse. Got the kit from Eastern Beaver. It cost a bit, but now I don't have to wonder if I will get stranded again as this R/R will probably outlast me.

Note that I do not have any power accessories, so I should be fine with my current R/R.

 

Randy one of the problems I have is many of the wires I join together I can hardly get at to strip the insulation, no hope of twisting the wires

 

Inline splice, not "twist". If you can get a tool in there to remove insulation, you should have no issue joining wires this way. Sorry, but having a glob of solder by itself bridging the ends of wire is bad form old chap.

 

The wrap before the solder. Notice you only wrap each wire once around the other which = 2 wraps. That is enough if you are soldering.

Here is an alternative if you are short of wire length or cramped space. Soldering is a must to maintain its strength.

Then again, if length of wire is a real issue, and you have a reasonable crimping tool, you can use one of these, but cut the insulating plastic sleeve off with an exacto knife first and just use the inside metal piece. For chrissake, watch your fingers. Solder this too. Make sure the solder gets drawn in under the metal sleeve and to the wires. In all cases, use shrink wrap. You can get these connectors without the insulating plastic. I just couldn't find an image of one.