Regulator problems

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64DUOGLIDE
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Regulator problems

#1

Post by 64DUOGLIDE »

History..I have a six month old H3 (the big heavy India one that vents through the caps). Started out with a 36 hour Battery Tender charge and at installation had around 6.74 volts. Every week the acid level is down close to the plates and I have to add around 3oz of distilled water every week. I feel I have the acid so diluted that the battery is starting to fail (down to 5.8 volts cold). I believe the regulator (stock Delco) is overcharging the battery and boiling the acid...I read in the service manual that these units are not adjustable. I guess all I can do is buy a new one? I am going to have to replace the battery soon, and dont want to mess this one up...

Opinions? Thoughts?

Thanks
fourthgear
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Re: Regulator problems

#2

Post by fourthgear »

64duoglide
Not sure what ya mean by the H 3, you must still be running 6 V system. The fluid type batt. in the oil tank are notorious for boiling out the acid or the water that makes up part of the acid ( it is diluted w/ distilled water ) I've been reading here that there are few good 6 V batt. on the market that fit old HD's .
I kinda wounder if there is a ABSORBED GLASS MAT batt. in 6 Volt, try some kind of maintenance free batt. if ya can find one and I know Cycle Electric makes a reg. for 6v (end cap type ), they make a low output one for 12V just to keep the batt. from boiling out and screwing up the batt. . I know they don't look OEM ,but they sure work and thats the name of the game if you want trouble free riding.
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Re: Regulator problems

#3

Post by Cotten »

H-3's are for K's and those later sport models.

The India-made H-2s should not be filled more than just covers the plates, so overcharging is a concern. Delco regulators are adjustable (but beyond me, even though I have a carbon pile and some literature.)

Adding distilled water to a battery that has 'boiled' does not necessarily dilute the electrolyte; It should hopefully return to close to its original molarity. (Or is it normality? Original concentration, at any rate.)

CE makes both 6v and 12v solid state regulators in both normal and low voltage, in both endmount and conventional 'box' styles. Note however that the endmounts are configured to bolt onto their endmount generators.


...Cotten
64DUOGLIDE
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Re: Regulator problems

#4

Post by 64DUOGLIDE »

Thanks all...

I meant H-2 and yes, 6-Volt, don't know where I got H3?!? Every time I have added acid, it looked like the front plates were just barely under water...maybe I have been overfilling this beast the whole time? There are no level markings...

I tried one of the sealed batteries from E-Bay, it lasted about one day, I think vibration got it as it went from 6.8 volts to shorted in a very short period...

Still wondering if it is common or not for a regulator to "over charge", or am I just putting too much water in it...

Thanks again
RussW
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Re: Regulator problems

#5

Post by RussW »

After getting fed up with both the India made and the Harley replacement H2's, I explored the AGM batteries. I run a CE endmount regulator model CE546, which is a direct bolt-on to a stock Mod 61 generator. (If you are concerned about the cooling fins being level, you must replace the end cap of your stock generator with the CE endcap unit.) After talking with the tech at CE, and being assured this unit would not cook a smaller (12AH) 6V. battery, I installed a ES12-6 AGM (MK brand) battery from batterystuff.com. I worked as I had hoped, plenty of power for kick starting. I got almost 3 seasons out of this combo before the battery gave me any trouble. (I might add that I left the battery in the bike, in an unheated garage during Dec-March with NO CARE, and it still had a full charge on it in the spring). For a $13 battery, that was a decent lifespan. But it did finally quit like every other battery.
So the next step came when I noticed the the dimensions of this battery allows for TWO of them to be taped together, and fit perfectly into the horseshoe tank, although you need to raise them up some. I mounted a sealed single pole - double throw toggle switch(see pic.), wired so the center wire to the ign. switch, and the two end wires each to a different (+) terminal on the two batteries. Two separate ground wires to the stock grounding tab, and I am all set. I can alternate between the two batteries with the flick of a switch. There is even a center position where neither is connected, to use when I want to work on any wiring. I need to switch from one to the other every couple weeks to keep a charge on both. When one dies, I will replace them both ($26/set). Seems like overkill, but it was very simple and inexpensive to do. Never again stranded with a friggin' dead battery, just flick the switch and keep on goin.....

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Re: Regulator problems

#6

Post by Cotten »

64Duo!

Were you really adding 'acid' each time it was low?
Your electrolyte would become more and more over-concentrated.

You should have added distilled water.

I would dump its contents and replace with fresh electrolyte.

Be careful, of course!

.....Cotten
PS: The great thing about solid-state regulators is that they can accommodate a variety of battery sizes. But nearly all allow a voltage that will "boil" a battery already heated by an oiltank.
I think CE is the only source of low-voltage SS regulators designed for for our Pans & Knucks.
64DUOGLIDE
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Re: Regulator problems

#7

Post by 64DUOGLIDE »

Another slip of the finger! Of course I was adding distilled water...who is CE?

Thanks again all
RussW
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Re: Regulator problems

#8

Post by RussW »

Pantony
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Re: Regulator problems

#9

Post by Pantony »

I also have tried the sealed lead acid Eagle Picher 6 volt 18amp hour, yup it lasted one day, actually one trip to the grocery store and it was done. These we used to sell to fire extinguisher outfits to power the emergency exhaust hoods powder systems in restaurants, I don't think they could take the vibration of a bike so i guess thats what did it in, don't think it was the heat, not to fail that fast. so now it is still sitting in the garage stopping my workbench from floating away. My old boss uses an Absorbed Glass Mat style 12 volt battery for his race car from a honda gold wing and runs all season with it, these are of different construction methods than the plane sealed lead acid 6 volt i had and unfortunately for us we probably won't see them in 6 volts as there are no new bikes that will use them. RussW, nice setup, the all time emergency setup for all you 6volt guys like me is run to the hardware store and get a plan old zink-oxide lantern battery and wire to your coil direct to get you back home, they are good for probably 50-75 miles, just don't wire them in the generator circuit, they are not to be re-charged, really messy!!!
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