Fitting Wassell rectifier/regulator

[sprint]

Replacing the original rectifier and regulator with a Wassell combined unit.

I take it that the alternator three phase wires, green female connector, connect to the three yellow wires, black to ground and the red to the white connector in the loom?

[Ginger Bear]

That sounds 'spot on'.

[sprint]

Thanks

[Ginger Bear]

Just one thought.

Some reg/rects have a switched live & a permanent live. Yours only seems to have one live (which may be switched).

From my own experience if the bike won't turn off properly on the key (engine running) it's a switched live, which needs to be connected to a brown wire.

You'll find that in the wires to the green plug.

[sprint]

Hi

I was going to ask about the brown wire, but assumed that it was simply not used?

What is the brown wire's function?

Currently in the process of a complete resto so not in position to test anything at the moment.

I have a donor green plug with the 4 wires as in your photo, so will probably terminate in the same way.

Anybody out there who has fitted a Wassell unit who can advise if the Brown wire also needs to be connected?

[Garn 1]

As GingerB says, Regulator/Rectifier come in either six wire or five wire.
The extra wire is called a "switch wire" and is supposed to ensure that current is always switched off to the reg/rec unit.
I've never really understood the electrical advantage, never the less, I always use the Six wire..3 for alt, 1 for earth, 1 for positive (red or white) and 1 positive switch (brown).
RegardZ.

[ZedHead]

The swithched wire was needed to start the old regulator from the battery / rectifier. Although the combined units do not need this, you still need to switch the regulated feed to the bike otherwise, as already said, the bike will continue to run.

I have successfully fitted one of these to mine but cant remember all of what i did. I will have a look and post details as soon as i can.

[sprint]

The Wassell unit only has 5 wires. Since there is no physical 'Brown' wire to/from the reg/rec unit how do you go about switching it off?

Does that also mean that it is liable to drain the battery even when the ignition switch is off?

[ZedHead]

Just checked the wiring diagram again. From what i can see you ignore the brown and connect red to white which feeds the battery and ignition switch, hence the ignition switch will stop the engine as normal.

The regulator will not drain the battery due to the way it works. However leaving the ignition on too long without the engine running will not only drain the battery it could overheat your coils

[Ginger Bear]

Ok,

Just been out to check what I actually did, rather trying to rely on my memory.

It concurs with what Zedhead said.

Three yellow wires to pink, green & yellow.

Black wire to earth

Red wire to the fat white wire.

What I had done when I originally fitted the reg/rec was fit the red wire to the switched brown, which meant when the bike was running & the ignition turned off, the switched part of the loom didn't switch off, as it was being powered directly by the reg/rec.