Ironhead The Dreadful Electrical!!

[mikepeetz]

Originally Posted by mikepeetz

ya i got the light to light up I'm a little confused...heres the different ways i tried it and all three the wires produce light no matter what wire i touch to ground...

1.)
black wire with white stripe=ground
red wire=stop light
black wire=running light
2.)
black wire=ground
red wire =running light
black with white stripe=stop light
3.)
Red wire=ground
black wire running light
black with stripe=running light

I am pretty confident that the #1 is the right set up i know obviously #3 isn't gonna work.just wondering why all three would produce light i thought one wire was not connected to the light itself and just grounded in the body.

[mikepeetz]

Ok so another question is when i go to run the extensions of the wires coming off my taillight and tach can i use a different gauge wire than what is wired into the equipment? or use the same? for example if the wires coming off my taillight are 18 gauge can i use a connector and run 16 to where they need to hook up.

[Hopper]

Originally Posted by mikepeetz

Ok so another question is when i go to run the extensions of the wires coming off my taillight and tach can i use a different gauge wire than what is wired into the equipment? or use the same? for example if the wires coming off my taillight are 18 gauge can i use a connector and run 16 to where they need to hook up.

I would use only the same or larger size wire as what is on the tail light itself.

Not sure if an electronic tacho is going to work with points ignition. Usually they are matched to electronic ignition units. But you dont know until you try. (if you get it wired up and have no spark, try disconnecting the tacho wiring just in case)

[mikepeetz]

Ok so like i said i am taking this electric a few wires at a time...so i drew a few pics the first 2 are the different ways i think i am supposed to wire my battery which one is right? if both are right which one is better.? and the third pic is the wiring for my rear taillight. remember i am running straight wire no rear harness. thanks for the help. one more question..does it matter which post i hook up to on the circuit breakers or is there a designated in and out?

[wedge]

Originally Posted by mikepeetz

ya i got the light to light up I'm a little confused...heres the different ways i tried it and all three the wires produce light no matter what wire i touch to ground...

1.)
black wire with white stripe=ground
red wire=stop light
black wire=running light
2.)
black wire=ground
red wire =running light
black with white stripe=stop light
3.)
Red wire=ground
black wire running light
black with stripe=running light

I am pretty confident that the #1 is the right set up i know obviously #3 isn't gonna work.just wondering why all three would produce light i thought one wire was not connected to the light itself and just grounded in the body.

It's more likely #2 with the black wire being ground, and the other two wires go to stop light and running light, (no idea which is which). You can check this by seeing if the black wire goes to the case of the light. Use an ohm meter and touch the wire and the metal case of the light, if you have continuity that is where the wire goes, now do the same with the other two wires and see which of the pins in the light socket they go to.

Cheap meter at radio shack will do the job. I personally like one with a needle so you can see it doing something. (My eyesight sucks).

[IronMick]

The circuit breakers have a copper colored and a silver colored terminal. The copper is the input side.

The only exception is that the wire from the regulator attaches to the output side, then current passes thru the cb in reverse direction to charge the battery.

Or you can run the output wire from the reg directly to batt+.

[piniongear]

Originally Posted by mikepeetz

Ok so like i said i am taking this electric a few wires at a time...so i drew a few pics the first 2 are the different ways i think i am supposed to wire my battery which one is right? if both are right which one is better.? and the third pic is the wiring for my rear taillight. remember i am running straight wire no rear harness. thanks for the help. one more question..does it matter which post i hook up to on the circuit breakers or is there a designated in and out?

Sketch 1 and sketch 2 are both the same and either configuration will work.
That said, the way the factory wiring is run puts the circuit breaker after (downstream) of the ignition switch.

This is more desirable because the ignition circuit breaker will only be effective when the key switch has been turned to 'ignition position', protecting everything downstream from that point on.

The factory way:
The feed line goes straight from the battery positive post (or battery connection on the electric starter if you have one) up to the B+ terminal on the regulator.

Off that same terminal (B+ on the regulator) is a wire running to the 'B' terminal on the ignition switch.

From the 'I' terminal on the switch, a wire runs down to the ignition circuit breaker.

I recommend running the wiring in this fashion rather than the way you have sketched it out in the two drawings.

The tail light sketch looks workable.
But first determine which of those wires are ground. This is very important to do before you go hooking up wires.

Again, a good reason for having a test meter.
Hook up one wire from the meter to the sheet metal of the tail light.
Hook the other wire from the meter to that black wire.
Set your meter to 'OHM' at the lowest ohms setting on the meter.
When set correctly touching the two meter wires together will result in a beep if you have an electronic meter and a swing of the arrow if you have an regular analog meter.

With the meter set as described, touching that meter wire against the black tail light wire the meter will either beep or swing the needle across the scale.
This tells you the two points have continuity and that black wire is a ground wire.
If you get no beep or arrow movement, move the meter wire from the black wire to the white wire.
If you now get a beep or the arrow swings over this is the ground wire.
Once you have identified a wire as the ground, the other two wires are stop light and tail light wires.
Now you can safely hook all three wires up.
pg

[mikepeetz]

Thanks again pinion for that wire up...a few more questions..this may be a stupid question but do i check the wires with the ohm meter hooked up to the battery? (never used one)....there are two terminals on the rear brake switch, are they designated for a specific wire or will the switch work the same either way the wires are connected?

[russzx6]

Don't go putting an ohm meter in line with the battery power. ..you'll blow it or its fuse. A volt meter, or ammeter yes.

An ohm meter will check if there is a circuit, and resistance of that circuit. .not connected to a battery!!

This may help

http://www.doctronics.co.uk/meter.htm

[mikepeetz]

whewww russ you saved me from blowing everything up. I thought the meter needed power from the battery...I'm gonna pick one up tomorrow hopefully.