Burnt Rectifier/Regulator?

[tnutcher]

Hello all,
New to this forum but thank you for all the tips I've read up on prior to registering.  I have an 82 550 that I purchased not too long ago.  It was rough but ran, cleaned out carbs synched and all - got it running better.  Once getting ready to go for a ride, started it up and about to pull out of the drive, noticed smoke coming from behind TCI box area, couldn't tell anything and thought maybe the carb vent hose I put on tagged the exhaust so went off, no problems.  Then the other day on my way into town, coasting to a stop sign, bike died.  Thought it was the reserve tank but it wouldn't crank.  There was that smoke again and it had popped the main fuse, switched one in and it popped right away.  got it back and looking into it today and now when I put fuses in, the headlight and idiot lights are all on like the ignition is on.  It even cranks, but all this is with the ignition off or on; the ignition doesnt seem to have any affect.  I have to pull the main fuse or batt. leads to cut the power.   Digging into it deeper I found no burnt wires/connectors, and all the relays click, but I did find the R/R has burn marks on the side that faces the batt box; two big heat blisters and the epoxy or whatever is raised out.  The batt box also has melt marks on it.  So I'm pretty sure this is the problem, but why did it happen?  Did it simply over heat or is there a short somewhere else that caused wires/connections to melt inside the R/R and pop the fuse??  I plan on getting a new one and relocating it but not sure if that is my only problem.  I'm lost on this one.  And what exactly does the R/R do?  Thanks in advance,
TNutcher

[Tiger]

 :) Hi and welcome to your new and extended family... 8)

I had one R/R (Regulator/Rectifier) do exactly the same thing last year while working on kev10104's Vision. Replaced the R/R and all was good again in Vision land... 8)

A lot of us here make a bracket, install the R/R to the bracket and locate it on the left rear foot rest bolt for better cooling/longer life ;) I do this with all my Vision rebuilds...20 and counting!!!

Where are you located... :-\

          8).......TIGER....... 8)

[Re-Vision]

Thanks for the tip on master cylinder, I'll try it next and also welcome aboard. Something that occurs very regularly with new ROVers is that they seldom tell us where they are from, their age, and whether they are male or female. Its not so much that anyone cares about these things, it just helps in formulating replies when knowing these things about the individual. If you don't want to leave personal information that's understandable but it would be nice to know at the least your age and general locale. Not trying to be critical of you or anyone else. Once again welcome here.   BDC

[akvision]

The R/R or to me VR... is a Voltage regulator.  It sends and senses the battery voltage and regulates current and charge rate so you don't over charge the battery.. It takes the energy from the mighty stator and converts it to +12 volts and keeps you going.. execess energy is shunted and converted to heat.  My experience is that it sends from +12 Volts to about 14.4+ to the battery then trails off to between +12.5 to +12.8 volts on long running trips.  I never had any problems after I installed a new stator and VR/RR.

If you need one.. contact "rhpaw" there is a spare in Denver.. There are new ones as direct replacements..

Hope this answers your question about, What its function is.

akv

[tnutcher]

Well thank you for the welcome and for the advise.  That makes sense based on the location of the sucker, right next to the exhaust and with no ventilation.  Would someone happen to have a picture or link to one that they could post of a relocated R/R?  That would help give me a better idea.  So just replace and relocate to solve should do the trick?  Sounds easy enough thank you!

As for me, I'm 20 years old and finishing up my schooling in California at Cal Poly.  We have a dairy and I'm majoring in that, headed back home to the central valley after school to run it.  I've always been buying older dirtbikes and fixing them up and riding those, but this vision is my first venture to the street world.  Quite fun and definitely easier on the wallet as far as fuel goes.  Thank you for the replies
TNutcher