"Steve.... Is that rectifier o
"Steve.... Is that rectifier one of the three (3) wire ones that attaches to the block with two screws, or is it the water cooled one? Not that it makes any difference.... just curious.
Check the stator wires (Yellow, Yellow/gray). There should be continuity between the two (will almost appear as a short on the ohm meter), but there should be no reading between either one to ground. The amp output of your charging system is around 9amps (in that area) but a good battery usually reads upwards to about 14 volts at the volt meter. Not being there, I can only surmise that if the battery doesn't drop in voltage, it is most likely charging. However, at any reliable automotive parts store, you can purchase a amp gauge that has a channel of sorts on the back of it. You simply lay it over the positive cable near the battery when you're under way, and it will register whether amps are being fed into the battery or not. Handy gadget.
The tachometer? You should have one installed as it's really the only way you know what the engines doing. It not only shows that the charging system is working, but it would also warn one of impending trouble. If the engine suddenly lost say 300 rpm, you might never notice the difference.... but that 300 rpm loss if one continued to run the engine like that would lead to major problems. Just a thought.
As far as what could interfere with the charging system..... the list goes on, shorts, reverse polarity which will blow the rectifier quite fast, loose wires, etc etc. If you know how to check the rectifier, fine, if not... to the left of this page is a "Search" setup. Make a search using the word Rectifier. I've explained that test many times and that search should take you right to it.
Joe
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