Installing Sparx alternator & Regulator Rectifier

Just bought the Sparx 3-phase alternator kit (including the rectifier/regulator) for my 75 Mark 3.

Couple of questions, for anyone who has installed this upgrade kit before:

1) wiring from alternator to Sparx regulator: did you bypass the regular harness wiring and just connect the 2 Sparx products directly? Why or why not? If so, did you add bullet connectors to the 3 yellow wires on the regulator unit - to match the bullets from the alternator? (My first reflex would be to bypass the existing wiring)

2) Power (black) and ground (red) from Sparx regulator: did you tap into the existing harness red and black wires that connect to the stock rectifier? Connector types? Or tap in elsewhere? Why?

3) Zenor diodes - Sparx documentation (what there is of it) says to disconnect the diodes, as they are no longer needed. True? Disconnect and tape off the wires? or remove them completely?

Any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Keith in Encinitas

Zeners can be removed, as you are fitting the Sparx reg/rec unit. And either remove or tape the wires, that's your choice. You could leave the Zeners in position and just disconnect the wires?

The two (on Mk3) Zeners being the regulator part of the original charging system.

did you bypass the regular harness wiring and just connect the 2 Sparx products directly? Why or why not?

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While I have not used a Sparx system, I have installed a couple Lucas 3-phase alternators with Podtronics regulators, which install the same. In both cases I connected the regulator and rectifier bypassing the harness. Doing it this way eliminates the need to remove and tape over the wires on the zener. While I removed the zeners, I retained the stock harness on one of the installations. Other than that, I don't see a huge difference in whether you use the existing harness or connect directly.

If so, did you add bullet connectors to the 3 yellow wires on the regulator unit - to match the bullets from the alternator? (My first reflex would be to bypass the existing wiring)

Click to expand...

On one installation I added bullet connectors to the regulator/rectifier wiring, but on another I replaced the three stator connectors and the three yellow regulator wires with a three-wire weatherproof connector. This turned out to be a little bulky, but gives great protection. Some people prefer to solder all connections, but to me this is inconvenient as you need to cut the wires to remove the primary, etc.

did you tap into the existing harness red and black wires that connect to the stock rectifier? Connector types? Or tap in elsewhere? Why

Click to expand...

I took the red ground wire directly to a chassis ground. The hot wire I took to the Brown/Blue from the fuse (fused side)

Sparx documentation (what there is of it) says to disconnect the diodes, as they are no longer needed. True? Disconnect and tape off the wires? or remove them completely?

Click to expand...

If you use the harness to connect the stator to the regulator/rectifier, you need to make certain you zeners are disconnected and taped over, as well as the wiring on your original rectifier. These both can be removed if desired. The regulator/rectifier unit replaces the functions of both zeners and the rectifier.

I bought the same package as you did and went to install on my MKIII. That little endeavour turned into a complete teardown. I took one look at my wiring harness and thought " What a ****ing mess!" So I figured it was no better time than to dismantle the bike.

Zeners can be removed and they are located on your Z plates where your silencers and rear pasenger pegs mount.

Ha! Coco, that's exactly what happened to me yesterday. Have had a new wiring harness for months, but wasn't planning on diving into it yet. But the DPO's work looked like oily spaghetti put through a blender. Tore it all out, and am starting to reinstall wiring today.

full dismantle to install an alternator....

Coco -

Guess the winter is long in Regina. However, since i am in Southern California and can ride every day of the year, i will resist the temptation to rip the bike apart just to install an alternator and regulator unit.

Per the advice in the replies, i will bypass the existing parts of the harness to install the new Sparx alternator and regulator units. Thanks guys.

Keith

It's wrenching season in Boston (although I did see a bike on the road yesterday, looked like a Beemer from a distance, no surprise (26 degrees at the time). My project actually started out as a chain and sprockets replacement, which requires removing the primary drive. While I was in there, and waiting for some gaskets and seals I hadn't anticipated needing to arrive from Fred Eaton, I took a look at the alternator and said, what the heck, I'm in here anyway... that led to the wiring harness.... and today, since the gas tank's off anyway, a valve adjustment.... Brian

Quick question, but posting in case anyone else has the same question. I cannot find the post if it has already been answered, which it probably has:

I have a lucas 3 phase alternator with podtronic setup. I am going to use the original warning light assimilator, that has the 2 terminals for the single phase alternator. Does anyone know how to go about hooking up the alternator wires to the assimilator. I am assuming I only hook 2 up there in parallel to charge circuit??

Cheers]
Jerry