Shindengen FH012AA Mosfet Regulator/Rectifier upgrade kit. Install

Shindengen FH012AA
Mosfet Regulator/Rectifier
upgrade kit.
Install on a Kawasaki
VN750 Vulcan
Installation, documentation, and photos by wwwV
. N750.com member
“Chiron”
As many of us know, the stock charging system on cruiser motorcycles are week to say
the least. Many times stator and regulators/rectifiers fail leaving us stranded, or we just want
to add more electrical do dads. I have spent a great deal of time looking into different ways to
fix this problem on my Kawasaki Vulcan 750 with out much luck. Then one day Chiron sends
me an emails saying he found the solution to our delima. He had been fallowing my research
when he stumbled a crossed the Shindengen FH012AA Mosfet Regulator/Rectifier. He then
dug a little deaper and found a whole installation kit for $119.00 from http://roadstercycle.com.
The fallowing is his write up, all I can take credit for is adding the pictures in the right spot,
and some proof reading here and there.
Overview, purchasing, and packaging
Overview
Many motorcycles have a weakness in the form of the regulator/rectifier portion of their
charging system. Our Vulcan 750's in particular have issues here. So, I'll try to be brief and
informative. A R/R take the 3 phase AC current generated by the stator in the motor and
converts it to DC current in the rectifier portion of the unit. The electricity then gets passed
through the regulator portion of the unit which controls the output voltage and current levels
that feed into the bike's electrical system. Basically a pretty simplistic, but accurate
description of it's function. Where the weaknesses come in are in the type of the regulator
portion and the components used within the regulator.
In general there are two types of regulators, the shunt type and the series type. Each has
their own pros and cons. The difference is how they operate. A shunt type of regulator
passes current at all times and when the load doesn't need the extra current, it “shunts” it to
ground. A series regulator passes current only when the load needs it. The series types
usually runs cooler and/or more efficiently. Both the stock R/R and the Shindengen unit are
shunt type of regulators. The components used within the R/R mainly have to do with
efficiency and robustness. The stock unit uses components called Silicon Controlled
Rectifiers (SCR) and the Shindengen unit uses Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect
Transistor (MOSFET). In the instance of motorcycle R/R's MOSFETs have an advantage
over SCRs when implemented correctly.
Purchasing and Packaging
So the Shindengen FH012AA R/R is available for purchase in many places for a variety of
prices new and used since it has been used on numbers newer motorcycles, ATVs, and
snowmobiles. However, I would definitely recommend a new unit. A Google search will
very easily turn up Yamaha OEM part numbers and availability. But Jack @
Roadstercycles.com has already done most of the leg work for us. He has put together kits
for several popular bikes and a universal kit for most other bikes as well. Overall, Jack has
one of the best prices on the Shindengen at $119 plus S/H, but he also includes the new style
of connectors and terminals needed to retrofit the unit to an older bike. Jack has also been
very responsive to communications and stands behind his products. You can see in pictures
1, 2, 3, and 4 how the unit is shipped and what is included in the box. (BY ACCIDENT,
Pic4 only shows one end of the battery cable and not the R/R of the cable with plastic
connector)
Picture 1
Picture 2
IPicture 3
Picture 4
Installation
Stator Wiring
Despite R/R relocation being a standard mod on our Vulcans, I decided to mount the FH012AA in the
stock location. Why? Because I like a clean look, and I'm not really worried about heat with this unit. I
have talked to many people about it and not a single one has ever mentioned the unit getting warm, let
alone hot to the touch. Couple that with the fact that I have done away with my stock exhaust,
including the “goat” catalytic converter, and that makes me fairly confident that I won't have any
troubles. So I removed the battery box to get at the stock mounting location.
As you can see in pictures 5, 6, and 7, the new unit is a decent bit larger than either the stock unit or
even an aftermarket replacement. The holes however do line up. Though on mine one hole was
elongated for fitment and one was not. I had to use a dremel to open up the one hole just enough to
allow the bolt to fit (about 1/8” to 3/16” or less). Pictures 8 and 9 show it mounted to the bottom of the
battery box and Picture 10 shows the battery box test fitted back in the bike to make sure there are no
fitment issues. I finished up the physical installation and re-installed all other components mounted to
the battery box.
Picture 5
Picture 6
Picture 7
Picture 9
Picture 9
Next up is the electrical side of the installation. This is also where it becomes apparent if you have had
electrical issues in the past like I have. Double check to make sure that you're 3 yellow stator leads are
clean and look good, unlike mine shown in Picture 11. It's obvious that mine have some corrosion and
one leg looks like it started to burn. A gentle application of sandpaper cleans them right up as you can
see from Picture 12. Then inspect the stock R/R connector and make sure nothing is too burnt up and
that the wiring is still usable. You can see another area where I had some burning/melting in Picture 13
(top left pin). You're going to want to snip the three yellow wires going into the back of the connector
so that you can crimp/solder the three new connectors onto these wires; see Picture 14 for reference.
Once you've snipped them, take the 3 blue rubber weather protectors that came in the kit and slide them
on the wire. See picture 15 for reference as to which direction they slide on the wire. It's easiest to do
this BEFORE you start to strip the wire. If you forget, just twist/bundle the copper wires together
before you try to slide it on and you won't have a problem. Now one thing to remember here (and Jack
mentions it in his paperwork in the kit) is that the connectors are made for thicker wire. So you'll need
to strip twice the length you normally would so you can fold the wire over for a good solid contact. I
HIGHLY recommend you solder the connections as well as crimp though.
Picture 10
Picture 13
Picture 11
Picture 12
Picture 14
Picture 15
It doesn't matter what order you insert the wires into the connector, but just make sure they are oriented
correctly and don't try to force them in. There are little tabs on the “back” of the blade connector that
slide into little channels inside the connector. They only go in one way. Once the blade is in and seated,
slide the blue weather seal all the way down and seat them into the plastic connector around the wire.
Plug it into the new R/R and you're done with the hardest part of the install now! Take a look at
Pictures 16 and 17 for reference on this last step.
Picture 16
Picture 17
Battery wiring
The wiring for the output directly to the battery is the easiest part. Simply take the output connector and
wiring whip and plug it into the R/R. Then feed the thick output wires up and around the battery box.
Separate the two wires and give yourself some slack to work with. Mark with your thumb where you're
going to cut off any extra length, then give yourself another couple of inches, just in case. Cut the
wires, strip, and crimp the yellow booted ring terminals included onto the wire. Make sure you hook
the positive and negative wires up to the battery correctly. I know it sounds simple and stupid, but a
quick double check here can save you time, effort, and money. See Picture 18 for reference. Now I
originally bought a 30 amp fuse to put in line with the output from the stator to the battery and ended
up not using it for two reasons. First, it was a smaller gauge of wire than what came with the kit.
There's no way I'm going to put that in there to cause more resistance and problems. Secondly, after
looking at the fuse holder a bit, it was most definitely one of the cheaper fuse holders that would
probably melt and smolder before popping. I didn't think it was worth the risk at the moment. I'll keep
an eye on the volt meter and probably add one in later. At this point, just coil up the three remaining
wires and tuck them out of the way, or wrap in electrical tape for safety.
Picture 18
Testing the new R/R unit
To test the new unit, simply have a volt/ohm meter handy and start the bike. Like Jack mentions in the
paper he sends with the unit, it takes a second or two for the unit to come up to voltage. Use a volt/ohm
meter set to volts DC and set to 20 or whatever is appropriate on your meter and take a measurement at
the battery. I have a volt meter built into my electronic dash, but I also verified with a separate meter. I
initially was only getting around 13.something volts (at the battery, 14.1 at the terminals though), but
had a bad battery. Once that was replaced though, everything showed the way it should. You can see in
Picture 19 my dash showing 14.1 volts at idle. You should see the voltage going up slightly at various
RPMs.
Picture 19
Thoughts
This retrofit was made VERY easy by having everything come in the kit. If I had just bought the R/R
off of eBay like I had planned, it would have been a complete pain in the ass to find both connectors,
terminals, and weather seals to complete the install. It almost certainly would have been way more
expensive too.
I've only had the unit on my bike for a short period of time, but I've already noticed a
difference. My headlight doesn't seem to go dull like it used to and my battery definitely
seems to be keeping it's charge easier than it used to. I have put my hand on the outside
edge of the cooling fins of the unit after a ride and while not cold, it definitely wasn't warm or
hot either. I think this could be one of the single best upgrades I have done for my bike yet.
But, your mileage may vary.