Situation normal ...

.... etc etc.

After swearing at the Pan while trying to change the fuel filter (the
usual gorilla with toothache had tightened all the bolts that hold the
plastic on[1]) I figured I might as well look over the CB and check if
I can find any hints as to why it didn't want to idle.

First, time to measure the battery voltage. 11.56V, now that doesn't
look to clever. No worries, pull out the battery and hook it onto the
Accumate to check if it's still charging OK. Or so I thought. So I
merrily disconnected the battery and lifted it out. Well, tried to,
because the cnuting thing wasn't moving. Not at all. Closer inspection
reveals that the battery is slightly too wide and some genius has
wedged it into the battery holder. Great. At least that'll save the
need for a battery strap.

Plan B involves taking out the whole tray and *then* remove the
battery instead of just pulling out the battery. So off come the
sidepanels and airfilter housings. But wtf is this? Oh, that's
supposed to be an airfilter, but it looks like there's a bit missing:

http://www.unixconsult.co.uk/bike/pictures/airfilter.jpg

Like some type of filtering material, for starters. Great. Anybody got
some spare filters or knows what they're supposed to look like as I'm
not 100% sure that it's complete. And no, Dave Silver doesn't list
them, at least not the last time I checked.

Anyway, after dismanteling lots of unrelated bits and pieces I finally
managed to pull out the battery tray. At that time I also noticed that
the regulator/rectumfrier appears to have been replaced with a solid
state on. Not quite sure if that's an improvement or not.

And after finally extracting the tray, it turns out that the battery
still doesn't want to move and I'm a bit reluctant to just lever it
out lest the casing splits. Hooray. However it's nice to see how much
daylight there is between the battery and the bottom of the actual
tray:

http://www.unixconsult.co.uk/bike/pictures/battery-tray.jpg

Of course the joke is that it doesn't need a battery that large anyway
as the 'leccy foot has been disconnected...

OK, does anyone have any clever suggestions as to getting that battery
out without cracking the case?



[1] That'll be three new bolts and a panel please[2].
[2] Repaired lug has broken off again. Doesn't look like it can be
fixed twice.

 

It can.

Self-tapper screw with the head cut off.

 

Thus spake Timo Geusch unto the assembled multitudes:

My way of thinking is that if it didn't crack when it was put in, it ought
not to crack getting it out. Is the bottom of the battery accessible from
the other side in the same way as is visible in the pic? If so, a thin bit
of wood under the battery (to spread the load) and a tyre lever inserted
under the wood on either side (maybe with blocks of wood to act as
fulcrums) push down on the levers...

 

I'd suggest wearing marigolds whilst doing this. Not sure how the normal
latex gloves stand up to acid.

Having an old washing up bowl handy if it all goes wrong wouldn't be too
shabby a plan.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, sweller

And goggles. I know *exactly* how corneas stand up to battery acid...

 

Hm..... if it's not charging, then a low battery could indeed affect the
running because these engines are notorious for feeble sparks. The solid
state reg/rec is another giveaway.

K&N air filter foam sheet, cut to the right size and shape, and secured
with Evo-Stick and cable ties (you have to Evo-Stick the joint once, and
then pull it apart and let it dry, because the glue will soak into the
foam and provide a firm key for a second application.)

The Benly uses this, and that GT380 I bought last year was similarly
treated. It works and it's cheap.I'd see if it's charging, and if it isn't, determine whether it's the
alternator or reg/rec that's at fault.

Then I'd re-charge the battery and see if that improves the tickover.

Then I'd do some sums, and wonder if it would fetch a lot more than you
paid for it if you broke it for parts and put the parts on Ebay. I
strongly suspect it would.

 

*Ouch*

 

The Older Gentleman was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

Just tried that, looks like there isn't enough material on the panel
side to hold it on (the lug's broken off almost flush with the panel),
plus it's distorted from the application of the hot air welding
equipment that a certain unnamed workshop used on it the last time.

This friggin' Pan is costing me an arm an a leg...

 

Andy Clews was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

Hmm. I'll try that, my own thoughts went along the same lines after I
noticed that simply levering it out wasn't working...

 

The Older Gentleman was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

That's certainly one potential issue here. Turns out that the battery
was doing its best to turn itself into a dry cell battery which can't
have helped matters. Let's see if it'll hold a charge.

Unfortunately the rec/rect doesn't carry any information on it (not
even a manufacturer's name) so I may have to throw it and the
butchered part of the loom out if I can get another one from a
reputable source like David Silver.

I'll try that, however I'm tracking an auction for a set of original
airfilters which may be a better starting point.

That's the current plan.

It probably will, OTOH I think it's a bit too good for that unless I
discover some other horrible problem. Most 'issues' so far have been
cosmetic, and I can fix a lot of them with a bit of elbow grease and a
can of satin black paint...

That, and the fact that I don't really have the time or space to break
it...

 

If it gives an appropriate 13.8v or so output and doesn't dip when full
load is applied to the electical system why bother? (I'm presuming you
meant reg/rect).

 

Well, I didn't get them as I chickened out at 241 Ozzie Dollar. FFS, more
than 90 quid for a pair of air filters. Someone must've really wanted them.

 

What sort of deranged lunatic removes a battery to connect it to a
Accumate/Optimate?
--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/KH500A8/TS250C
|_\_____/_| ..66073../..15556.../..3157./.19406
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4 PM#5
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11 WG*
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17
'^' RBR-Visited:35 Pts: 705 Miles:2429

 

The sort whose optimate leads, on one particular bike, are so corroded as
to be useless.

Actually I don't remove the battery I use the clips and jam the seat up.

 

Salad Dodger was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

The sort of deranged lunatic who's a bit short of space in the garage
and thus can't string the extension cords all over the place.

 

Whereas my garage is like a Kansas prairie, I suppose.

My optimate is fixed to the wall, halfway down, and I can, and do,
charge any of the four bikes from that one location.

Mined ewe, it's not all easy - I do have to lift the seat on three of
them to do it.

--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/KH500A8/TS250C
|_\_____/_| ..66073../..15556.../..3157./.19406
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4 PM#5
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11 WG*
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17
'^' RBR-Visited:35 Pts: 705 Miles:2429

 

... I lift my seat in your general direction ...

 

Thus spake Nigel Eaton unto the assembled multitudes:

Perhaps keep the old full-face on, then? And maybe your waterproofs

 

And what are the chances of that, eh?

;-)