420 predator charging system

[cameron.luster@yahoo.com]

I need help trying to figure out how to hook up the charging on my predator 420. It has a single wire and when i check it with a meter it’s reads it as a ground with the engine off and with it running it doesn’t read as a ground. I tried hooking to the battery but it sparks so I didn’t do it. I know the wire is coming from the charging coil but have no idea what to do to hook it up to charge my battery. I have this 420 on a carter talon and have already ran wires to use the electric start. I’m not using the switch that came with it. Everything is hooked up correctly and works fine besides the charging side. I have no idea what to do. Picture should be attached.

[raydhd]

The black wire is the kill wire. Nothing to do with charging.

[cameron.luster@yahoo.com]

I already have the kill wire hooked up. The wire in the picture goes straight to the charging coil

[cameron.luster@yahoo.com]

Originally Posted by raydhd

The black wire is the kill wire. Nothing to do with charging.

I already have the kill wire hooked up. The wire in the picture goes straight to the charging coil

[Shepard]

the wire should go to a simple diode and then to the battery.


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...Ob31qn0RoH0hUO

[cameron.luster@yahoo.com]

Originally Posted by Shepard

the wire should go to a simple diode and then to the battery.


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...Ob31qn0RoH0hUO

Being that these charge could only produce 3 amps as I have read, is there i on be for the 420 that produces more power? And also can you hook up a lamp coil as well and use both?

[Shepard]

Originally Posted by cameron.luster@yahoo.com

Being that these charge could only produce 3 amps as I have read, is there i on be for the 420 that produces more power? And also can you hook up a lamp coil as well and use both?

Check my sticky above the clone page "parts list for 18 amp alternator". I use this setup on 2 460's and they work perfectly. These parts are Genuine Honda parts. They will fit your engine with no problems.

[Hilly1974]

Shepard
Is there a certain size diode that would work and I am assuming it would be placed to let current flow to the battery and not back to coil? I know it sounds silly because we want to charge but I am not sure on these setups

[Shepard]

Originally Posted by Hilly1974

Shepard
Is there a certain size diode that would work and I am assuming it would be placed to let current flow to the battery and not back to coil? I know it sounds silly because we want to charge but I am not sure on these setups

Yes the diodes are specific for the type charging system your running.

[sho305]

Most clones have the diode in the wire, they are hard to find hard to notice as they are nearly same diameter as the wire. You must have that so you only get the positive charge not the negative as the coil will output AC power. Its only 3A charge so they don't bother with a regulator as that should not overcharge a battery. On the other hand if you don't run the engine for a while with each start it wont charge enough to keep up and the battery will run down after a while. I don't know about the diode, but most clone parts you can find very cheaply on ebay for example.

When the engine is running you should see AC voltage that rises with rpm, out of the coil wire. With a diode it will be DC power that may be hard to read with a meter because its half the AC signal, but on a battery it would show on a meter as the DC voltage being higher while running, just note at 3A it may not make much power at lower rpm and 3A at 3600 rpm. Without the diode the DC power at battery will not increase while running. I would guess you can get a diode for it, it would need to be rated for the voltage you see at high rpm and 3A current (its rating should exceed those of course). Diodes like that are cheap. Its very possible you could use a rectifier/VR or rectifier off another lawn or even old outboard that uses a flywheel alternator charging system. A rectifier is a dual diode more or less, it grounds the negative power and sends the positive to battery, with a regulator it will shut off charging if battery voltage is too high about 13.5v+, but 3A charge is unlikely to make that happen very often. A diode is just a one way valve for electricity, its used here to let positive part of AC power thru and block the negative part. Unless you hook it up backwards then it lets the negative flow thru.

On my clone 420 the charge wire ran out and down by the low oil cutoff near bottom of block. There the key or kill switch hooked up to the wiring. The diode was in the wire in this area before the key box. Yours may be different.