wiring diagram with joe hunt magneto on shovelhead

[uberfranz]

Good morning guys,
I was wondering if anybody could help me with a wiring diagram for my new chopper project. my electrical skills are zero for me electricity is magic, so pretend I was a little child

it's a '78 shovelhead with joe hunt magneto, i need to connect:

head light, tail light, horn and plate light.

I would like to have no switch, only the engine killer, (is it even possible??).

no battery, only capacitor and regulator.

[docmel]

A mag takes no wiring to operate. As it sits, its ready to start. To shut it off, all you need is small metal tab running off the
mag body (You can see the small stud on the mag body), that when pressed grounds itself to the mag body and shuts it off.

Or you can wire your own shut off switch to that stud. Or you can get new cap that has switch built into it that needs to be
turned to start it

As far as the rest of your bike, do a search on the web for simplified wiring with a mag and battery eliminator (Capacitor) Chopper Cook book has a great diagram

I will say, running a battery eliminator sucks. Lights are dim while idling, and not that great when riding either Look, a battery only takes two more wires, and since you are most likley not running a starter, you can use small gauge wiring and a small 12v battery, like a gel used on emergency hall way flood lights at about $40 a pop: I used the same bat on a mag build and it lasted for YEARS

No offense, but 3 things I never reduce effectiveness on due to looks: Brakes, lights (except fpr turn siganls, those I never use), and a decent size gas tank

[docmel]

One last thing : Consider how you will turn off the mag: Those liitle tabs are hard to find when you are down and the bike is still running. Wire a simple ground switch/button thats easy to reach. And I wouldnt place it on the handlebars. Too hard to reach in a down scenario I placed mine right befind the gas tank on the backbone, facing straight up. Can be reached easy even with the bike on top of you

[uberfranz]

thank you so much

[DustyDave]

The UB1250 battery at less than $20.00 lasts 3 or 4 years in my kick only with battery ignition.
Dusty

[docmel]

Another point

As you go mag, you will see allot of folks that dont like them have had issues, etc: Mags need to be clean, dry, and everything needs to be in spec, just like a circuit breaker (distributor). But these specs are no harder to get right than a set of pionts. The problem most have with mags is most of the complaints come with used ones and have passed thru several owners that hacked away at them, didnt know what they were doing, and patched up perceived problems incorrectly

There are reasons mags are used in airplanes. They are basically fool proof, do not take an external power source, and with very basic maintenence, just like a circuit breaker, will be extremely reliable and fool proof to keep them from dropping out of the sky

[docmel]

Here's a copy of some basic wiring.


The first pic is typical bare bones wiring diagram running a mag. Note that the mag diagram is completley seperate from all the other wiring. This diagram I would recommend as your 78 should have an altenator and rectifier (Voltage Regulator), and it is set up for kick only, but with a complete 12v charging system: IMO this is how your should run your set up. If you decide to go with no battery and using a battery eliinator (capacitor), just remove the altenator and rectifier from the equation and install the battery eliminator as per the BE instructions

The next pic is just for shit/giggles if you ever decide to run a circuit breaker (distributor)

I get what you are saying about electronics: For years I just followed known wire diagrams, and really didnt care how it worked, just as long as it worked. But later I got into the "science" behind basic electriicty as it relates to our sleds. Its really simple, it just takes a little bit more focusing to get the basic idea of how it works.

Here are some basic rules when it comes to chopper wiring:

1. Understand gauges of wires, and which gauge you should used based upon what load the wire will be hooked to. Dont get cheap or too small! This is pretty simple, and youll get the hang of which gauge that should be used pretty quick

2. Learn to solder, and use soldered connections wherever you can

3. DONT RUSH a wiring job. Take your time, look for possible rub points (unintentional grounding), and frequently check your wiring after the first few runs. Frequent failure locations of wiring are under around the neck, the rear fender under the gas tank and at the ignition switch.

4. Get a good ground first. Then wire everthing else

5. ALWAYS use a circuit breaker

6. If you're using electrical tape, stop and slap yourself: See rule #2 and #3 above

[uberfranz]

Another point

As you go mag, you will see allot of folks that dont like them have had issues, etc: Mags need to be clean, dry, and everything needs to be in spec, just like a circuit breaker (distributor). But these specs are no harder to get right than a set of pionts. The problem most have with mags is most of the complaints come with used ones and have passed thru several owners that hacked away at them, didnt know what they were doing, and patched up perceived problems incorrectly

There are reasons mags are used in airplanes. They are basically fool proof, do not take an external power source, and with very basic maintenence, just like a circuit breaker, will be extremely reliable and fool proof to keep them from dropping out of the sky

thank you again, this magnet is brand new, so I hope it will not give me so many issues, I would have to learn how to set it up

[uberfranz]

Here's a copy of some basic wiring.


The first pic is typical bare bones wiring diagram running a mag. Note that the mag diagram is completley seperate from all the other wiring. This diagram I would recommend as your 78 should have an altenator and rectifier (Voltage Regulator), and it is set up for kick only, but with a complete 12v charging system: IMO this is how your should run your set up. If you decide to go with no battery and using a battery eliinator (capacitor), just remove the altenator and rectifier from the equation and install the battery eliminator as per the BE instructions

The next pic is just for shit/giggles if you ever decide to run a circuit breaker (distributor)

I get what you are saying about electronics: For years I just followed known wire diagrams, and really didnt care how it worked, just as long as it worked. But later I got into the "science" behind basic electriicty as it relates to our sleds. Its really simple, it just takes a little bit more focusing to get the basic idea of how it works.

Here are some basic rules when it comes to chopper wiring:

1. Understand gauges of wires, and which gauge you should used based upon what load the wire will be hooked to. Dont get cheap or too small! This is pretty simple, and youll get the hang of which gauge that should be used pretty quick

2. Learn to solder, and use soldered connections wherever you can

3. DONT RUSH a wiring job. Take your time, look for possible rub points (unintentional grounding), and frequently check your wiring after the first few runs. Frequent failure locations of wiring are under around the neck, the rear fender under the gas tank and at the ignition switch.

4. Get a good ground first. Then wire everthing else

5. ALWAYS use a circuit breaker

6. If you're using electrical tape, stop and slap yourself: See rule #2 and #3 above

Haha, thank you so much again, this is my second chop so I have a little experience, but electricity is still magic
I can follow diagrams, and I do solder everything, it's just the understanding of it that is challenging sometimes, expecially because the wiring is the easy part, the funcion of every component is another story.
I really appreciate your help, thank you again

[docmel]

Jeez These interjected advertisements really blow: Between seeing posts for college papers and window ac units................

[DustyDave]

If you click the little triangle on the lower left, you can tag them as spam. Then Lisa will delete them and the spammer.
Dusty

[Guest]

I really appreciate this great article you gave us. with valuable information.
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