Voltage Regulators should NOT be this expensive...

[Nick1911]

So my honda cb750 needs a new voltage regulator... no problem I say, probably like a $40 part, which is really really overpriced as it is considering it's got like 3 transistors and a handful of diodes (zener and otherwise).

So I go to the dealer, and to my suprise he want's $204.  Online isn't much better, used ones go for $50+ on ebay when you can find them.

Supply and demand I guess.  Anyone want to see my make one from old dodge parts and a few beefy diodes?

[Azrael256]

Wooo.  I think the last voltage regulator I bought was about 30 cents.  'Course, it was about a 1/2 amp 5 volt thing.  Good luck building one.  It does seem like the prudent solution.  I'll bet it doesn't cost $10 in parts.

[charby]

That bites.. See if you can find a junk yard for motorcycles.

-C

[Nick1911]

Wooo.  I think the last voltage regulator I bought was about 30 cents.  'Course, it was about a 1/2 amp 5 volt thing.  Good luck building one.  It does seem like the prudent solution.  I'll bet it doesn't cost $10 in parts.

Well yea - it's not really a 'voltage regulator' in the conventional way; although that's what the auto compaines call it.  It's more like a 'alternator field voltage controller'.  All it does it applies voltage to the alternator field windings while the battery voltage is less then 14.5V, when it hits that it shuts off, then when the voltage comes back down to under 13.2V it kicks back on.

Simple.  Even found a schematic -> http://homepage.sunrise.ch/mysunrise/joerg.hau/mot/voltreg.htm

Total of two transistors, 4 resistors, 3 diodes and a capacitor.

[K Frame]

I remember needing an electronic ignition brain box for my '77 Ford Maverick. This would have been 88, 89.

I tried a number of dealerships...

Cheapest was well over $150.

Pep Boy?

$29.99

[mfree]

Sounds like you could adapt one, say, a ~84 chrysler unit like I got for $20 when mine died. Does exactly the same thing.

[Nick1911]

Sounds like you could adapt one, say, a ~84 chrysler unit like I got for $20 when mine died. Does exactly the same thing.

And that is exactly what I plan to do.  I am going to go with a pre-built unit for the ruggedness - this one, actually:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C9B45Y/ref=sr_11_1/104-1670693-5770308?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=15684181

It costs a whopping $15 at autozone.  I'll still need to come up with my own reflector unit, but that's just a few beefy diodes.  I don't think the whole thing will cost more then $20.

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