Add me to the list...... (long warning)

[Flyinfool]

Add me to the list of those looking to find that Yami engineer that desperately needs my size 13 planted where the sun don't shine.

 

So I read up all of the info I could find about changing the diodes in the TCI.

I acquired a bunch of diodes for the job.

Got all of the necessary tools ready.

And dive in head first.

 

There were some threads that made it sound like it would be not to bad to get the TCI out.

I started with the suggestion that it can be done from the bottom without having to remove the air box, so that is where I went first.

 

It should have been an ommen but the very first screw that I touched to remove the lower air scoop the hex hole stripped out, kind of my own fault, the last time I had that piece off to do an oil change I noted that the holes were very rusted and not much hex was left. Not a big deal, grab the Dremel with a cut off wheel and grind a slot for a flat blade screw driver.

I took off the rest of the recommended parts to gain access to the TCI and sure enough, there it was starring at me. I thought Cool this ain't so bad. YEA RIGHT!

I grab my Phillips bit and a ratchet to get the screws out, only to find out that someone must have been after the TCI once before, the screws were completely rounded out.

By using the trick of putting some grinding compound on the tip of the bit to get extra traction I was able to get out the screw on the right side of the bike. The left screw just was not going to come out no matter what tricks I tried, none of which is helped by the fact that you can not even see the screw head.

 

Enter plan 2;

So since I can not get to that screw from the bottom I go ahead and pull out the air box. Cool now I can see more of the TCI but still can not get to that last screw.

 

Enter plan 3;

Grab a hack saw blade and go ahead and cut off the tab from the side of the TCI, (ain't NO way I am mounting it back up in that god awful place anyhow)

 

Now that the TCI is out I'm off to the house and back into the A/C to do the diode swap.

I took out the screws to reveal the bottom of the PCB. then take out the screws to release the PCB from the other half of the case and once again grab my trusty Dremel and make the cut to get the case open.

 

Low and behold there are the diodes. every thing in the TCI looks like bran new, I was expecting to see the big globs of corrosion around the diodes like others have posted, but no these are clean and shiny looking like bran new. This got me to thinking, I wonder if the PO had the TCI replaced at some point before I got the bike and that is why the screws were stripped out. So I pondered this for a few minutes, should I just put it back together or doe the diode swap while I am in there????????

I finally decided to do the swap and was able to do the whole job without lifting any pads.

I cleaned the board of all flux and other residue and reapplied a conformal coating to protect the circuits from moisture.

 

I did notice that once I got the cover to the TCI off that there was a small puddle of water inside of the TCI!!!! I had washed the bike two days earlier.

 

So I put a bead of sealant all around the perimeter of the case and sealed up the new seam that I created and sealed up the 2 small holes that Yami put there for no purpose other than to allow water in.

 

Now time to put it all back together.

First thing was to plug in the TCI and make sure that the bike still runs, WooHoo, it started right up and all 4 pipes got hot.

 

So per the ideas posted here I cut a hole thru the inside of the faring and pulled the wire harness for the TCI thru the hole. It is plenty long to reach. then I got out some splices and heat shrink to repair the white with green stripe wire that I managed to cut thru while making the hole in the faring. oopie!

I used some Velcro strips to attach the TCI to the inside of the faring.

While I was in there I cleaned out all of the mouse droppings and nut and seed shells that the mice had left there for me.

 

WTF the dang mouse was still in there.

Well at least it is dead, that explains the "aromas" that I had been noticing when sitting a red lights.

Got that mess all cleaned up, the rest of the reassembly went quite quickly and uneventfully. Once more start it up to make sure everything still works and Yippee, it does.

 

So at least I don't have to worry about this issue for another 24 years.

 

Now if it will just cool off enough so that I can take it for a ride.

 

 

OK Rant over......

Back to you regularly scheduled programing.

[Marcarl]

Yep,,, these bikes have a way of building CHARACTER.