| Author | Message | ||
     Etennuly |
I am wondering if there would be any reason not to use a Buell voltage regulator on my boat. I have an '88 Glastron I/O 165 Mercruiser. The original VR is water cooled. It went up in flames a while back, a factory replacement is about $500.00. Thinking that is a bit much, brings me to question the possibility. The boat has a stator that runs directly off the front of the crank. The regulator has four wires, two wires for the stator output and two wires lead out to the starter solenoid and the primary wiring /charging system. The Buell stator shows three wires in the SM wiring diagram. It says it is a three phase stator. Would that negate the possibility of using the Buell regulator? Would it be possible to use two of stator lead wires to make the regulator work for the boat? Cooling it could be handled easily with a full time bilge blower. I have thought about just mounting up an alternator, but there is no room without modifying the hood and there are a serious lack of mounting boss's for anything on the front of the engine. | ||
| Methed |
Do you have a spare Buell unit on hand? One commonly used item I've seen is the unit Ford Motor Company produced for a couple of decades--it was used in AMC, Jeep, and some other Chrysler vehicles through the '90s and is common in custom vehicles. Oh yeah, they were pretty much standard on the Ford lines as well. Sorry I don't have a part number, but if you stop by a parts store you should be able to find it for wicked cheap. Interestingly enough, I even discovered a couple of years back that my 1965 OMC Johnson outboard uses the same model, so I'd say it's pretty much universal. If you're looking at replacing or adding the alternator as well, I know that the old one-contact GM alternators have one built in, hence there are only two electrical connections on it (ground and positive). Good luck. | ||
| Etennuly |
Thanks, yeah I have a couple of the GM alternator units, but mounting room is limited at best, with no bolt boss's. I will look into the Ford unit. It seems simple enough, I like the Buell unit for its cooling fins. I just don't know about using two legs of the three phase unit. I know where to find one reasonable enough. The plan is to fix this and a few other things as economically as possible. If I do it right the money saved will get new seat covers and a new full canvas top, also as inexpensively as possible. You have heard "A boat is nothing more than a hole in the water in which to throw money"? I am trying to limit that to the boat's highest potential value. I have had it five years, it has not been in the water for almost a year now, and am just about ready to put it back on the trailer. The trailer has been in my shop for a while getting sand blasted, painted, lights, wires, boards, carpets, tires, ratchet strap, and just about anything else a trailer can get. It, like the boat, was functional but not pretty. I just want to go fishing, and have some water craft fun, but don't want ugly and undependable, a payment, or big chunk of money sitting in the garage for months at a time(while I'm riding my Uly). | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Perhaps a junkyard japbike regulator would be cheaper? | ||
| Methed |
Good call Nate! I'm in the same boat--no pun intended, really--where I was given a boat and am not hardcore about being one of the boating set, per se. I'll hafta post some pics. It ended up being a blast to work on and I get compliments all the time on a boat that I have maybe $400 bucks into, including trailer. Have fun and good luck! | ||
| Etennuly |
I fired her up today. Kind of in honor of the Pirate Speak day thread. Still amazes me how it can set for a year, and fire up so easily. I pulled the distributor cap and ran a piece of sand paper through the points, charged the battery, put the water hose to it and vrrrrrooooommmm. Little four cylinder Mercruiser fires right up and I can feel it searching for the lake! All of the gages, lights and even the horn still work! The hard part now is to get it back on the trailer, hmmmm.....I had a big excavator here for work when I lifted it off. Bummer, oh well, if it keeps raining all of the time I should be able to float it on the trailer in about a month and a half, but then I won't need it. I can just fish off the back porch!  But then, I might need it just to get around! So basically you guys are saying about any regulator will work?? The three phase thing is bothering me. If that is what I ended up with would I just use any two of the three leads? Or would I be better off with a single phase unit with two wires? | ||
| Froggy |
For what its worth, the 08's are single phase | ||
| Etennuly |
No shit?? Now, you wouldn't happen to have a part number and price would you?   | ||
| Reepicheep |
1) Is the alternator on the boat permanent magnet like the Buell alternator? I'm assuming the VR on a variable field alternator regulates by varying the field (but that's a guess). If not, you will never get the Buell / Sporty to regulate right. 2) The Buell (and a lot of import) bike regulators are shunt regulators, which dump unneeded power right to ground (through the regulator) to regulate voltage. So they are "sized" relative to the difference between what the permanent magnet stator can put out at redline, versus what the bike will consume. And there often isn't much margin between the two (by design). The VR in my Buell is big, a couple decks of cards. The VR in my KLR-250 was little, a couple of packs of matches. | ||
| Etennuly |
The boat has a stator on the crank not unlike the Buell's. From what I see in the SM they do not list it's out put voltage. I believe it is an AC output of 22-24 V. | ||
| Froggy |
I have been looking, I don't have a 08 parts book handy so I was trying to figure it out by guessing the part number, so it took a little longer than usual  I was only able to find this, I honestly don't think its the right number Y0302.5A8 VOLTAGE REGULATOR Retail Price:$78.25 | ||
| Etennuly |
Thank you. I can call to find out further when I figure out if it will work. It needs to convert 24V AC to 14.5 V DC in a controlled manor. I need to find the specs on the Buell stator output. |
