Tachometer Issue

[11YearItch]

The tach in my 1988 Spectra 171 with a 150hp V6 Evinrude engine has not functioned properly since I purchased the boat a year ago. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. This being the case I decide to trouble shoot the problem myself. An article I found on the Internet entitled "Testing Tachometer With Water Cooled Regulator/Rectifier" provided the guidelines for my effort.

At the engines terminal strip I removed the gray wire that leads to the tach and connected it to the yellow wire that leads to the stator. Now when I run the engine the tach works perfectly. This leads me to believe the faulty component is the regulator/rectifier and not the tach. It also leaves me with a question. If I continue to run the engine with the gray wire connected to the yellow wire until the regulator/rectifier has been replaced will it cause any damage to either the stator or the tach?

 

[wired]

Tach problems in outboard boats are almost always the regulators fault. Tachs were wired the way you are doing it now for a long time.

If you are concerned about the high cost of original style regulators you could just use a late model mercury style and forget about that goofy water cooled contraption. Theyre $40 .

 

[11YearItch]

Tach problems in outboard boats are almost always the regulators fault. Tachs were wired the way you are doing it now for a long time.

If you are concerned about the high cost of original style regulators you could just use a late model mercury style and forget about that goofy water cooled contraption. Theyre $40 .

Thanks Wired. I would like to know more about the $40 regulator, like where can I get one, are there different models for different outboards, etc.

 

[wired]

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?fo...ww.ebay.com/itm/NEW-MERCURY-...3D221459851961

 

[11YearItch]

Thanks again Wired. Now I know what the $40 Mercury Marine rectifier regulator looks like and where to get one but need one more piece of information. How do I adapt the six wire Mercury unit to the four wire setup of my Evinrude engine?

 

[wired]

Thanks again Wired. Now I know what the $40 Mercury Marine rectifier regulator looks like and where to get one but need one more piece of information. How do I adapt the six wire Mercury unit to the four wire setup of my Evinrude engine?

All the recitifier/regulator does is take AC and turn it into regulated DC. Hook your stator wires that provide AC into the yellow merc rgulator wires, One red wire connects to the battery and the other to the engines wiring harness or they can both go together. Grey goes to the tach. Black to ground. Make a mounting plate to bolt that regulator to the motor or do it directly to a good mounting hole on the motor. Those regulators will handle 20 amps each. If your charging system puts out more than that use two of them set up in parallel with the yellows wired together and reds going into the engine harness (solenoid positive terminal ) .

 

[11YearItch]

All the recitifier/regulator does is take AC and turn it into regulated DC. Hook your stator wires that provide AC into the yellow merc rgulator wires, One red wire connects to the battery and the other to the engines wiring harness or they can both go together. Grey goes to the tach. Black to ground. Make a mounting plate to bolt that regulator to the motor or do it directly to a good mounting hole on the motor. Those regulators will handle 20 amps each. If your charging system puts out more than that use two of them set up in parallel with the yellows wired together and reds going into the engine harness (solenoid positive terminal ) .

Wired, I really appreciate all the help you are giving me related to solving my tach and rectifier/regulator problem. My stator puts out 35 amps so I will need to install two of the Mercury six wire units. Now, as I am planning how to proceed I have the following questions that I hope you will be kind enough to answer.
(1) What is the approximate physical size of the Mercury six wire unit?
(2) Is it okay to attach the six wire units one on top of the other to the mounting plate I make or will this create too much heat in one place?
(3) I'm not sure I understand your statement about connecting one red wire to the battery and the other to the engines wiring harness. Is it okay to connect both red wires to the engines terminal block where other red wires are connected?
(4) I assume I should leave the existing rectifier/regulator in place and simply cut off the existing four wires, correct?
(5) Do you (or any Checkmate member) know of anyone that is currently running their Evinrude/Johnson outboard with the Mercury unit installed?

 

[11YearItch]

Tach problems in outboard boats are almost always the regulators fault. Tachs were wired the way you are doing it now for a long time.

If you are concerned about the high cost of original style regulators you could just use a late model mercury style and forget about that goofy water cooled contraption. Theyre $40 .

After thinking about and discussing the $40 mercury style regulator with other boat owners I decided to stay with the original style water cooled regulator/rectifier that belongs on the motor. I wasn't able to find any Evinrude or Johnson outboard owners that have adapted the mercury style unit to their motor. Now that a new CDI unit has been installed my tach is working as it is supposed to.

 

[Eluder]

Tach fix

i went through tts same issue and finally switche through the numbered settings
On the Tach and it worked. I guess after 30 years corrosion set in.
It still works 2nd season so far!!

 

[11YearItch]

i went through tts same issue and finally switche through the numbered settings
On the Tach and it worked. I guess after 30 years corrosion set in.
It still works 2nd season so far!!

I bit the bullet last year and had a new CDI original style water cooled regulator/rectifier installed in my Evinrude and it is still working this year. Hopefully it will continue to work for many years.