Alpha 1 Gen2 MCM 5.7L dies when shifting

[tank1949]

That was one of the first things I learned from this forum...Clymer manuals make anchors as good as they make good instructions.

Mercruiser manuals are the only way to go...In fact, this thread convinced me to hop on ebay 20 min ago and buy the actual Merc #17 manual... it will be much nicer having them to be able to have AT the boat instead of having to go into the house to look at the computer...

Plus for some reason, the #17 manual on boatinfo must not have scanned in good quality because the wiring diagrams and other things with small text are impossible to read... the letters are like 2 pixels.

And now, we can download a lot of good information in addition of getting good advice here. There are quiet a few very knowledgeable people supporting this form, way above my pay grade!

 

[achris]

You probably had MC manual. I had Cliamar (sic) or Chilton POS I bought around 90'ish. The interrupt was happening as it was believed supposed to, but motor would still stay dead. They said cables were free moving as well. Bravos are much stronger and we don't have to put up with that crap.

Yep, the ONLY manual to read pretty much for any equipment is the one written by the people who made the gear, be that Mercruiser or Toyota or Kumatsu... Get the genuine, use the aftermarket (Clymer, seloc, gregory) as alternate bog roll....

It's not that Bravos are stronger, it's that the shift system is completely different. Alphas use an undercut dog clutch, Bravos use a cone clutch...

Chris........

 

[achris]

... Thinking about it, I may add a 'for the geeks' to the end of the 'Thunderbolt, how it works' document on EXACTLY what's going on inside the module. I'll think about it.

Done...

If you have insomnia and need something to help you sleep at night, have a read....

https://forums.iboats.com/forum/eng...ignition-systems-work?p=10843159#post10843159

Chris.......

 

[tank1949]

Done...

If you have insomnia and need something to help you sleep at night, have a read....

https://forums.iboats.com/forum/eng...ignition-systems-work?p=10843159#post10843159

Chris.......

It is amazing that someone thought about this technology and made it happen. It beats the hell out of a traditional points setup. I wonder if MC dissected a GM system and reversed engineered it into a marine product? THX!

 

[achris]

Yes Please!

Have a read.... -> https://forums.iboats.com/forum/eng...ignition-systems-work?p=10843159#post10843159

Side note, are the thunderbolt modules sealed and potted? or are they just circuit boards in a housing that could have components replaced if bad?

Sealed and potted. If it goes bad, bin it. :-(

 

[AShipShow]

Sealed and potted. If it goes bad, bin it. :-(

Thanks for the updated text! Amazing how simple it is, but all great designs are.
Its a shame they are potted and sealed because I bet the only parts that go bad in these are the transistors that fire the coil since they are handling a fair amount of current and inductive voltage spikes.
Probably a $0.20 part haha

 

[achris]

Thanks for the updated text! Amazing how simple it is, but all great designs are.
Its a shame they are potted and sealed because I bet the only parts that go bad in these are the transistors that fire the coil since they are handling a fair amount of current and inductive voltage spikes.
Probably a $0.20 part haha

I very much suspect you're right. (probably a Darlington pair)