My charging system is so messed up what should I do?

[samocamo123]

I have a 1986 Ebbtide Montego 170 and it has a 1985 OMC 3L sterndrive (302sthrcom) and I thought the alternator was bad as the battery only read 12V so I bought a rebuild kit and then rebuilt the alternator (brushes, regulator, diode trio, and front bearing) and put it in. I put on the muffs and started the engine to noticed the voltage is still 12V, so I check the voltage coming straight out of the alternator and it shows 19.92V, what should I do? It also seemed to spike to nearly 60V one of the times I tried, but I may have just did something wrong.

 

[bruceb58]

Sounds like your alternator output isn't connected to your battery.

If so, you likely wiped out your regulator as well.

 

[samocamo123]

Sounds like your alternator output isn't connected to your battery.

If so, you likely wiped out your regulator as well.

So are you saying running the alternator without being connected to the battery could have killed the regulator?

 

[Scott Danforth]

So are you saying running the alternator without being connected to the battery could have killed the regulator?

That would kill the alternator immediately. If it was dark, you would have seen the blue glow of the alternator going into melt down

 

[samocamo123]

That would kill the alternator immediately. If it was dark, you would have seen the blue glow of the alternator going into melt down

So will replacing the same things I replaced last time fix it? (brushes, regulator, diode trio)

 

[Scott Danforth]

Make sure the alternator is connected to the battery

 

[samocamo123]

Make sure the alternator is connected to the battery

I'm pretty sure the wiring is bad or something, but will rebuilding the alternator fix the fact I ran the alternator without the output connected to the battery?

 

[Scott Danforth]

I'm pretty sure the wiring is bad or something, but will rebuilding the alternator fix the fact I ran the alternator without the output connected to the battery?

it may, however you need to check the windings as well. take the alternator in and have tested. and fix your wiring

 

[samocamo123]

it may, however you need to check the windings as well. take the alternator in and have tested. and fix your wiring

It seems to stay around 14V without changing anything once I fixed my wiring, also autozone wont test the alternator because the part number isn't in their system.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Go to a real alternator shop.

14 volts is normal whan connected to a battery