Power Pack Question

[moondok]

I just replaced the ignition coils and power pack in my 1975 50hp Evinrude because the plugs suddenly had no spark. I am still not getting any spark, but I noticed something today that doesn't make sense to me. I have a multimeter with a needle gauge. At 10 volts DC, I get a small spike then nothing when turning the key to start position. <br /><br />I had read somewhere that something under the flywheel can be reversed in polarity, so I switched the multimeter to AC. It gave me 12 volts on the meter.<br /><br />I am placing the test leads on the number 2 and 3 screws in the power pack. This is supposed to be for cylinder/coil/plug #1 and #2.<br /><br />Why am I getting 12 volts AC? Sorry if it's a dumb question, but it makes no sense to me.

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

I'm still having problems. Can anyone respond to my question?

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Power Pack Question

The stator under the flywheel is a two fold component. It is the beginning of the battery charging system and also the beginning of the ignition system.<br /><br />One portion of the stator emits approximately 300 AC volts to the powerpack to energize it, while another portion of the stator emits AC voltage to the rectifier which converts it to DC voltage in order to charge the battery.<br /><br />Remove the s/plugs, then disconnect the large RED electrical connector at the engine. Crank the engine by using a small jumper from the battery terminal of the starter solenoid to the small 3/8" nut of the solenoid which engages the starter.<br /><br />If you now have spark, in all probability the ignition switch is shorted, in which case replace it. Let us know what you find.

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

Thanks for the suggestion Joe. Unfortunately, I got NO spark. So, I pulled out the volt meter and probed the 2 and 3 slots of the powerpack. I got the same results as before: around 2 volts in DC and 12 in AC. This was after I disconnected the large red plug coming from the remote shifter.<br /><br />Out of curiosity, isn't the spark plug supposed to fire if it is removed from the engine but still connected to the plug wire? It didn't spark, so the first thing I did was hold the plug about 1/8" from the engine block. With no spark at this point, I pulled the meter. Thought I should clarify all of that to ensure I'm performing the spark test correctly.<br /><br />Any other ideas?

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

The plug has to be grounded in order to fire - but be very careful as turning the motor over with the plug out will cause fuel/air mix to blow out of the spark plug hole and is dangerous if you are holding a sparking plug nearby!!!

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

I went out there again for the sake of being thorough. There is no spark.<br /><br />I really hate the idea of having to remove the flywheel. From what I can tell in the manual, that is the next step.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

You are grounding the spark plug by holding it against a good ground somewhere on the engine block well away from the open spark plug hole, right? It isn't going to spark otherwise! No offense intended, but your previous post made it sound like you were not grounding the plug.

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

No offense taken. I have been grounding the plug. I just didn't know if there were multiple ways to test for spark, and I wanted to make sure I was doing it right.<br /><br />A friend came over, and we tested continuity of several wires. He's saying pull the flywheel too, since everything appears to be fine on the outside of the block.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

Did you try the check that Joe suggested? If you have a problem with your key switch or kill switch, it will ground out your ignition (at the powerpack I think) and you'll get no spark whatsoever on any cylinders. By disconnecting that big red plug like Joe said, you will eliminate all of that from the circuit so if you then get spark, you have narrowed your problem down. And yes, you can also buy a cheap spark tester at an automotive store for less than $10. You can adjust the gap on these, and get a better idea of the "quality" or strength of your spark. Not sure what they would recommend for your engine, but the number I hear most often here is that a healthy spark will jump a 7/16" gap on the spark tester. I'm far from any kind of expert (obviously!), but I saw you haven't gotten any replies this afternoon so just trying to help. Good luck!

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

I appreciate the help from anyone smarter about these things than I.<br /><br />I tried the test Joe suggested. Absolutely no spark. <br /><br />I have a Seloc manual, but the only tests left concern the wires themselves. I've been through most of them. The only ones left come from underneath the flywheel.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

I see - so at least you ruled out the ignition key and kill switches. I don't know anything about your engine, but I went from an intermittent no-spark condition on random(?) cylinders to a no-spark on any cylinders on my '89 Evinrude 150XP. Did a ton of troubleshooting tests outlined in my Clymer manual and also some variations suggested by the experts here, and finally determined that my timer base was bad. After replacing that, I re-gained some intermittent spark and then replaced the powerpack, and now all is good (knocking on wood!). Then I went and forgot to properly torque my flywheel nut down to specifications and after a few weeks, my motor won't hardly start. . . and if it does, runs very rough and dies. Suspecting what I had done, I took the flywheel off and sure enough, sheared the flywheel key clean off (throwing my timing all out of whack). Easy fix, and another lesson in humility for the farginicehole!

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

It's very possible I have the same problem. At this point, I'm waiting on a friend who has a bunch of tools, like a puller for the flywheel. At least I can save some cash.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

I used one of the cheapie (seems like it was only $15 or less maybe?) automotive store harmonic balancer pullers that has the three smaller bolts that screw into the holes in your flywheel. If you use one of these, or another puller for that matter, don't totally rely on the puller to remove the flywheel. Tighten up the big center bolt that pushes against your crankshaft so it is pretty tight, then give it a couple sharp raps with a hammer. If the flywheel doesn't pop off, tighten it a bit more and rap it a few more times. Eventually, this will break the flywheel free from the crank. Before I was informed of this procedure, I actually destroyed one puller - thankfully, I didn't destroy my flywheel!!

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

Wow! Good to know. I have a rubber mallet, so I'll know what to do now.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

Use a metal hammer, and rap the center bolt on the puller. The sharp, sudden impact will break the flywheel loose from the crankshaft. I doubt a dull blow from a rubber mallet would have the same effect.

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

Interesting, ok, I'll try that. Thanks

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

The flywheel is off, and there appears to be a green substance that has leaked out of a green module(?). Looking at a diagram in my Seloc manual, it is part of the stator. I'm guessing this must be replaced?

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

I'm guessing that is a charge coil? Probably says so in your manual. Have you done the charge coil resistance and output (probably need a peak voltage meter or adapter to check output - I used a Stevens PVA-1 adapter, about $40, with my Fluke digital multimeter) tests as outlined in the manual? These should tell you more about the condition of your stator. If that green stuff has leaked out, it is probably the potting material and a sign that the stator has overheated. The way I understand it, this can happen due to a failing voltage regulator, which will cause excess(?) voltage to overheat the stator. If you do the resistance and output tests per your manual, post your results here and I'm sure you will get more advice from the experts. You could also do a search and read old threads and learn a lot.

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

I'll test all of the above. It's about to break 100 degrees outside, so I'm calling it a day. Maybe work on it this evening.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

I find working on these things requires a good supply of cold beverages! And I'm not just talking about the hot, summer months either!