Power Pack Question

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

But the summer months makes it that much better.<br /><br />The stator itself has to be replaced. The voltage regulator, or commentator, appears to be fine. I'm ordering a stator from iboats. Hopefully that will do the trick.

 

[McGR]

Re: Power Pack Question

I wouldn't get too hung up on the voltage you are measuring on #2 & #3. Basically, when the system is operating properly the capacitor in the powerpack discharges a couple of hundred volts through the ingition coil every time the plug fires. This signal has both AC and DC components so you would not get an accurate measurement with a typical multi-meter. However, there are some basic checks you can perform that can potentially identify a defective component. First the charge coil(s)... this is connected between terminal #1 of the power pack and ground. Disconnect terminal #1 and you should measure 750 Ohms +/- 10% between the brown wire to the charge coil and ground. You should also check the sensor coil which fires the powerpack. The sensor coil connects to the powerepack between terminals #6 & #7. This should measure 15 Ohms +/- 5 Ohms between the white/black and black/white wires. Also, there should be electrical isolation between the sensor coil and ground. So, there should be infinate resistance between either sensor wire and ground. As suggested earlier disconnect the key switch terminal. This is #5 on the powerpack. If removing the black and yellow wire causes the ignition system to work, you have an issue in the key switch circuit. As FH2 mentioed the green goo is often a good indicator that the stator (which includes the charge coil winding) is questionable.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

I would also check the charging system (regulator & rectifier, or maybe they are combined as one unit as on my '89 150XP?) too, as this may be what caused your stator to melt down. Hopefully your stator isn't nearly $300 like it is for my motor! Even if it is cheaper, you still don't want to melt your new one.

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

Good idea. Will do!!

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

I haven't been able to find problems with anything else so far. I finally found a stator that should be here next week. I'm going to get a second opinion on the status of the other parts that could have caused the malfunction. Hopefully, this will end the spiral of problems I have been facing over the last month.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

I have bought some ignition parts through Mike Seiler at Seiler Marine. Good prices, and Mike really was great about giving me troubleshooting advice. Hopefully I won't get in trouble for mentioning his online store on this forum. So your regulator/rectifier tests okay per whatever tests are outlined in your manual?

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

Right, but I did not use a neon tester like the book says. In fact, the mechanics around here say the neon tester is useless as far as they are concerned. Just extra expense. So, I have stuck with my multi-meter, spark plug tester, continuity tester, and test light for all tests in the manual.<br /><br />As a side note, this motor has a strange looking regulator. It's round. Go figure.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

I'm hoping others will jump in here soon before I lead you too far astray!

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

I just pulled the old stator off to see what kind of wiring I'm going to have to do. It's funny that there is only one small cluster of 3 wires coming from it. I have read and been told there are supposed to be 2 clusters. It just struck me as odd. 2 of the three wires go to that bar beside the power pack while the other one goes to the power pack itself.<br /><br />Something else that struck me as odd is the regulator has the choke coming from it. No one ever mentioned that. If by chance this little round thing is not the regulator, then it must be in with something else because there are no other boxes on the outside of the motor. Just the fuel filter, solenoid, power pack, and bar strip that has all the wires going to it.<br /><br />I hope that made sense. It's hard to convey in words.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

Sorry I can't be of much help, because what little I do know is about my motor. What kind of manual do you have? Doesn't it have pictures of the different components? How about a wiring diagram that tells what the wires are that are going to your terminal strip (the "bar strip")?

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

I have a Seloc manual. The big problem with it is the wiring diagrams are a bit vague. Like it said something about sensor coils. I spent 30 minutes trying to find out what it was talking about. I called my mechanic friend, and he said they aren't called that. He pointed out what the book meant and then told me to not concern myself with part of the wiring system because it had to be good if I was getting fire at a certain point in the system.<br /><br />I wish this guy would get well enough to check this out. His son-in-law almost died in an out-of-town hospital. They all get home, and now he(mechanic) ends up with pneumonia. I will admit that I am a decent carpenter, but I'm no mechanic.<br /><br />Another problem is since this motor is so old, it doesn't even have points or a kill switch at the motor. The kill switch is built into the ignition. It's grounded in start or run. The ground is removed in the off position. The lack of points is because of the Type 1 CD Magneto with stator and rectifier. The newer motors have separate modules for about everything. Not this little jewel. I have seen a pic of a new regulator. It looks like a power pack except larger. This one is nothing like that. Gotta love the way these manuals are written. They need to take pics of the actual motor and run each repair section by model number, not HP, Year, and charging system.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

Your motor has a timer base under the flywheel, right? I had to replace that on my motor, as the resistance was way, way out of spec and I don't think it was sending the low (2 or 3 volts I think) voltage signal to my powerpack, which tells the pack when to send spark to each cylinder. I also ended up having to replace my power pack. The kill switch on my motor grounds the ignition out (at the pack, I believe), as does the ignition key when it is in the "off" position. That is why Joe wanted you to disconnect the main harness so that if something was at fault at your key switch or kill switch, this would be removed from the equation and "un-ground" your ignition so you could then check for spark.

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

Yeah, I figured that out. Since there is not kill switch at the motor, the ignition had to be disconnected.<br /><br />The timer base is right under the flywheel. There's the base and then a piece above it that is also part of the timer. Can't remember what it's called at the moment. Then the stator, toothed wheel, and flywheel. I don't know why they consider the flywheel and toothed wheel separate. I know they can detach from each other, but still, it's all a flywheel to me.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

Yeah, I've never heard of them called out as two separate things either, but then again, mine is press-fit right onto the flywheel casting and doesn't look like it could be removed without destroying the flywheel. My timer base was all one piece - like a plastic (mostly) ring somewhere around 3 1/2" in diameter and around 1 1/2" tall, with an "arm" off it for the linkage to connect to and a couple of bundles of wires coming out of the base.

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

My timer is roughly the same size...I'd say up to an inch larger and taller. It is mostly metal in this one. Why don't they build things with metal anymore? Plastic can't be that easy to make. If you ever look at a factory machine, you'll notice there aren't many plastic parts on those. That's cuz they want them to LAST. lol

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Power Pack Question

The little round thing you mentioned is probably the rectifier and your engine does not have a regulator. The rectifier converts the AC current from stator to DC to charge the battery. If you had a regulator, the rectifier would be incorporated into it.

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

Thank you. I have been really trying to figure out why this thing is round and doesn't have as many wires coming in or out as regulators I've seen on the net.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

Thanks, Upinsmoke! I really want to help him out, but as you can see, I'm way out of my element here!

 

[moondok]

Re: Power Pack Question

The stator came in today. What a shock...delivery on Saturday. I installed it and got everything back together. STILL NO SPARK! I am completely at a loss. I've studied the diagrams and read how to test each component. What else can cause this problem?<br /><br />Can something in the timer base keep the plugs from sparking? I realize it can make the motor misfire or fire the plugs at the wrong time, but I don't see how it could keep them from sparking at all.<br /><br />If the motor did in fact overheat, melting the stator, what could have been damaged by overheating the timer base?<br /><br />Maybe these questions will trigger someone's memory about how to solve this problem. I have exhausted my reasoning at this point...lol

 

[farginicehole]

Re: Power Pack Question

I don't think you ever stated whether you did the stator resistance and output tests as described in your manual (McGR also talked about these tests). And yes, in addition to my timer base being bad, I also had to replace my powerpack before I re-gained reliable spark to all six of my cylinders. My timer base resistance checks were WAY out of spec, but replacing this only took me from a no-spark condition on all cylinders to an intermittent spark on a few cylinders condition.