It never hurts to change the belt
-----Original Message-----
From: "Edd Schillay via CnC-List" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com>
Sent: 2014-07-31 3:15 PM
To: "Josh Muckley" <muckl...@gmail.com>
Cc: "C&C List" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com>
Subject: Re: Stus-List Alternator? Belt? Suggestions?
Josh,
I’ll head out there this weekend (weather permitting), change the belt (it’s
been a while) and do some tests.
Since you have a 37+ too, how do you get back there to test the alternator
terminals? I’m considering adding an access port in my head so I can get to the
port side of the engine.
All the best,
Edd
Edd M. Schillay
Starship Enterprise
C&C 37+ | Sail No: NCC-1701-B
City Island, NY
Starship Enterprise's Captain's Log
On Jul 31, 2014, at 2:58 PM, Josh Muckley <muckl...@gmail.com> wrote:
Edd,
Do you have an internal or external voltage regulator (charge controller).
Regardless the alternator is probably putting out the amount of voltage
required by the regulator. Often times the voltage being supplied by the
alternator is different than that being sensed by the regulator. Recently one
of the listers had his sensing line corroded to the point of falling off. In
this case regulator sensed too low of a battery voltage and drove the
corresponding alternator output up...to ~33v! Likewise if high resistance on
the output cabling or voltage being dropped across a battery isolator diode is
causing the regulator to think there is more voltage being sent to the
batteries than there actually is then the regulator would drive alternator
oupltput down. The voltage drop across an isolation diode is about 0.7v and
the normal full charge voltage for a standard wet lead acid battery is 14.4v.
So 13.7v is easily explained. If the contacts or cabling are getting old and
corroded then the remaining 0.5v drop to 13.2v is explained. The cabling
included the ground connections made by mounting the alternator to the engine
and the bonding/ground cable feom the engine to the batteries.
Check and compare the voltage at the alternator output terminals, the battery
terminals, and the sensing terminals.
Yes a loose belt can cause low output but you would probably hear it. Once it
stops slipping the output returns to normal.
Good luck,
Josh Muckley
S/V Sea Hawk
1989 C&C 37+
Solomons ,MD
On Jul 31, 2014 2:13 PM, "Edd Schillay via CnC-List" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com>
wrote:
Listers,
Lately, when the engine running, I’m seeing the voltage reach 13.2 tops when it
used to be much higher (13.7 to 14.0).
Is this an alternator issue or is it the belt tightness? Any suggestions would
be much appreciated.
All the best,
Edd
Edd M. Schillay
Starship Enterprise
C&C 37+ | Sail No: NCC-1701-B
City Island, NY
Starship Enterprise's Captain's Log
_______________________________________________
This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album
Email address:
CnC-List@cnc-list.com
To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go bottom of page
at:
http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com
_______________________________________________
This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album
Email address:
CnC-List@cnc-list.com
To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go bottom of page
at:
http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com
