Merc 470 voltage regulator air cooled

"hello all , my next question

"hello all , my next question is , is it not possible to adapt a voltage reg/rectifier from something else? , ? or is the alternator conversion a safety thing ? i have no charge from the regulator but a quite high voltage(20 v ac+) coming from the stator (working with the bilge blower running). here in the uk we dont have the alternator kits so i'd have to fabricate the mounts .it quite tight is the engine bay so room maybe a problem but having no experience of inboard boat engines i'm weighing all options ! also , how many wire alternator is best ? as 50% of my boating will be at a 6 knot speed limit !(uk inland rivers & canals) your thoughts please!"

"Hello Kev, I don't know a

"Hello Kev, I don't know about adapting a voltage regulator from something else. I just purchased a boat with the 470 in it and after all of the horror stories I have heard and read about the original stator charging system I promptly purchased an alternator conversion kit and installed it. I got the one wire standard GM marine alternator with the mounting bracket and belt for about $300.00 US. It was a simple install and am very happy with the results. It did not take up much room at all(only adding about 3" to the overall height of the engine) and the belt installed on the existing crank pully. I purchased it on e-bay, but there are several individuals that manufacture them and many will ship outside the US. Hope this helps! Good luck"

thanks peter
can

thanks peter
can anyone explain to me the difference between 1 wire and 2/3 wire alternators please ? i read somewhere that a 1 wire alternator doesnt charge well at tick over ?

"Three wire alternators monito

"Three wire alternators monitor the battery voltage using a wire called an "exciter" that tells the alternator when it should increase output.

Single wire, I believe, put out at a predetermined RPM--could be wrong."

"i think itll be the three wir

"i think itll be the three wire one i'll need ! so how would i wire up for the exiter ? i think on a car its to the ign light circuit? its got to charge at tickover ,and i'll be using two batteries (1 engine 1 leisure on a switch 1,2,both,off) as i mentioned before ,the boat will have a fair bit of use on the inland waterways ,with a 6 knot or less speed limit!"

"Guys: double check me on thi

"Guys: double check me on this alternator wiring.

If you buy a new marine Prestolite alternator, it should come with short wires attached to it; red w/purple stripe (the SENSING WIRE) is connected to the same color wire from the air cooled (AC) regulator. The AC regulator orange wire is attached to the alt. B+ OUTPUT. The purple wire on the new alternator is the EXCITATION WIRE. Looking at a 470 wiring diagram it appears you need to add a 16 ga. purple wire from the choke purple wire to the alternator purple wire. You will also need a 16 ga. black wire for the alt. ground or earth.

Note: The boat orange wire will need to be 10 ga. (if it is not already) for a 60-65 amp. alternator. If you use a higher amp. output alternator the orange wire will need to be changed to 8 ga. to carry the amp load."

"cheers guy!
i like

"cheers guy!
i like this site "