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To Install Charging Kit or Not?

K

Klink

Regular Contributor
I have a 1993 Johnson 25hp J25RETS. The prior owner must have installed an electric start kit because it's both rope and electric start. It however does not have the 0174037 BATTERY CHARGE KIT, which cost around $100.
The kit's charging rate is 4 amps, not much in my opinion. Is it worth it to go through the expense and time to install this kit or should I just use a battery charger I already have? Keep in mind that I have a second battery on board for the electric motor, and the only electrical devices are the running lights, a temperature gauge, and a bilge pump that is only needed in big rain.
 
The motor only uses the battery for starting, which is only for a few seconds. Then there are the running lights. So, unless you do more than normal starts and/or night use, you don't need the charging system. The main reason I can see for having it would be if you keep the boat docked where there is no power outlet to plug in a battery charger and you don't want to be lugging the battery back and forth.
 
agree with fdrgator....i would also manual start occasionally to make sure rope and mechanism is in good shape and to make sure you know procedure and that it works....
 
I really don't know the numbers, but the short answer is very little. Actual current depends on engine temperature, the hotter it is, the more current it draws. I'll stick my neck way out and guess it probably has a 1ma meter movement in the gage. That translates to 1/1000th of an amp at full hot scale.

EDIT: All bets are off if that 1a meter is shunted by a resistor. As I admitted, I don't know.
 
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kimcrwbr1 said:
Not really only when the engine is running. Those starters dont draw much either. Have you tried to use the pull start? The motor will run just fine with a dead battery are you sure it dont have a charge stator under the flywheel? There would be two or three yellow wires going to a rectifier. The red wire from the rectifier goes to the battery side on the start solenoid it is that simple.
http://maxrules.com/graphics/omc/wiring/25_35_82-83_elec-remote.jpg
If you want to get fancy you could probably add a tach with the charging system. This schematic will give you a good idea on wiring you do want to fuse everything off of the battery.
Click to expand...

I wanted to install a tachometer and that is when I found out it has no charging stator or rectifier. I started the engine at least 15 times, never thinking it had no charging, and it worked fine. However, in all the pictures of electric start engines and some rope starts on the internet I saw that they had a visible rectifier and bussbar that mine didn't have, so I suspected it was not complete.

I'm going to go without them for a while , but I think I'll end up installing the kit, maybe get one when I locate a parts engine.

P.S.- I'm going to try the rope start, and make sure it is in good working order for future use, in case I run the battery down with a spotlight or something else. I assume I have to have the console key switch in the run postion to rope start right?
 
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one note but an important one...make sure that when the electric start was added an interlock was installed to keep the motor from starting in gear..
 
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