Unusual factory charging system set up on a 1982 Johnson V4 115HP

Hi all, I have had this 1982 Johnson V4 115hp since new and over the years I have had the dealership and a marine mechanic change two rectifiers. on the starboard side near the terminal strip. Now that I have learned to do things myself, as I have had it for so long, I happened to notice that on the port side, partly under the flywheel, is a voltage regulator also. It definitely was fitted new as it has been there back in the early days but I had no idea what it was.
Has anyone seen this before? I find it odd that both were fitted and you would think that the dealership might have said something about it when i had a charging issue problem the first time. They only changed the 3 wire rectifier. The second rectifier change was done by a marine mechanic when my tacho suddenly died and again nothing was said (I know now that i can troubleshoot this myself but have no charging issues since as I have a voltmeter fitted to the dash).
The voltage rectifier purple and yellow wires are still connected to the terminal strip together with the rectifier wires. There is also a short black earth wire that is grounded to the block where the regulator sits.


Here are a couple of pics. Would be really interested to get the thoughts of the more experienced forum members here. Many thanks!

That is the way they left the factory 40 years ago.------There is nothing strange / odd about it.

racerone said:

That is the way they left the factory 40 years ago.------There is nothing strange / odd about it.

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Thanks but so far all the 1982 model V4's I have seen only have a rectifier connected from the factory. Doesn't make sense to have both connected together. Cheers

Yep, a voltage regulator was factory original along with a 10 Amp alternator stator on models with power tilt and trim. Not 100% sure, but I believe it disables the alternator via the yellow wires when voltage goes too high. All is good

fdrgator said:

Yep, a voltage regulator was factory original along with a 10 Amp alternator stator on models with power tilt and trim. Not 100% sure, but I believe it disables the alternator via the yellow wires when voltage goes too high. All is good

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Thanks very much fdrgator for your input. That makes some sense to me but why is it that another 1982 115hp and also a 90hp I have seen recently, both with power tilt/trim, don't have the regulator? That's why I wanted to post here to find out more from the more knowledgeable. Cheers.

Back in the day the factory power trim / tilt models had the higher capacity stator.----Those had the voltage regulator.----The non power trim models did not have the voltage regulator.-----What happens to motors once they have been in service can not be accounted for.-----I am sure many trim systems were installed with out upgrading the charging system !!!

Appreciate this Racerone. Still an interesting one for me as the two others I mentioned have the model number J115TLCNB and J90TLCNB on the side plate so were original power trim models. Maybe they were removed? In any case, they run fine so the regulator may not be as important to the set up.

Snapper Fisho said:

Appreciate this Racerone. Still an interesting one for me as the two others I mentioned have the model number [FONT=&]J115TLCNB and J90TLCNB on the side plate so were original power trim models. Maybe they were removed? In any case, they run fine so the regulator may not be as important to the set up.[/FONT]

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As Racerone says the power T&T models were fitted with higher output stators than the non-power T&T models, I guess because of the higher electrical power needs.

However the higher output stator has the potential to overcharge the battery therefore a regulator is also fitted which controls the battery charging.

If you look at later models you will find that a combined, water cooled rectifier/regulator is fitted, rather than separate rectifier and regulator, along with a higher output stator, to power T&T models.
None of this has any bearing on the way the engine operates. It is purely do with battery charging. If the engine has the higher output stator it must have a regulator (or combined rectifier regulator) or the battery is likely to suffer from overcharging

The parts book shows one thing.-----But there is no telling what the shop that sold the motor did.----Nor what the previous 5 owners did to it.----

Great info guys. What a brilliant fprum to learn from and so helpful!
My 1982 115hp has served us incredibly well and still going strong after 38 years. Occasionally may take a few goes to start but runs like it did when I bought it. Apart from standard lower unit and spark plug servicing, I replaced the water deflectors 12 years ago myself, learned how to properly torque the head bolts in a circular pattern (starting from the middle left bolt) and gave me a lot of satisfaction. I'm based in Australia and can't get carbon guard anymore to add to fuel but I am able to source Engine Tuner anf apply that every few years.
The carbies, stator and trigger are still original and have not been touched since 1982! Cheers

If you run the fuel out of the carburetors each time that the motor is going to sit unused , the carburetors stay clean.----You sometimes see folks who feel the carburetors need rebuilding every 5 years for some strange reason.

racerone said:

If you run the fuel out of the carburetors each time that the motor is going to sit unused , the carburetors stay clean.----You sometimes see folks who feel the carburetors need rebuilding every 5 years for some strange reason.

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True and the secret to mine is that when not in use, I run it for 5 minutes on the mufffs every 4 to 6 weeks to keep the head lubricated. One time I was overseas for 5 months and I took spark plugs out, put in a tablespoon of 2 stroke in each cylinder and turned the flywheel a few times after putting plugs back. All good when I returned.
The reason my motor has a yellowish look is because I have sprayed it with the Mercury Corrosion Guard. Have found that stuff the best for protection, especially if the boat cannot be garaged. Cheers.