" Cap,
First, I would disag
" Cap,
First, I would disagree with Daren; the alternator is composed of the stator and the flywheel magnets. These generate alternating current which is regulated and rectified by the voltage regulator. The tach is determining rpms by monitoring the A/C current before it enters the regulator. This is a simple regulator with three terminals. Two are for the stator leads and the other is the hot lead to the hot terminal on the solonoid. The tach is not connected to the regulator on these engines, at least that is the way it looks on the schematics I have.
Again, my opinion is that it is either the tach or the stator that is the problem. A bad connection would cause the tach to cut out completely when continuity is lost.
The stator is the large coil under the flywheel. It generates electricity for the ignition (DC) and the charging system (AC). It would be fairly easy to replace; the only difficulty might be removing the flywheel if you do not have a suitable puller. Before you do this I would advise you to test the stator. If you have a multimeter, you can measure the voltage output at the terminals on the regulator, and you can measure the resistance by disconnecting those same leads and connecting the meter leads to them.
The water pump impeller is not difficult, but there are some problems that can arise. Sometimes the driveshaft can be frozen in the cranksaft. The impeller can be frozen onto the driveshaft. Usually these things do not happen, but it is something to think about.
If you decide to replace the impeller, it is best to purchase the entire water pump kit, rather than just the impeller. When you insert the impeller into the upper housing remember that the blades must be bent in the proper direction. Viewed from the botom, the impeller turns in a counter clockwise direction, so as you push it into the housing you should turn it counter clockwise. You have to have the remote control handle and the lower unit in the same gear when you join the shift shafts, or you could damage the control box, shift shafts, or even the lower unit.
Tony "
