Rectifier, not charging & gauges pinned in wrong direction... what fun! 86 Force 125

mbhoag

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
147
Rectifier, not charging & gauges pinned in wrong direction... what fun! 86 Force 125

Not to beat a dead horse..:deadhorse: but with so many threads talking about rectifiers, the more I read the more confused I seem to get...

Last week I was up in Minnesota fishing on the middle of Otter Tail lake in my 86 Bayliner Bass Boat with Force 125... It was choppy and we had been drifting with the engine off for a while. Went to start the engine and it started hard, had to apply choke and it sneezed a bit before starting (this is another issue, I needed to pull and clean carbs).

Once motor started we zipped across the lake at WOT (40mph+) and I looked at my gauges and everything was pegged in the WRONG direction...fuel gauge, volt gauge, tachometer...:confused: I was a little nervous about shutting the engine down in the middle of the lake, so I kept going until we reached the boat launch.

At the launch I shut her down, then started her up again, all gauges now working normally....:cool:

The next day went back on the lake (probably not my best judgement, but only had 1 more day of fun :D ) and noticed engine cranking slower and slower each time I started it...and voltmeter not showing and variation with engine speed... My conclusion is that battery is not being charged.

Here are my actual questions for the forum.

What might have caused a 100% polarity shift? while running? The only thing I could come up with was the rectifier.

My thought is that rectifier is bad and needs to be replaced, and wondering what all my options are... I have seen many options listed on the forums, but not sure which is the best rectifier for me or if there are other options as well.

Chrysler Rectifier 152-9209 from CDI - $35.20
Radio Shack Rectifier 276-1185 from Radio Shack - $4.49
Rectifier from PowerSportSuperstore - $100+

I like the radio Shack rectifier for under $5.00... is there a downside to that?

Are there any recommended gauges I should add to my console to monitor the engine & electrical systems?
Current gauges are Voltmeter, Tachometer, Fuel gauge, Speedo (which is useless)


Is there any type of regulator that could/should be added to this motor?
Or should I just replace the rectifier and call it good?

Thanks for all the help!
 

SkiDad

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 18, 2010
Messages
1,518
Re: Rectifier, not charging & gauges pinned in wrong direction... what fun! 86 Force

Re: Rectifier, not charging & gauges pinned in wrong direction... what fun! 86 Force

I'd say get the rectifier from CDI and call it a day ... just be sure to unhook the battery when you install it - i made the mistake last time and arced mine - fortunately it just blew the breaker. take a picture with your digital camera to make sure you have it wired up right.

Sounds like the culprit since your tach was not working. But if you are not certain it's the rectifier you can test with a volt meter.
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,667
Re: Rectifier, not charging & gauges pinned in wrong direction... what fun! 86 Force

Re: Rectifier, not charging & gauges pinned in wrong direction... what fun! 86 Force

I'd test the ignition/electrical system, stator in particular, , then replace the rectifier, and probably call it good.

I like saving money, but don't like radio shack rectifiers.
 

foodfisher

Captain
Joined
Feb 18, 2009
Messages
3,756
Re: Rectifier, not charging & gauges pinned in wrong direction... what fun! 86 Force

Re: Rectifier, not charging & gauges pinned in wrong direction... what fun! 86 Force

A the shack you can get 7 for the price of one .. Buy two and carry a spare.
 

mbhoag

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
147
Re: Rectifier, not charging & gauges pinned in wrong direction... what fun! 86 Force

Re: Rectifier, not charging & gauges pinned in wrong direction... what fun! 86 Force

After even more research... I think I am going to replace the rectifier with this rectifier/Regulator... unless someone can give me a great reason I shouldn't.


Sports Parts Universal Regulator/Rectifier 01-154-16
by Sports Parts
3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
List Price: $40.95
Price: $34.33
You Save: $6.62 (16%)

Note: Free shipping when purchased from Powersport Superstore. Not eligible for Amazon Prime.
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Powersport Superstore.

Designed to rectify A.C. output current to D.C. voltage. Replaces all selenium (metal plate) and silicon rectifiers. Protects batteries, lights, and complete electrical systems. 12 volt 200 watt (or less). Replaces regulators used on ARCTIC CAT, KAWASAKI, RUPP, SCORPION, SKI-DOO, and others.
 
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