1991 Johnson 88 special, regulator not hooked up

[pybob]

I have what I was told was a 1991 Johnson 88 special, howeveer there is not serial i.d. plate on the motor or mount. The motor is not charging the brand new battery. After purchasing a manual, the regulator is definately not hooked up. Could this have been done by the previous owner due to an existing problem with the unit, and if i hook it up, can it cause damage to the system if it is indeed bad

 

[surrender]

Re: 1991 Johnson 88 special, regulator not hooked up

Dont think the Specials had the Regulator, they just came with the unregulated charging system. A rectifier is what you probably have and it may have gone bad. Does your Tach work? I think when the rectifier goes the tach will also show no reading. Pretty cheap to replace. CDI website is great for troubleshooting