Boat has been recently fitted with a new Perkins diesel engine but the small alternator that came with the engine struggles to charge the 5 batteries. We are attempting to replace the original alternator with a Balmar 6 series, high output device. The instructions leave a lot to be desired and so far we can't get it to work. There is also an issue regarding the tachometer. The old alternator has a terminal marked "W" which is connected to the tacho. The Balmar one does not have a "W" terminal and there is no mention of driving a tachometer in the instructions.
The Balmar alternator has a wire which appears to be meant to go to the ignition switch. There was no such wire in the old wiring as far as I can tell but the Perkins manual does not give a circuit diagram. I'm hoping if we run a wire to the ignition switch it will start charging. The alternator has a built in regulator but also has connections for an external one. Unfortunately, the instructions don't include a wiring diagram for applications without the external regulator.
I wondered if anyone here has successfully installed one of these and can offer any guidance. Even the pulley was different to the one shown in the advert, they sent a multi vee type when we needed an ordinary vee pulley.
The Balmar alternator has a wire which appears to be meant to go to the ignition switch. There was no such wire in the old wiring as far as I can tell but the Perkins manual does not give a circuit diagram. I'm hoping if we run a wire to the ignition switch it will start charging. The alternator has a built in regulator but also has connections for an external one. Unfortunately, the instructions don't include a wiring diagram for applications without the external regulator.
I wondered if anyone here has successfully installed one of these and can offer any guidance. Even the pulley was different to the one shown in the advert, they sent a multi vee type when we needed an ordinary vee pulley.