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(no email)
Date: Sat Apr 14 2007 - 08:03:32 EDT
Sterling,
Check for a loose wire connection at your alternator. Maybe my
experience a few weeks ago will lead to checking the alternator itself,
since I assume your diesel, like most diesels, has a field wire just
for the tach.
We were headed north from Lake Sylvia (Ft. Laud.) going to Old Port
Cove (N. Palm Beach) in winds gusting to over 30 kt. on a Sunday.
Ordinarily, we do not move anywhere on the ICW on a Sun as this is the
day all the nuts with loose screws in Searays are strutting their stuff.
Just north of Ft. Lauderdale, the port tach on the fly bridge started
wavering, then swinging up and down 300 rpm at a crack, then wildly.
Usually, this means you can expect an engine shut down momentarily. OK,
I got twins, so no big deal there. There was no place to stop, as
traffic was heavy and we were in the concrete canyon/jungle, so I
pressed on. About the same time, the voltmeter for the port engine on
the fly bridge was reading about 12.5 volts, not the usual 13.
We continued north for 6 hours this way until we got the anchor down in
Old Port Cove. Later, I checked the alternator output with a digital
voltmeter and found that it was still working, so I was confused.
When I finally docked in Palm City, I pulled the alternator off the
boat and got it bench tested. It was built for me to be a 100 amp unit,
but it was only putting out 10 amps. I had it rebuilt, and both my
voltage problem and my tach problem were solved.
You don't mention if your lower helm tach is also acting flaky. If it
isn't, than you can blame the wiring or tach on the fly bridge and look
for the problem there.
In any event, suggest you use an accurate, digital hand tach to
calibrate both tachs after you solve your problem. For some reason,
mine drift and have to be tweaked every year. Martin Veiner, somewhere
north of upper Largo Monrovia.
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