Balmar Alternator upgrade for Yanmar 4JH4E

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PDReynolds

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Sep 19, 2011
53
Beneteau Oceanis 423 Rhode Island
Hi Folks,

I am looking at replacing my stock 60 amp stock alternator in my Yanmar 4JH4E engine to improve charing times for my on board batteries. I have dual group 4D house batteries and 1 group 27 for a dedicated starting battery. The boat is a 2006 Beneteau 423.

If anyone can help guide me with mounting style, installation, current output selection, regulators or other things I need to be concerned with before ordering. Defender seems to have quite a few Balmar alternators in the 800 - $1000 range.

Thanks
 
woodster

woodster

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Sep 15, 2009
6,244
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
read Maine Sail's artical on this subject ..it is complete and it also tells about the flat belt conversion as well ...very well worth the read ...and you will be better informed when you cut the check ....

regards

woody
 
Bill Roosa

Bill Roosa

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Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
You are throwing your money away. a 1000 (not a typo) amp alternator will not charge your battery bank substantially faster than your stock alternator. this is due to the resistance batteries have to charging limiting the amps.
Now if you intend on working your batteries from 0 to 50 SOC all the time then you could get faster charging but your batteries will be dead in about 50 cycles.
FWIW
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

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Feb 6, 1998
11,722
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
Bill Roosa said:
You are throwing your money away. a 1000 (not a typo) amp alternator will not charge your battery bank substantially faster than your stock alternator. this is due to the resistance batteries have to charging limiting the amps.
Now if you intend on working your batteries from 0 to 50 SOC all the time then you could get faster charging but your batteries will be dead in about 50 cycles.
FWIW
Click to expand
His bank can possibly take as much as 100A in bulk between 50% SOC and approx 80% SOC so he could see a reduction in charge times there. The big problem with the stock Hitachi alts is that the internal voltage regulator also temp compensates and reduces voltage in an attempt to keep the alternator from cooking itself. I have seen 60A Hitachi alts putting out less than 30A into a large bank due to alt temp.

If you go above about 80-100A you'll want to consider a serpentine belt kit. Both Balmar and Electromaax sell them..

Your charging time between 50% and 80% SOC can be shortened but once the bank comes up to absorption voltage, no matter how big your alt is, the bank is only going to take so much current...

If you plug back into a dock after every weekend you can likely survive with the 60A if you are on a mooring then a good high output alternator can work..

Both Electromaax and Balmar make good products.
 
Marc14857

Marc14857

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Jun 5, 2004
485
Hunter 44 Mystic, Ct
Balmar Alternator

I have a 110 Balmar alternator on my 2005 Hunter 44 with a 4JH4E Yanmar and the AR -5 voltage regulator. I installed this two years ago after the original Balmar 100 Amp alterntor failed. The 110 was the drop in replacement except I needed a slightly larger belt. I have since had the original 100 Amp alternator rebuilt and carry it as a spare.I forget if the new alternator is a model 60 or model 72 but can find out next time i am at the boat. I have a 450 AmpHr battery house bank consisting of (4) 6 volt batteries and a seperate starting battery. I had to make a few minor wiring changes in the harness for the new alternator but this was very straight forward.
 
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PDReynolds

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Sep 19, 2011
53
Beneteau Oceanis 423 Rhode Island
OK, this is more complicated. My survey guy recommended an alternator upgrade instead of putting on solar panels. Solar panels where my suggestion.

I am really trying to figure out how to keep up a charge while away from the dock. Most times we will not plug in for 3 -4 days but during our vacation this could be a few weeks away from an electrical source.

We had considered solar, wind generators or even a diesel generator, but those panda generators are expensive.
 
sailaway78

sailaway78

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May 11, 2005
3,431
Seidelman S37 Slidell, La.
For 1k bucks

For a grand or there about, you can get more benefit out of solar, AND not be required to run the engine to charge batteries. You should be able to get around 400 watts of solar and a good controller for that kind of money. And they are totally silent, and pretty much maintenance free.
 
woodster

woodster

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Sep 15, 2009
6,244
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
PDReynolds said:
We had considered solar, wind generators or even a diesel generator, but those panda generators are expensive.
Click to expand
and if it is the single cylinder model ...nosey as hell tooo......get ya a honda portable ...e2000 model i think its ...about $ 800.00 or so ....

regards

woody
 
sailaway78

sailaway78

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May 11, 2005
3,431
Seidelman S37 Slidell, La.
Are you planning on running AC

If your planning on using AC, then go straight to a genset. No alternator, huge battery bank, or gigantic alternator will run the AC for any period of time.
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

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Feb 6, 1998
11,722
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
PDReynolds said:
OK, this is more complicated. My survey guy recommended an alternator upgrade instead of putting on solar panels. Solar panels where my suggestion.
Click to expand
And what was he basing this on. Did he know your daily consumption? Do you know your average daily consumption? Lots of folks give out free advice spending your money but my guess is your surveyor does not know marine electrics like he thinks he does...

PDReynolds said:
I am really trying to figure out how to keep up a charge while away from the dock. Most times we will not plug in for 3 -4 days but during our vacation this could be a few weeks away from an electrical source.
Click to expand
You need to know your daily consumption. You then focus on using the alt to cycle between 50% & 80% SOC. The solar, wind etc. is better for the last 20% topping up.. If your boat resides on a morning during the week then only solar or wind will work there and a bigger alt won't do much..

PDReynolds said:
We had considered solar, wind generators or even a diesel generator, but those panda generators are expensive.
Click to expand
The last thing you want is an FP generator!!!!!

Keep in mind this is only two weeks and the occasional 3-4 days. Your least expensive option might be a simple internally regulated Electromaax or Balmar and some solar or eve the 80A Hitachi/Yanmar alt.....

You can easily be 100% self sufficient with just an alt and solar but you won't do nearly as well with just an alt.. ...
 
sailaway78

sailaway78

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May 11, 2005
3,431
Seidelman S37 Slidell, La.
What I got

I have 300 watts of solar, and 400 0f wind, with an 80 amp. internal regulated alternator. No AC. Small fridge. I am entirely self sufficient, and unless I have three or four consecutive days of clouds and no wind, never have to run the engine. I stay out for weeks at a time, and only go into a marina when I need fuel or groceries.
The above posts are absolutely correct. You need to know your daily average usage, before you make any decision. And a small Honda generator would be less expensive and quieter than an onboard genset.
 
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PDReynolds

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Sep 19, 2011
53
Beneteau Oceanis 423 Rhode Island
Thanks all for the comments and suggestions. It sounds like I have some analysis to do of my particular situation.

1. To determine my typical consumption , fridge and electronics etc, how can I safely measure this load? There is only an on board volt meter and a selector switch between house and engine batteries.

2. How can I actually determine the current output from my alternator under various conditions to determine if there is some regulation, before I consider the Balmar option.

I do have a good quality Fluke volt-ammeter, but is there a battery monitoring meter that I can install?

Thanks
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

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Feb 6, 1998
11,722
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
PDReynolds said:
Thanks all for the comments and suggestions. It sounds like I have some analysis to do of my particular situation.

1. To determine my typical consumption , fridge and electronics etc, how can I safely measure this load? There is only an on board volt meter and a selector switch between house and engine batteries.

2. How can I actually determine the current output from my alternator under various conditions to determine if there is some regulation, before I consider the Balmar option.

I do have a good quality Fluke volt-ammeter, but is there a battery monitoring meter that I can install?

Thanks
Click to expand
A battery monitor like the Victron BMV-600 will do all this....
 
P

PDReynolds

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Sep 19, 2011
53
Beneteau Oceanis 423 Rhode Island
Looks like a good unit.
Might be a silly question, but is this unit capable of monitoring my 2 house batteries that are tied in parallel, also I assume that I will not be monitoring my dedicated engine battery.
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

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Feb 6, 1998
11,722
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
PDReynolds said:
Looks like a good unit.
Might be a silly question, but is this unit capable of monitoring my 2 house batteries that are tied in parallel, also I assume that I will not be monitoring my dedicated engine battery.
Click to expand
Yes, provided it is not "parallel" by means of a switch and is hard wired parallel.
 
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