DC Primary System Upgrade
- Thread starter Ward H
- Start date
Whoops, I read "did you", not "do you".
Sure. A bottle of Elijah Craig or Makers 46 should cover it.
I enjoy this type of work and getting it as neat as I can. I often wish, once its done, that I had another boat to do. Which is what I did when I finished my O'day. I won't mention this to the admiral.
I like the fee. Ward saddle up and come on out... I have the Craig on the boat.. un opened. ANd when done I’ll take you out for a cruise in the PacNW.
Oh... There may not be a lot of work... Never mind... Just let me know when your flight arrives.
Oh... There may not be a lot of work... Never mind... Just let me know when your flight arrives.
John this is not the thread on lyingI like the fee. Ward saddle up and come on out... I have the Craig on the boat.. un opened. ANd when done I’ll take you out for a cruise in the PacNW.
Oh... There may not be a lot of work... Never mind... Just let me know when your flight arrives.
just wiring up the windlass is going to be more than a 1 day jobMahalo
I read the thread... Ward is a Savant with this stuff... Worry not.. I know where I can get another bottle should it be needed. And your not getting out of the promised wiring assistance that easy, Les. Your too invested.. Thank goodness.
Worry not.. I know where I can get another bottle should it be needed. And your not getting out of the promised wiring assistance that easy, Les. Your too invested.. Thank goodness.
I got a PM noting my electrical diagram showed MRBF fuses and the progress photos I posted shows ANL fuses. Darren asked if there was a reason I changed.
I needed the wires to be close to the wall of the battery compartment so they would fit between the battery and the wall. The MRBF fuses had them too far from the wall so I switched to the ANL fuse blocks and turned the lugs over. I connected the ANL fuse blocks using a copper bar as shown by Maine Sail in his How to Install a Battery Charger article.
Here's an updated diagram and one of the detail in the battery compartment.
I needed the wires to be close to the wall of the battery compartment so they would fit between the battery and the wall. The MRBF fuses had them too far from the wall so I switched to the ANL fuse blocks and turned the lugs over. I connected the ANL fuse blocks using a copper bar as shown by Maine Sail in his How to Install a Battery Charger article.
Here's an updated diagram and one of the detail in the battery compartment.
Ward,
I did the same upgrade on my 95 C30. I followed Maine's Leece-Neville 90A alternator tutorial for installing an external regulator. After a season+ I converted to a serpentine set up as the 3/8 belt just didn't cut it. I used the small engine mode and ramp up but it still squealed when I ran my batteries down a bit. you'll love the new set up and by doing it yourself you'll know where everything is. I kept my 30 for 9 seasons and sold her for $500.00 less than I paid for her. Those upgrades had a lot to do with it.
Good luck and have fun!
I did the same upgrade on my 95 C30. I followed Maine's Leece-Neville 90A alternator tutorial for installing an external regulator. After a season+ I converted to a serpentine set up as the 3/8 belt just didn't cut it. I used the small engine mode and ramp up but it still squealed when I ran my batteries down a bit. you'll love the new set up and by doing it yourself you'll know where everything is. I kept my 30 for 9 seasons and sold her for $500.00 less than I paid for her. Those upgrades had a lot to do with it.
Good luck and have fun!
Time for an update as my electrical upgrade is almost finished.
DC distribution panel - Instead of back lighting I added a 5" Marine Beam red/white dome light over the panel. As I identify or add new circuits I will move loads to the terminal strips and run wire from terminal strips to switch.
Before and after photo
Engine compartment. Added CMI IR 90A alternator and rewired. Still need to neatly bundle wires but that won't happen until after I can fire up the diesel and be sure all is working as it should.
No before but here are a couple of after photos.
The engine panel still had the alt output running via the orange 10 AWG wire to a small euro strip behind the panel connection to the 10 AWG red power wire back to the starter. I corrected and removed some other wires made obsolete by the new alt.
Here are some before and after of that work.
Thanks for all the support and help.
DC distribution panel - Instead of back lighting I added a 5" Marine Beam red/white dome light over the panel. As I identify or add new circuits I will move loads to the terminal strips and run wire from terminal strips to switch.
Before and after photo
Engine compartment. Added CMI IR 90A alternator and rewired. Still need to neatly bundle wires but that won't happen until after I can fire up the diesel and be sure all is working as it should.
No before but here are a couple of after photos.
The engine panel still had the alt output running via the orange 10 AWG wire to a small euro strip behind the panel connection to the 10 AWG red power wire back to the starter. I corrected and removed some other wires made obsolete by the new alt.
Here are some before and after of that work.
Thanks for all the support and help.
Attachments
Thanks for the updat Wade. I started the wiring replacement from engine to engine panel today. Much to my surprise I found a #10 wire with exposed ring terminal could up an zip tied to the top of the lazerette. Turns out it goe to the starter lug and start battery — what were they thinking to leave a live wire like that. Also found a #16 Red that goes ?????
Thinking? Heck, I usually at least label any wires that I abandon vs. removing. At both ends. Once I deliberately left a wire in place, and years later re-purposed it to great advantage and a lot less work.
Isn't this the time to go stand in a bucket of sea water and put one end in your mouth?
Good luck. Finding both ends is always a challenge.
Les, I did find at least three wires that did not go through the terminal block behind the engine panel. One is a #14 or #16 red wire that is attached to the Ign On stud of the ignition switch. I marked it Fuel Pump? as I can trace the fuel pump wire back towards to engine panel but am only guessing from there.
I know the Tach sensor wire and fuel gauge wire are the other two that bypass the terminal block.
Could that be the #16 red wire you found? It's shown on the last photo.
It might be for the lift pump. But why run the wire an extra 10’ up to the panel when a switched hot is at the engine?? Don’t get me started on calling the switched hot “alternator excite”. Talk about obfuscation.
Cabin lights ( both + -) is also run to the panel directly.
I don’t have a fuel gauge at the engine panel. I have, tach, water temp, Hobbs, amps (disconnected). Going back in will be tach, water temp, Hobbs, and oil pressure. I’m changing glow plug toggle to a glow plug on led, and putting a timer down by the glow plug relay, the NC position on the relay will run up to the panel to provide power to alarms. This way I will hear the buzzer for a short period between glow plug timer timing out and engine start.
Cabin lights ( both + -) is also run to the panel directly.
I don’t have a fuel gauge at the engine panel. I have, tach, water temp, Hobbs, amps (disconnected). Going back in will be tach, water temp, Hobbs, and oil pressure. I’m changing glow plug toggle to a glow plug on led, and putting a timer down by the glow plug relay, the NC position on the relay will run up to the panel to provide power to alarms. This way I will hear the buzzer for a short period between glow plug timer timing out and engine start.
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Hobbs meter is a genericized trademark for devices used in aviation to measure the time that an aircraft is in use. The meters typically display hours and tenths of an hour, but there are several ways in which the meter may be activated: It can measure the time that the electrical system is on.
Since this is a boat I guess I’ll have to retrain myself for proper terms.
I’ll sketch out the circuit and post here
Les
Since this is a boat I guess I’ll have to retrain myself for proper terms.
I’ll sketch out the circuit and post here
Les
Crude but should get the idea across. PM me if you want to chat further. The relay at the panel is just to silence the alarm when glow plugs are on ( which should be 15-20 sec after you turn the key). If you don’t mind the horn leave it out (and leave power connected to ign sw).
On our Catalina 27 I once found a red wire crimped to a black wire, then crimped to a red wire, and finally connected to ground. I think it was the grounding for the fuel tank.
