I went into this weekend with two objectives: verify the stator is bad with a different meter and verify the primer solenoid is functioning as intended. After thinking it over, I chose a different route.
I knew the stator would cost about 110 to rebuild, and a battery is about the same. Also, my time is very limited until about Thanksgiving, so I took a gamble. I installed a LiFePo4 cranking battery, completely removed the rectifier, disconnected the stator, and the Pr/R and Gy wires that connect it to the battery loop. I also consulted an EE to make sure a disconnected stator would not cause a fire.
I set up my poor man's test tank and gave it a try. Started right up and idled it for a while, forward, reverse, all good. Shut off the motor and turned on my fish finder and waited about a half hour to simulate me fishing a spot. Did that on and off most of the day, and every time it starts just fine. A few times, I intentionally did not push in the key to beat on the battery a little bit.
After about 5 hours of doing that, the new battery only went down 5%. At that rate, I could fish a couple of days and not even charge it, not that I would. It's my opinion that the fautly stator slowly degraded the lead acid battery by leaving it uncharged for too long before I could get home and charge it. The degraded battery did not have the power to spin the flywheel fast enough to get good fuel pressure. Something that an unexperienced eye would not catch.
Thanks for all the help, I could not have gotten this fixed without it!
