Gauges

[zell66]

Hello all, just purchased a boat and was wondering what gauges are essential while boating. Currently I have only a speedometer. I am going to replace it with a new one, old one broke. But what others do I need? My boat is a Yar Craft with a 125hp Chrysler force motor ob.

Thanks

Zell66

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Gauges

A tach, voltmeter, fuel gauge, water pressure gauge, and engine water temp or cylinder head temp gauge are essential in my view. Water pressure gauge tells you the water pump is working -- it does not tell you the engine is cooling properly. The water temp or cylinder head temp gauge tells you whether the engine is being cooled or not. Voltmeter tells you the charging system is working. The tach is essential for determining engine performance and for determining if prop selection and engine mounting height is correct. Make sure you buy a tach specific for your engine. Some Chrysler engines needed a special tach as I remember.

 

[ricksrster]

Re: Gauges

Your Chrysler is a 12 pole / 6 pulse alternator which is what most motors are. You should have no problems.

 

[zell66]

Re: Gauges

what exactely does that mean a 12 pole/6 pulse alternator?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Gauges

12 pole is the number of coils that make up the stator. Magnets in the flywheel pass past these coils (poles) to create AC current. AC current is a sine wave so from that system you get 6 pulses with each engine revolution(half of each of those pulses is positive going, and the other half is negative going). The tach counts those pulses and converts the count to a voltage that is displayed by the meter as "revolutions per minute". Some engines had 10 pole stators and from that the tach would see 5 pulses. A switch at the back of the tach is used to set the number of pulses.

 

[F_R]

Re: Gauges

Boat speedometers are worthless crap. Take it out and fill the hole with a tachometer. Buy a GPS if you want to know how fast you are going. You can relate that to RPM so you know how fast (by tachometer) to pull that tuber.

 

[zell66]

Re: Gauges

Thank you for all the information.

One more question..With my boat a (I think) 1989 Yar Craft with a 1989 125hp Chrysler force motor, can any gauges work or do I need to purchase specific gauges for my boat and/or motor?[/SIZE]

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Gauges

The only gauge that is engine specific is the tachometer.