Blog Home

We finally got around to taking pictures of a small and large case alternator side by side.

To change an alternator pulley you need the right tool, this short video shows you how.

 

Arguably, there is no more worthwhile electrical project you can undertake on your boat to improve comfort and convenience than the installation of a high power alternator.  Having a high power alternator will provide you with a substantial improvement in the availability of electrical power on board. 

This key might be helpful to identify the output terminals on your alternator

The Balmar MC-614-H alternator regulator comes with a built-in program for Lithium Ion batteries but it needs to be adjusted to suit Victron's specifications

Read about this Balmar Altmount Serpentine Kit installation on a Yanmar 4JH4E

Wondering how much further forward the Balmar Serpentine Kit will be on your engine? We took a photo to explain it. Click for more.......

Here is a photo and description of the installation of an Altmount kit on a Universal M35 on a Nonsuch 30

This was my first time installing one of the Balmar Serpentine kits and I was a bit apprehensive. Although I had read the instructions several times it still isn't quite the same as actually doing it. Read how it all turned out.........

Question: I need to replace my alternator for a Yanmar 3YM30 /2006. It is a Hitachi 60amp and I am thinking in replacing it with a higher amp output. I might then need to replace perhaps the pulleys for the water pump and the crank shaft and then of course consider a serpentine or other type of belts. Would appreciate your suggestions?. Thanks.

What does an alternator regulator do and how does it work? An alternator regulator supplies current to the rotating part of the alternator. The rotating part is called the rotor, and when current is applied to it it becomes an electromagnet. Its rotation generates an alternating current in the fixed windings of the alternator, called the stator. The regulator acts as a control mechanism for this process

Many battery switches come with a pair of small terminals labelled "Alternator Field Disconnect" or AFD. Of all my years working on marine electrical systems I have never once seen these terminals hooked up correctly. What are they for and how should they be wired.........