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**waterlogged882** · 05-04-2020, 09:02 PM

Originally posted by Island Jim View Post

Okay - I am starting to realize I shouldn't try to use the forum or wrench on my boat....I originally put this in the Forum Help section. Sorry guys - I promise I'll get better. Below is what I had originally posted....sincerely appreciate all the help you can offer the noob.

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Okay, totally new to inboard boats outside of learning behind a proper ski boat 25 years ago. BUT I scored a 95 Prostar 205 with a new interior and a solid running 5.7 EFI late last season - plan to teach my kids to ski. I winterized it and made the plan to get it up and running for this season.

Just got the bent prop and strut back from the shop with new cutlass bearing - drive shaft verified straight. Had to bring the engine up 3/4" and port 3/8" - perfect alignment. Replaced the impeller, put all hoses and plugs back in and ready to run her on a bucket to heat up for the spring oil change. Go to hook up the battery and my son points out the copious amount of smoke coming from both sides of the engine.

Huh....must be a difference between "+" and "-" thingie on the battery....stupid, stupid, stupid. Not sure how I missed that....So, after a good round of swearing, I look at what happened. The 10AWG from the starter solenoid, the little jumper behind the "black box" that is near impossible to get everything back into, and the wire to the alternator are fried. Everything else, oddly enough, looks okay.

So I grab my most stylish COVID deflector mask and off to get new wire and connectors. Craft a set that looks as good as factory and put it all back together. Reconnect the battery and after a minute or two, smoke from the alternator. At this point, I haven't at any time tried to start, or even put the key in the ignition. Hopefully this helped save something from myself.

I'm guessing the diode pack and rectifier are hosed and best to replace the whole thing. The alternator I pulled out is a Leece-Neville Model 8MR2084K / Sales No. 110-494. I've called around and can't get anyone to confirm this is a marine alternator - anyone know for certain? Also, this (link below) seems to be the best priced solution - anyone tried one of these or buy from these guys?

https://www.dbelectrical.com/product...6-110-494.html

Now for the big question - what else did I screw up? I can't find any main fuse that hopefully would have blown to protect the ECM or perhaps the ignition. Does this boat have a fuse box somewhere or just the breaker in the "black box."

Thanks to all for helping me get out on the water and having some fun!

DB Electrical is my go-to exclusively. Good place to deal with and fair prices.

The rest of the story remains in question without further testing for results after the replacement of the alternator. I cannot advise beyond this point.

The breaker is the fuse for the engine's electrical components. There is a fuse panel up front but it is mostly for the dash components/gauges. Push the red button at the breaker for a reset.

Go here and visually match the pulley configuration and the mounting bracket. Call them if you need to. They will help you out.

Red = +
Black = -

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**Island Jim** · 05-04-2020, 10:24 PM

Thanks Waterlogged. I put a call into DB today, but they weren't able to call me back.

Fingers crossed the breaker saved the day on the rest of the electronics.

I'll have to remember that whole red = "+" / black = "-" thing.....filed it away right after pointy end goes on the trailer first.

I swear, I'm smarter than this...

**FrankSchwab** · 05-05-2020, 12:33 AM

Ya know, I've got a rebuilt Leece-Neville Model 8MR2084K sitting on the shelf in my garage. Last weekend, I was trying to decide whether or not to keep it. I don't know what it would cost to ship, but we might be able to do a deal.
When I replaced my engine a couple of years back, I put in a new alternator, and had this one rebuilt as a spare by a guy in town who's been rebuilding alternators since they were invented. Only keeps his shop open to give him something to do. I haven't installed or tested it.

**88 PS190** · 05-05-2020, 09:27 AM

There should only be 2 or 3 actual "fuses" on the boat (unless your radio has one in the back of it)

There is a single large breaker which should be a red push button although some are auto resetting types - usually on the back of the engine.

Near the ECM there should be two/three black caps on my 94 they sort of dangle by the starboard exhaust manifold - right where they like to get wet when you pull the drain plug on that side of the manifold. Yours may be in a different place.

These are typically a fuel pump fuse, an Ignition fuse, and an Engine/ECM fuse - so hopefully they popped. THey might not see juice if you didn't try to crank it yet.

**Island Jim** · 05-05-2020, 09:58 PM

Thanks for the insight guys. Frank - I ordered the new alternator from DB before I saw your post, I think I'll just let this go. I did pull my old one apart and the wires had burned off the rectifier - not to mention years of gunk inside it; so all in all a new one may not be a bad idea. Any insight on how to remove the pulley would be appreciated.

88 - thanks, I'll look for these fuses. I'm getting more optimistic this won't become an investment of much more than my time.

So here is another question - I've had a few outboard bay boats and we always had a perko switch and charger onboard. Anyone have any luck in finding a place to put these types of things on the Prostar 205? There just isn't any room by the battery and the previous owner has filled up the storage under the observer seat with amps / sub and a giant capacitor (which is kind of fun to have the music). What I'm most after is a way to isolate the battery when we park the boat in its storage shed so it isn't drained while just sitting there.

So far I've pulled the seat and disconnected the cables - Seeing my track record and the amount of effort it takes; I need a better solution.

And of course, dual battery discussion is part of the future as well.

**88 PS190** · 05-06-2020, 08:36 AM

For the pulley - since you're tossing the old one my technique is to take your old belt (you are putting the new belt on when the alternator is off right?) put it around the pulley and clamp it in your vice then zip off the nut with a rattle gun and smack the shaft of the old alternator with a good heavy hammer. Should pop right off.

Can't help you on the perko - it used to be marine batteries always had two differently sized posts with a big one for the positive - helped avoid the screw ups. As I understand it the boat manufacturers didn't want to be purchasing different sized eye crimps and asked for the battery standard to go to a single sized post for both terminals - not sure if that's myth or not but its what I was told. As a "safety control" since the terminals are not in the center of the battery you could zip tie one of them say the positive such that if the battery is in backwards there wouldn't be enough slack to reach across the top of the battery to hit the negative post.

**Island Jim** · 05-14-2020, 08:30 PM

Alright - work load finally allowed me to get the new alternator swapped. Good news - no more engine smoking. Gauges come to life and the engine cranks.

Buuuuuut....no spark. I've used an in-line spark tester and since I didn't trust that, pulled a plug, grounded to the manifold and same problem. Also, I noticed the plugs are dry.

I'm at a loss where to start looking.

The three fuses on the top of the engine are good, the breaker doesn't seem to be tripped.

Assume the ECM is controlling the ignition? Is there a way to test this thing?

Welcome any thoughts.

It's my first ski boat; but so far has made a great driveway ornament.

**Island Jim** · 05-17-2020, 11:22 PM

Problem solved.....

EMC is fully functional. After hours of research and tracing wires, I found that the ignition wasn't sending power to the relay - no spark, no fuel. Tracing it back to find the problem it became crystal clear that the kill switch was open because I pulled the lanyard off for the trip from the storage shed to my driveway.

Celebrating blissful stupidity along with my old ECM.

Boat back on the water today - straightened strut, new cutlass bearing, prop corrected and engine alignment, all electrical problems behind me....she ran like a champ. Totally ready to start pulling skiers this summer.

Thanks for the help guys.

On another note, if you aren't aware of Ron Tanis at www.skiboatpartsonline.com, you should be (no doubt you have found his videos on youtube). Ron had me call him back after-hours so he could research the wiring diagram on this old Mastercraft knowing he did't have the ECM to sell.

He pulled the schematics from his database and sent me what I needed to chase this down. Not to mention, he ran home then back to his shop just for me. His wife is a nurse in the general New Orleans area and is caring for those with COVID and Ron needed to help her get in without touching things in the house. I'll do my best to buy what I can from Ron....amazing people helping others.

**FrankSchwab** · 05-19-2020, 12:33 AM

That lanyard has caused more mysterious problems than just about anything else (other than MDC gauges) that I've heard about on this list.

Reminds me of the day I took the boat out to the lake to do some on-water maintenance (adjusting the packing, etc), and after an hour or so of working and my wife sunbathing, went to start the boat - and it'd crank, and crank, and crank, but wouldn't start. I spent an hour with my wife looking at me, trying to be helpful, as I tried everything to figure out what was going on - just to remember that I'd shut off the fuel valve on top of the tank for no good reason.

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