I've been running on a two-battery bank for about 8 hours with a shot
alternator. Is this normal?

Batteries are two weeks old, crankin' batteries. Engine is a 5.7litre
'78 Mercruiser. Cabin guage shows this bank at 12.2v, other bank
which hasn't been used at all is at 12.8. No increase in voltage when
engine is running, on alternator tester or two other on board guages
(ammeter and voltmeter) No other house current being used to speak
of.

My other boat is a 15' Bayliner with a 50 horse Force, so obviously I
have no basis for comparison! I'm taking alternator in to the shop on
Monday. How long can an engine like this run with no alternator?

Thanks in advance!
Speedo

speedo wrote:

I've been running on a two-battery bank for about 8 hours with a shot
alternator. Is this normal?

Batteries are two weeks old, crankin' batteries. Engine is a 5.7litre
'78 Mercruiser. Cabin guage shows this bank at 12.2v, other bank
which hasn't been used at all is at 12.8. No increase in voltage when
engine is running, on alternator tester or two other on board guages
(ammeter and voltmeter) No other house current being used to speak
of.

My other boat is a 15' Bayliner with a 50 horse Force, so obviously I
have no basis for comparison! I'm taking alternator in to the shop on
Monday. How long can an engine like this run with no alternator?

Thanks in advance!
Speedo

With a couple of hours a day on charge at the dock or in your
driveway, you could go years, or not. The engine doesn't care, it
just wants volts for sparks. You could expect to go twice as far
on two as you do on one.
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SofDevCo

I don't know? Do you normally run 8 hours with a shot alternator?
Seriously though, what are you asking? 12.8v for your unused battery
is a full charge, 12.2v for the one you have used for 8 hours is about
50% discharged. Hard to say if that is normal unless you know what
the load is. If the alternator is not working then your ignition system
is being supplied by the battery. How many hours did you run the
engine with the alternator out?

Doug


"speedo" wrote in message
om...
I've been running on a two-battery bank for about 8 hours with a shot
alternator. Is this normal?

Batteries are two weeks old, crankin' batteries. Engine is a 5.7litre
'78 Mercruiser. Cabin guage shows this bank at 12.2v, other bank
which hasn't been used at all is at 12.8. No increase in voltage when
engine is running, on alternator tester or two other on board guages
(ammeter and voltmeter) No other house current being used to speak
of.

My other boat is a 15' Bayliner with a 50 horse Force, so obviously I
have no basis for comparison! I'm taking alternator in to the shop on
Monday. How long can an engine like this run with no alternator?

Thanks in advance!
Speedo