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Simon Motorsports
Mercury V6 Alternator System
Evaulation and
Installation
Article and Photos by Greg Terzian
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The full
charging kit, assembled
Click image for larger view |
High performance
outboard-powered boats are not just the toys of racers anymore. For the
past twenty years, racing outboards have become increasingly popular in the
consumer market, and the presence of these high-performance powerplants is a
common sight at boat launch ramps these days.
These outboards
appeal to many performance boaters for many reasons – the main one
being increased power without the extra weight. For example, a 200
horsepower Mercury 2.5 liter engine weighs roughly the same as its 280
horsepower counterpart, yet produces almost a third less power. With
performance lake boats, bass boats, and offshore boats safely pushing higher
speeds, today’s performance boater wants all the horsepower he/she can get.
What is the
drawback of these high-powered race machines? Unlike consumer-oriented
outboard engines, high-performance outboards generally have very
low-amperage charging systems. Actually, they really don’t charge the
battery much, if at all. The average 16-amp charging system in a 2.5 Liter,
260 horsepower Mercury high-performance outboard is sufficient to operate
the fuel pump, engine systems, and trim systems, however, there’s really
little overhead left for charging the battery. This is by design, since
these outboards are designed for one purpose – maximum power output. Larger
charging systems increase parasitic horsepower loss, since greater energy is
required to pass stronger magnets over the stator windings.
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The complete Simon Motorsports Mercury V6 charging system
Click image for larger view
Photo: Simon Motorsports |
The average V6
consumer outboard engine is equipped with a charging system that is capable
of 40-60 amperes of output – quite a difference from their race-equipped
counterparts. A 40-amp charging system could easily handle electrical
accessories such as depth finders, large-screen GPS systems, and of course,
custom stereo systems. There is another concern for fuel injected engines.
The EFI systems require high and low pressure fuel pumps, which draw a lot
of current. Sometimes, the addition of electronic accessories leaves
insufficient electrical current left over for the fuel pumps, and the
potential for running the engine lean is a possibility. The results of
this situation could be serious engine damage, requiring a major rebuild, or
even worse - replacing the engine powerhead.
Modern Mercury
high performance outboards such as the 280 horsepower, 2.5 Liter EFI engines
have factory-mounted alternator systems, which provide more power (60 amps)
than the conventional systems in previous Mercury V6 outboards, however,
owners of everything below and older than the 280 horsepower engines do not
have this option. With so many high performance 2.4 and 2.5-liter
Mercury engines in recreational use today, a solution to this charging
system deficiency became a common cry for users of these engines.
Simon Motorsports,
located in Alpine, California has an answer to those that own consumer and
high-performance Mercury 2.0, 2.4, and 2.5-liter engines and desire greater
charging power. It is a custom made, outboard mounted 50-amp alternator
system that is belt driven from the engine flywheel. Best of all, it
installs in 15 minutes. Interested? Read on…
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System
installed on a fuel injected engine
Click image for larger view |
This kit is
designed to work in conjunction with your engine's factory charging system.
This has two benefits. First, it allows for a total of over 65 amps of
total charging power (more on consumer-market outboards), which is greater than any performance outboard engine
on the market. Second, it simplifies installation, since the existing
charging system does not have to be modified or removed. The important
thing to note here is that this system adds 50 amps of charging power
to your existing charging system, regardless of factory current output.
Our evaluation
unit is a final production piece, and as such, its quality will be
representative of the current offering. My first impression of the system
upon inspection was that it was a precision-machined product of
extraordinary quality. The aluminum brackets are fully polished, and the
machined surfaces are precise and finished perfectly. Our hardware was
polished, but the system brackets are also available in powder coated
finishes. The alternator itself is a high-quality 50-amp unit, completely
clad in chrome, and tested for extended use beyond 8500 rpm.
Next Page: Installation
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