TOPIC: Hooked up battery backwards, motor won't recharge

Let me start by pointing out what an idiot I am. I have known how to hook up a car battery for about 40 years now but when I bought my boat in July with no battery, I picked up a new one and proceeded to hook it up backwards like I had never seen underneath a car hood before. The boat started and ran great but after a couple of months the battery was dead. I posted about this about a month ago but somehow it never occurred to me until today that the backwards battery back in July probably fried something, causing the running motor to not be able to recharge it.

I said all that to ask if you think I killed the alternator or the voltage regulator or some other third thing I haven't thought of.

In recognition of the fact that I am an idiot, please start all responses with the phrase "You idiot!" and shake your head disapprovingly as you are typing.

What is the year, make, and HP of the motor?

You are NOT an idiot.
What year? what motor?
Most of us would never admit that we all at one time reversed the battery cables. Some get lucky, some do not.

I did it on the GT-150 earlier this year - fried the starter solenoid for sure

1964 Johnson Golden Meteor 2, 90 HP.

Does it have an alternator or a generator?

Looks like an alternator connected by a belt.

More than likely you fried the rectifier, that is the only thing that would react to reverse voltage.

Is that the same as the regulator? I can't find a rectifier in the part list for this engine.

I suspect you have a generator not an alternator. The generator will look very similar to the starter motor but on the other side of the motor and is driven by the same type of belt that drives the distributor. Your trouble just might be a simple as a dirty or loose connection or bad cracked shorted wire. The voltage regulator on my '65 Evinrude is located inside the same box as the starter solenoid and fuses. Check those connections and fuses. You can also remove the cover of the regulator and make sure all those contacts are clean.

In addition to sabres advice, If have box like 63 sabres check - 1-fuse - may be a quick and easy fix (fingers crossed!), 2-starter relay, 3-voltage regulator. 1st 2 cheap regulator can Be pricey.

If checking fuse, use a multimeter - fuse can look good and still be bad - although with that kind of reversal it would probably be pretty visible.

And don't feel bad, we've all done the brain dump moves, heck, if I had a nickle fr all the ones I've done....

Good luck.

The Meteor had a Uni-Charger alternator under the flywheel. The belt driven device on your Meteor is the distributor for the ignition system.

Your engine may have an in-line fuse holder just ahead of the rectifier / regulator. I believe it is mounted on the flat area at the back of the motor, between the cylinder banks. This is a black bakelite plastic part with a wire coming out of each end. One end of the fuse holder twists off and inside, there is an automotive fuse. It is probably blown out. Replace it and see if the system works. It is also possible as mentioned above, that the rectifier / regulator were damaged, and will have to be replaced.