Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 08:17:58 -0600
Hi Gregory,
>>Here are my questions:
1. Is there a wiring bundle/harness available or am I looking at individual wire replacement? I looks like a bundle is in there right know because it is clearly machine wrapped.
Three of the four wires that connect the Starter Assist relay are INDIVIDUAL replacements, and are NOT part of any other wiring harness or bundle, other than having tape wrapped around them.
They are:
1) RED - (heavy) 14 gauge to 12 o'clock position (BATTERY) on Main Starter Solenoid
2) WHITE/RED STRIPE ((heavy) 14 gauge to 3 o'clock position on Main Starter Solenoid
3) BLACK(?) 16 or 18 gauge (smaller) to ground next to Starter Assist Solenoid
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4) Only the WHITE 16 gauge (smaller) routes back through control harness connector. The same connector that carries the shifter and tilt wires. If you boat is one of the later models with the two round (Yellow & Black) engine connectors the white wire comes out of the YELLOW connector.
>>2. Is this a DIY project? I’m pretty capable; but, I don’t have the desire or skill to remove major engine components in order to get to connections.
I did this job myself last winter and I would say it EASILY falls into the DIY category. It's a job that will take you a couple of hours, but You don't need to remove any major parts. You do need decent lighting and easy physical access to the starboard side of the engine. Here's a brief description of how I did mine.
WARNING: ALWAYS START by COMPLETELY REMOVING THE BATTERY!!!
a) Remove the Starter Assist Solenoid. Draw a diagram of how all the wires connect. Just remember the large wires go on the relay's heavy terminals and the small wires go on the relay's small terminals (Reference Diagrams are available on my website.)
b) Remove the tape that bundles the three wires coming from the stern (or from the Main Starter solenoid)
c) Remove the large RED and WHITE/RED wires from the MAIN STARTER SOLENOID (again noting their terminal location).
d) Check the overall condition of the small white wire that eventually routes back to the CONTROL connector, if you are lucky this wire will be fine (mine was). If you haven't been living right and you do find this needs repair, then you'll need to splice in upstream (toward the stern) a new section. It is highly unlikely the existing wire is rotten very far. Again, this is the wire that runs back to the helm to the key-starter switch. If you have the later (1969) model it also has to run thru the neutral-safety switch in your shifter.
e) With the three remaining wires, you now simply need to duplicate them now on the workbench. If you don;t have the crimping tools or don't feel comfortable building new replacement cables, take them into any automotive electrical shop and they'll duplicate them for you. Heat and oil take their toll, not to mention potential corrosive effects, so I'd grab Ancor Marine grade wire and decent self-sealing crimp-connectors but that's probably overkill (and the originals lasted almost 40 years).
f) Re-assemble correctly. You can retape and use split-loom to help protect your new wires.
Wiring is pretty straight-forward and is well documented on these boats (most boat builders never document their wiring). It also tends to get neglected and often over-looked in diagnosing problems. It seems daunting, try to break it down into the individual circuits or subsystems and tackle them one at a time.
Good luck and let us know how you are progressing.
Lee Shuster
Salt Lake City
----- Original Message -----
From: Gregory B. Fell
To: omc-boats@...
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 7:18 AM
Subject: [omc-boats] Starter Assist Solenoid follow-up
I had previously written that I had diagnosed by starting problem to the starter assist solenoid. I purchased a new one (only $13.00) and attempted to install in this weekend. I started off being a very simple remove and replace procedure. However, it didn’t turn out that way. My wiring is so brittle that any stress on it causes it to break apart. The wire on the blind side (stern) of the solenoid had broken. I don’t know if I did it during the removal or whether that was the problem in the first place. Bottom line, I need to replace all the wiring. I’m hoping to do some patching to get me through the summer then do a complete replace over the winter.
Here are my questions:
1. Is there a wiring bundle/harness available or am I looking at individual wire replacement? I looks like a bundle is in there right know because it is clearly machine wrapped.
2. Is this a DIY project? I’m pretty capable; but, I don’t have the desire or skill to remove major engine components in order to get to connections.
Gregory B. Fell
The Fell Law Firm
3300 Oak Lawn Avenue, Suite 700
Dallas, Texas 75219
PHN : 972-488-8177
FAX : 214-219-4218
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