Boat Wiring help

[Arkman]

I think this is the right board. I've tried for a while now to figure out what the heck is going on with this so that I can make it work the way I want. I'm hoping there is someone here that is willing to give me a hand.

I have a 1968 mercury 20hp outboard that is ready for the electric start to be hooked up. Its all in working order I just don't have any switches or anything like that hooked up.

Let me start by saying that I know this isn't the easiest way to do this. I could spend $15 bucks and buy a push to choke key switch and call it a day, and I will if there is no way to get this to work, BUUUUUT. I'm almost certain this would work, I just don't know how.

I'm trying to do something I think a little unconventional simply because I think it would be fun. Now, I know that I could just hook up a key, but what would the fun of that be?

The ideal sequence for starting the motor would be:

1. Flip the ignition switch to on or "run" or whatever. (something like a toggle switch)

2. Flip the choke to on (or hold if its momentary). (Toggle or momentary switch)

3. Push start button. Engine starts(hopefully ) (A push button switch)

4. Flip/release choke switch.

5. Then when I need to turn the engine off I just flip the ignition to the off position.

Basically I want three different items. Start switch, ignition toggle switch, and choke switch/button. Does this make sense? Here is a link to my wiring diagram.

I can't quite figure out what needs to happen where. If you look at that diagram the button named "ignition starting button" seems to be the kill switch in my motor. Thats one item that is confusing to me. One other main difference is that the diagram assumes that I have an external wire harness that plugs into an internal harness. I'm unable to find that external harness (boat side i think its sometimes called) for any kind of reasonable price. So I'm just going to hardwire it straight from the switches to the motor.

Basically I'm hoping that you guys could tell me what color wire to hook up to what switch. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ajtoady]

Are any of the existing wires color coded, and items, starter, choke sol, are mounted now?

 

[ajtoady]

If the items are there I have the schematics that should work. Let me know and I can give you copies or points of connection. Tony

 

[Arkman]

Thanks Tony. Its been a while since I've looked at the actual guts but I'm almost certain that all the wires are color coded to match up with the diagram.

http://www.maxrules.com/oldmercs/Wiring/1966ona/21.pdf

 

[ajtoady]

Those are the same schem's I have. You should check it against your motor though. My neighbor is an old Merc man and has all the tech manuals from back when Hitler was a corporal if needed. Let me know if you need points of termination and the only thing I would change is make the choke a momentary PB for sure. I will draw in the switches on the dwgs and repost later.

 

[ajtoady]

I didn't realize you had linked your dwgs in the first post, sorry. The new ScubaBoard doesn't seem to highlight like the old one.

 

[Arkman]

Tony,

I really know next to nothing about how this stuff works. As far as I can tell the guts in the motor are the same as the diagram with one big exception. I have no wiring harness'. I'm going to hardwire straight from each component to the proper switch/battery or whatever. I'll make it so they can be disconnected, probably at the switch, so I can pull the motor off in the winter.

My biggest hurdle is what color wire gets hooked up to what switch and how to feed power to the proper switches and what not. I think, from what I understand. The post labeled "A" and "D" deal with distributing power to each operation (the start and choke and what not) as needed, but when I take that harness out of the equation I don't know how then connect the wires.

Thanks so much!

 

[ajtoady]

Dinners over now. Let me look in my inventory and if I have a harness I can send it. I will post later as I have to move some boats around now. Does your motor have the six pin plug in it?

 

[Arkman]

Oh man! that would be sweet if you could find it. Yeah its six pins. Here is a photo.

 

[herman]

Your plan should work but if it were me, I would spring for an inexpensive start switch that incorperates run, off and start modes in one package. Here is an example. Shop Arnold Tractor Ignition Switch at Lowes.com