1974 85 hp wiring burned up. Help!

[Toontime]

DIL has an old 74 Ebbtide basser with waterlogged hull and transom that needs rebuilding. Has 85 hp Merc with old, hard, burned wires from the stator to the electrical connects in front of the carbs. Most of the solenoid wires have corroded and/or burned too! Battery cables have lost 6 inches of insulation and are corroded at the battery ends. I'm scared to even hook up a battery to it. Can't find an OEM manual on the net or any references to wiring harnesses for this motor. Can anybody help with the references for manuals and wiring? What can I expect to pay for same? Is it worth fixing? It does have a good trailer. Wife gets kinda weepy seeing Daddy's boat going to the junkyard. How can a guy be a hero in a situation like this?

 

[MrWick]

Re: 1974 85 hp wiring burned up. Help!

Almost any store that sells boating stuff,West Marine,Boat World,and etc carry repair manuals for almost any outboards.In the back of these manuals are wiring diagrams that are fairly decent but your problem may be most of the wiring uses color coding and if your wiring is that bad you may not be able to tell the colors of your existing wires.These books run about $30 give or take a little.....

 

[Toontime]

Re: 1974 85 hp wiring burned up. Help!

Thanks Wick, but I have been the Chilton route before and really prefer the manufacturer's manuals. They are much more specific and detailed.

 

[tmac58star]

Re: 1974 85 hp wiring burned up. Help!

Unless you're willing to spend several months and several hundred $$, I'd ditch the boat and sell the trailer and outboard separately. Then take a small commission for being the seller's agent and give your DIL whatever the rig brings. He can use it for another toy. If the wife starts to weep, ask her for a loan to rebuild the boat and rewire the outboard. That should do it.