Merc 500 kill switch

[tmac58star]

I have a 73 Merc 500 50hp outboard on a 15 foot trihull from the same era. Would like to install a lanyard kill switch. Can find the dead mans swiches listed here and there, but nothing about how to install them on an outboard this old. Can anyone point me to a resource that will tell me how to do this?

 

[Matt O]

Re: Merc 500 kill switch

Timster I just added a kill switch to my 76 tri-hull with a 72 Merc 115. what I did was took the wire harness where it comes out of the control, found the wire that sent power from the ignition switch back to the motor and put the kill switch into that circuit. took about 45 minutes total and I feel alot better about it. Good luck.<br /><br />Matt

 

[tmac58star]

Re: Merc 500 kill switch

Thanks drive camp. I stopped by Academy Sporting Goods yesterday and found a usable kill switch. It's basically a toggle kill switch with a red and black wire that you splice into the wiring harness. When the lanyard is jerked back, it trips the toggle switch down. By the way you described installation on your Merc, I'm guessing Mercs of this vintage ground out the ignition circuit to kill the motor? You mentioned wiring the switch to the power wire in the wiring harness near the control box. Do both wires on a two-wire kill switch get wired in there? Anyone know which color wires I should look for/hook into in the wiring harness?