motor questions for restore project

[ybrabjm]

i am restoring a 20' 1988 harris w/ a 35 hp 1988 force. first, the foam lining inside of the motor cover is gone. will replacing this assist (noticably) in reducing noise or is it even worth the bother? if so, what is it and were could i find it? secondly, i have a selco??? manual for force motors that should cover this motor. it has excellant wiring diagrams for force motors, however it does not list mine. the closest i have found is a 1987 35hp and mine is a 1988. there is also noticable differences in the two, mine has overtemp alarm, the 87 does not so one. would everything else be generic? i ask this because the wiring is a complete mess, just lying on the deck as someone before me removed the console and did not bother to do it in an orderly fashion. it needs cut out and start from scratch. thanks for any help you may have.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: motor questions for restore project

Yes, foam will considerably lessen noise. BUT: Don't bother with the stock foam. There are aftermarket foams available from Home Depot etc. that do a better job, Search this forum for other posts about this.

wiring to the ignition switch is probably the same BUT if the igniton systems are different, the engine terminal boards MAY be wired differently. Factory manual is much preferred over the Seloc manual. But, sometimes, you make do with what you have.

They BOTH should have an orange terminal on the engine for overheat indicator wiring.

 

[Matthew A.]

Re: motor questions for restore project

To replace the foam I found a method that not only works to quiet things down considerably, but also is very easy to apply as well as should last years.
Expanding foam. This can be found at most hardware stores for 5 to 7 bucks for an aerosol can of expanding foam. My 85 hp required two cans.
Apply it on one side at a time on the inside of the cowling. Just as the foam begins to form a dry skin [usually less then 5 minutes] lightly push the foam down to compress it slightly, popping any bubbles larger then 1/2" or so. Compressing the foam increases it's density which helps to dampen engine noise. Keep compressing the foam until it has set up completely and you have achieved a final thickness of about an inch or so. Usually sets in about 10 minutes. After the foam has dried sufficiently take a sharp tool and probe for thin areas that may need a bit more foam. After you have completed applying the foam on all the inside surfaces place the cowling onto the motor and check that there is sufficient clearance between the cowling foam and the flywheel, carbs, ect ect. If all is well wait a couple of hours and apply a few coats of spray paint to help seal the foam. After you have finished applying some paint the next step is to give yourself a beer and go enjoy your much quieter O.B.
Force recommends that you replace the temp sensors with orange wires for the newer temp sensors that use a red wire. I believe their reason is the newer sensors operate at a slightly lower temperature then do the orange wire sensors. With that said...I have yet to make the upgrade to the newer red wire sensor.