New boat, doing a wiring over haul, starter question

[peacekeeper6]

i have this new boat i bought off a guy. and its shot to hell in the wiring department. it isnt that difficult but the starter is giving me hell. i know it turn over cause if i touch the 2 guage wire to the second post near the block it turns right over, sometimes it just spins and doesnt fly out but i am told that is expected. i basically need to know how i go about wiring the new ignition in. what contacts do what for which wires and that sort of thing. i beleive its a delco cause it has a solonoid on it. also it has 2 screw posts in the back and 3 connector posts that u can slip a wire onto with a crimper. any help would be appreciated. i have a picture and the starter is a bosch 0001311146, pain in the *** thing

 

[trog100]

Re: New boat, doing a wiring over haul, starter question

u need a wireing diagram for your engine really but i can give u a basic idea of how it kinda works..<br /><br />the solenoid is just a big switch/relay.. big heavy duty cable from the battery goes to the solenoid.. from the solenoid it then feeds the starter motor.. normally thru a short length of heavy duty cable which goes from the solenoid to the starter motor.. <br /><br />when u turn the ignition key.. low current power is fed to the solenoid.. this causes the solenoid to do its switch thing and turn on big current power to the starter..<br /><br />as well as doing this it pre-engages the drive cog on the starter motor into the flywheel teeth.. it does this before it does its switch thing..<br /><br />this is the basis of how the engine gets turned over.. as well as this there are other small terminals that come live when the ignition is switched on.. one feeds power to the coil.. normally thru a resistor wire.. the other only comes live while the key is being turned and the solenoid is energized.. this one bypasses the resistor wire to give easier starting..<br /><br />its the extra wires that make things a little confusing.. these extra wires come off the solenoid but dont have much to do with how the engine gets turned over.. they could follow a different route completely and go nowhere near the solenoid.. but they do and thats just how its commonly done.. <br /><br />when u feed big current power straight to the starter motor this bypases the solenoid pre-engagement thingy which is why the motor just spins without turning the engine over..<br /><br />trog100

 

[peacekeeper6]

Re: New boat, doing a wiring over haul, starter question

i think i got it, and i think i know how to fix it now, but if i upload a picture of my starter to you via email or something can u explain further?

 

[Alexo1us]

Re: New boat, doing a wiring over haul, starter question

Let’s see if I can add some value?<br />The starting circuit all are about the same main cable going into the solenoid from the battery.<br />There should be two bigger connectors (terminal) for power supply back to the key switched starting and charging systems and one to supply the starter. In most marine applications the power is supplied directly from the battery for onboard systems. This terminal will also most likely be used in your case to route the charge from the alt to the battery. You should find a small term 12-14 Gauge this will be the trigger for the solenoid depending on model there may be two small terminals one will be trigger and the other will supply current to systems that require it during the start process On the single terminal type there should be two wires one from the starter switch and one running to the plus side of the coil, this supplies the Ignition current needed to spark the sparks. Since, if you have a key switch the start is different then run. So when starting there is no power supplied from the key run position, only the from the start position.<br />When the key is released it switches over to the run circuit.<br />Back to the Starter when the start circuit is active the current runs down to the small terminal on the solenoid which activates the internal switch. The started draws a lot of current this is why you can’t just put it directly to the starter. <br />But there are two main types of starters some use an external solenoid some have them built on.<br />The first type the solenoid is usually mounted in an easy access location relative to the battery and starter. When the trigger is powered it engages an internal high amp switch. When power is supplied to the starter it starts spinning which is designed to throw the gear forward into the flywheel as it starts spinning<br />The second type actually has two circuits, one triggers a plunger type system to pull the gear forward into the flywheel the plunger when it reaches the end of the travel in its bore it acts as, a second switch to transfer the required current to the starter for turning over the engine. <br />I know that not all are exactly the same but this is how mine works I have the second type as well and most I have seen in the older and auto market have been the same with a few slight differences in circuit paths but all worked on these basics<br />Besides if I have made a mistake I’m sure I’ll be corrected in short order.<br /><br />But in any case I hope it helps.<br />Alex

 

[peacekeeper6]

Re: New boat, doing a wiring over haul, starter question

well my theory was wrong, i have power to the bigger post and tried "engaging" the plunger but to no avail. starting to worry me that i will never get this figured out

 

[tommays]

Re: New boat, doing a wiring over haul, starter question

go slow and carefully that is a really expensive marine starter that your not going to find just at the local marine supply<br /><br />i would really STOP until you come up with something close to the correct wireing diagram to work with <br /><br />tommays

 

[peacekeeper6]

Re: New boat, doing a wiring over haul, starter question

yea i am working on other things, i found the pluger i believe but i havnt hooked everything up to test it so we will have to see. i cleaned the carbs out to day though. . . GROSS!!! it had so much gunk and grime in there i dont know how the engine even ran.

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: New boat, doing a wiring over haul, starter question

GROSS!!! it had so much gunk and grime in there i dont know how the engine even ran. <br />

What ever was in the carb probably came out of the gas tank. Be sure to clean the tank also.

 

[trog100]

Re: New boat, doing a wiring over haul, starter question

not entirely sure how one is sposed to clean out a gas tank.. draining and replacing the fuel certainly wouldnt do it.. the vast majority of whatever is thought to be in it would still be in it after doing that..<br /><br />when u think of the size of the gas tank and compare it to the size of the carb float chamber.. then think that many relatively huge gas tank quantities of gas all get bunged thru that teeny weeny little carb float chamber.. it aint surprizing that some crud builds up in it over the years..<br /><br />a better example would be to think of the crud in the carb.. then think of exactly the same amount of crud lost among the 60 gallons of fuel in the gas tank and the possibilites kinda look different..<br /><br />the 3.0 engine in my 16 year old boat does not have an external water/seperater filter fitted..<br /><br />in the carb itself.. there is very small gauze fine mesh little filter.. when i think just how small this filter is.. then i think of how many thousand of gallons of gas gets pumped thru that little filter without bunging it up on regular basis.. the only conclusion i can come to is that gas as we buy it really is super clean and free of any crud..<br /><br />i think the idea of crud in fuel tanks is more in the mind than the reality..<br /><br />my car also dosnt have a big external filter.. nothing bungs up.. gas is clean.. any crud that might build up in the tank over time usually floats on top of the gas and simply stays there..<br /><br />unless u run it empty.. then your problems might start.. he he <br /><br />trog100

 

[peacekeeper6]

Re: New boat, doing a wiring over haul, starter question

well i fixed this one too, didnt have the nut tightned down on the start post. tithgtned it and the plunger worked great.