tilt safety switch

[ajkustra]

Can anyone tell me if the tilt safety mercury switch on a 72 115hp is normally closed or normally open? I want to eliminate mine but don't know if i can just remove it our will i need to replace it with a jumper wire?

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: tilt safety switch

why would you need to do that ?

 

[ajkustra]

Re: tilt safety switch

It is badly corroded, and I'm rewiring. I figured is eliminate it rather than pay for a new one.

 

[oldman570]

Re: tilt safety switch

The mercury tilt safty is normaly open and closes when the motor is tilted up. It puts a ground to the ingniition system to kill the spark to the motor, thus killing to motor. It serves bascily two fuctions. It stops the motor when it is tilted up to high to pump cooling water and acts as a safty switch stopping the prop from moving when the motor is in gear and tilted up. It can be disconected, but you risk burning the motor up if it is tilted too high to get cooling water. Best to just replace it if others will be running the boat at times. JMO
Oldman570

 

[ajkustra]

Re: tilt safety switch

Good point oldman, turns out i did have a spare from a parts motor i recently bought.

 

[oldman570]

Re: tilt safety switch

I know that you will probbly never sell the motor, but there is another factor that most people forget. It is the same as for lawn mowers. The motor has to be as it was built when new with all the safety functions inplace an working order, or a dealer cannot sell it. If something happens after a sale they could lose a lawsuit because of it. This is just another reason that dealers will not want to take a older used motor in on trade. Its too bad that the law is inplace, but it is for the protection of the operators of the equipment. JMO
Oldman570

 

[ajkustra]

Re: tilt safety switch

Another very good point, i see it in the automotive world all the time. Lifted or lowered trucks and modified engines make dealers leery.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: tilt safety switch

The Mercury switch does as was described. It is intended to kill the ign if you hit something and the motor is pushed up out of the water. I find that to be of limited value, since it hardly ever happens. The Mercury switch does not protect against tilting the motor too far and loosing cooling water. That function is performed by the trim limit switch.

Normally you will ventilate the prop before loosing cooling water, so it's function is not real important, especially since you should know when you are ventilating. Disconnect or connect as you like. I would disconnect it.