89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

[Mr.Stuart]

I just want to do a little brain picking of the more experienced.

the geek side of me might be starting to show with these questions I'm about to ask, but here it goes anyway.

I'd like to set up my little 9.9 Evinrude with a tach, a water pressure or temperature gauge, and either an amp meter or volt meter to monitor the on-board alternator, no particular reason to do it other then ...well, gauges are cool.

what's the average temperature a little outboard like mine runs? and where would be the best place to mount the temperature sensor? or is a water pressure gauge a better idea? what would you tap into for water pressure? or maybe use both temperature and pressure? how much pressure does an impeller put out, I'd suspect the pressure would change depending on RPM.

as far as volts or amps, I think I got both of those figured out, but I am curious about having some instrumentation to monitor the engine vitals.
my guess is that it's not done all that often on the little outboards, but why not? while I'm restoring the boat, it's going to be fairly easy to put some sort of instrument panel in it, I thought it would be nice to equip the boat with a means to monitor the outboard.

what's your thoughts on this stuff? are there any other instruments I could use that I haven't mentioned or thought of? so far, all I have for the boat is a depth finder, I'd like to ad a little more then that

I was looking online for a speedometer tonight, it would be nice to find something that will got from 0 to 30 or so, the boat will only do about 20-MPH, so I don't see a need to put a speedometer in it that reads up to 50-MPH or more, but it seems like the smaller ones are harder to find, or maybe I'm just not looking in the right place?

thanks, Stuart

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

if the motor is not electric start, you don't have a charging unit to monitor, and if it is there will only be enough output to maintain the starting battery. water pressure is more important than, temp guage. tach again runs off rectifier.

never seen one done, but don't mean it can't be done. have you priced guages?

 

[DJ]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

Water pressure is easy, just tee into the telltale hose and add a guage.

Tach. can be acheived by using a "Tiny Tach" (brand name).

If your engine does have the alternator accessory, volts are easy too.

Those engine run anywhere from 130 to 150 degrees.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

Water temperature and water pressure gauges are equally important. Water pressure merely tells you the water pump is working. It by no means tells you the engine is being cooled properly. A temp gauge tells you that. Temp gauges have two styles of senders. One type screws into a port on the engine that protrudes into the water jacket. The other type is a thermistor and is mounted under a headbolt with the sender contacting the cylinder head. Both types of senders must match the gauge or you will get inaccurate readings. Automotive temp gauges are of no use on an outboard since they are calibrated wrong. They typically have dials calibrated 120 -260 degrees so the needle would rarely get off the peg. A speedometer is totally independent of the engine and is water pressure driven from a pitot mounted on the back of the boat. In your application, a Tiny Tach would work well. Forget an ammeter. A voltmeter is a better option. And as stated, if you don't have a charging system why bother. And if you do, the voltmeter just connects across the battery through the ignition switch (provided you have electric start) which I'm not sure is even available for that engine.

Here is a contact type of temp sender.

Here is a water jacket type of sender.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

it's electric start, and it's got a 4 amp alternator, and yes, I've noticed that automotive gauges won't work in this application. as for gauges, I figured I'd build an instrument panel towards the back of the boat, and put what ever gauges in it that would fit, prices look like there somewhere between 40 to 60 depending on what you get, and I'm seeing some cheap stuff on ebay, but I'll lean more towards a matched set so when done, the instrumentation will look like it belongs.

thanks for your input, I'm absorbing it all, right now I have the boat completely tore apart and am getting ideas on how I want to put it back together.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

This guy on ebay always seems to have a few good sets of matching gauges, worth a look . Good luck.

"http://cgi.ebay.ca/INBOARD-OUTBOARD-BOAT-GAUGE-SET-parts-gauges_W0QQitemZ320186820025QQihZ011QQcategoryZ26451QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

This guy on ebay always seems to have a few good sets of matching gauges, worth a look . Good luck.

"http://cgi.ebay.ca/INBOARD-OUTBOARD-BOAT-GAUGE-SET-parts-gauges_W0QQitemZ320186820025QQihZ011QQcategoryZ26451QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"

I saw those on ebay last night, most of the guage sets are for I/O's and the speedometers are generally in the 20 to 60 or 70 MPH range, the temperature gauges are the same, and I don't think they would fit my application, I'll probably have to put my own instrument package together.

years ago, I did this with, of all things ...a lawn mower. I still have the mower, and it's got an 18 HP vanguard in it, it's pressurized whereas it takes an oil filter, so I got an oil pressure gauge for it, a hobbs meter, I was having a hard time trying to figure out a temperature gauge because it's an air cooled engine, so what range would I use to get an accurate reading? I finally settled on an automotive transmission temperature gauge and it worked out perfect, the needle runs about center of the gauge when it's warmed up which is about 205 degrees as I remember it, (I haven't paid much attention to the gauge set on in in a few years now) and I used a amp meter for the alternator that reads to 6 amps, and can't remember for the life of me where I found the amp meter now, but that would be a perfect meter for the boat, but I'm not going to use my tractor for donor parts, it will all come together, it's going to take me a little time to remember how I did it with the mower, then probably use the same ideas on the boat.

I've got a couple of family members laughing at me now, "you want to do what?!?!?" "isn't that a little over kill there buddy?? It's just a little row boat, you don't need that stuff"

hey, I figure it can't hurt to have it, so why not?

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

years ago, I did this with, of all things ...a lawn mower.

That is the geek in you coming out eh !! lol I would of never thought of putting a gauge cluster on my lawn mower!

 

[F_R]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

A tachometer will work just fine. Verify this, but I believe the 9.9 is a 10 pole (5 pulse) alternator. Tach has to be same or you get false readings.

A tach also tells if the alternator is working, since it is driven by it and if it quits working, so does the tach. But since you are just going for gadgetry, go ahead and put in a ampmeter or voltmeter if you want to.

Worst accessory I ever bought for a boat: A speedometer. Looks impressive on the dash, maybe. But they are junk as far as being a practical instrument. Get a GPS if you want to know how fast you are going.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

That is the geek in you coming out eh !! lol I would of never thought of putting a gauge cluster on my lawn mower!

at the time, I thought it was a cool idea, how many people do you know that has a lawn tractor with a full complement of gauges? I even added tail lights, (it already had head lights) and all the gauges illuminated so I could, well, mow at night, (I had a big yard at the time) and being a ham radio operator, I thought it would be cool to be able to use my ham radio on it while I'm mowing the lawn, so I added a 12 volt hookup for power for the radio, added a 2 meter antenna, and built a VOX headset so I could gab with my ham buddies as I mow.

now it's the boats turn .....

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

A tachometer will work just fine. Verify this, but I believe the 9.9 is a 10 pole (5 pulse) alternator. Tach has to be same or you get false readings.

A tach also tells if the alternator is working, since it is driven by it and if it quits working, so does the tach. But since you are just going for gadgetry, go ahead and put in a ampmeter or voltmeter if you want to.

Worst accessory I ever bought for a boat: A speedometer. Looks impressive on the dash, maybe. But they are junk as far as being a practical instrument. Get a GPS if you want to know how fast you are going.

I'll look into what the alternator is, as of right now, there's only 2 wires coming out of the engine cover, a black and red wire that goes to the battery, so I'm assuming that the charge from the alternator passes through those two wires.

I've noticed that the speedometer isn't all that accurate, I've got one in my starcraft, plus the one in the depth finder, and one in the GPS plus a 4th one on the Loran unit, and none of them will read the same, while the loran might read 35 MPH, the GPS will read 32, the on in the depth finder will read about 36, and the one in the dash, well it can't decide what it wants to do, it normally reads the lowest at about 28 or so, I never know how fast I'm going, if asked, well hey, somewhere between 28 and 36 is my best guess

the no wake zones are great, if I can get at least two of them to read 5MPH, the other to claim I'm not moving at all

 

[F_R]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

The charge from the alternator does go through those two battery cables, but so does the starting current, so that's not where you would connect the tachometer. Look for two or three yellow wires coming from under the flywheel, going to a little can-looking thing. The tach connects to one of those yellow wires (yellow with grey stripe if it has one). Also connects to ground and probably 12V supply.

An ammeter would be inserted in the red wire going to the can thing. BTW, that's a rectifier.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

The charge from the alternator does go through those two battery cables, but so does the starting current, so that's not where you would connect the tachometer. Look for two or three yellow wires coming from under the flywheel, going to a little can-looking thing. The tach connects to one of those yellow wires (yellow with grey stripe if it has one). Also connects to ground and probably 12V supply.

An ammeter would be inserted in the red wire going to the can thing. BTW, that's a rectifier.

I've spent most of the day working on the boat, I really need to get an engine stand built so I can tinker on the outboard, I'm going to see if I can get a stand built, then I'll take some pictures of the wiring, then I'll know what I need to do for tapping into the appropriate spots.

 

[Cornell]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

I have a 1988 15 hp Evinrude on a 12 Valco aluminum boat. I had installed a sonar unit known as a "Fish Finder" or debt finder:. Then I found a need on how fast to troll when fishing and always wanted to know how fast I was going with different weight or people in the boat. So I ordered a speedometer wheel to add to the fish finder. Works really good. Measures fractions of a MPH from 0 and above. Trolling for trout is productive for me at between 1 and 1.5 MPH. And top speed in my boat with 400 lbs. weight is 25 mph.
This was a fairly easy install. Many of the fish finders have speedometers already included. That would save you some expense. Mine happens to be an Eagle 320 Mark and not real expensive. And rated good as well. I'm not an expert, with experience with a lot of these dept finders but I like this one.

 

[tabbott]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

Hey Cornell,
I've got a debt finder myself. I found her in Florida twelve years ago. I've been in debt ever since..... No really, my Lowrance has the same type of speed sensor. The one with the paddle wheel. Works very good. At very slow speeds as well.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

the boat this outboard is on is a 12 foot trailorboat klamath, the boats rated up to 4 people, 800 pounds, and 20 horse power, with my 9.9, it does 20 MPH with one person, and drops down to about 14 MPH with 3 people in it.

I'm on the lookout for something closer to 20 HP but don't think the boat really needs it.

I have a Humminbird 141c fish finder, still in the box, I haven't used it yet, and it didn't come with a speed sensor, but plan on getting one for it.

 

[Evinrude15]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

Why do you want to put gauges on that small motor?? It really serves no point and is costly.

 

[angus63]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

Because he can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because he wants to!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just because.......................................

If you don't get it and have to ask why, stick with the rest of the stock world and leave the tinkerer's alone.

Sorry, but Mr. Stewart pimped out a lawn tractor and this is your question???

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

Because he can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because he wants to!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just because.......................................

If you don't get it and have to ask why, stick with the rest of the stock world and leave the tinkerer's alone.

Sorry, but Mr. Stewart pimped out a lawn tractor and this is your question???

hahahaha ....just wait till you see it finished ......I've been out gauge shopping today

I have a nerdy side .....

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: 89' Evinrude 9.9 instrumentation?

I pretty much gutted the boat, (not that there's much gutting to be done on a 12 foot row boat)

I took a few steps back, took a gander at what I had just done, and went ...humm, where can I go with this? the possibilities are endless

I can ad a speedometer, one of those peto type that are next to worthless, ...but it ads to the cool factor.

that fish finder will tell me water temp, depth, speed, and even show me where my fish hooks at in relation to the fish, (ok, at least according to the side of the box that's what it says)

I can ad a water pressure gauge, a cylinder head temp gauge, an oil temp gauge, (need to know how warm the lower unit oil is) a water temperature gauge, a tach, a volt meter, and amp meter, (so I know when my battery is dead and the alternator quits working) and anything else I haven't thought of yet.

lets face it, I have to fess up, I can't fish, it's not that I don't want to fish, but the fish are smarter then I am, and I can't seem to catch any, so I figured it can't hurt to have every available weapon at my disposal in my arsenal for my war on fish. I have to learn to out smart them.

I've seen the pictures on the internet, the dining table powered by an outboard, the camping trailer on pontoons, so why not do this?

I live for the day when I'm out on the river, I see some guy in his new 2,500 dollar 12 foot boat, with his 4,500 dollar 4 stroke outboard, and I pull up along side him with my 125 dollar boat, my free outboard, take a gander at him, look him square in the eyes, stick my nose up in the air make the following statement ...."bet ya don't got one of these"