62 Lark 4 electrical question

[reddcarr]

I have a 62 Lark 4 on a vintage Ranger aluminum runabout-real cool boat. Engine runs great, but when I short the two black wires that are supposed to kill the engine nothing happens-have to kill it with the choke. Anything I'm doing wrong before I start tracing all the hidden wires under the flywheel? Also, I've heard that with the advances to two stroke oil since the 60's that I can run a much leaner fuel/oil ratio than they did back in the day, perhaps to cut down on the oil slick behind the boat?Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: 62 Lark 4 electrical question

Try grounding the black wires. If that doesn't kill the spark, the wires are not connected properly. PM Joe Reeves about running that motor on a 50::1 mix. He is the expert.

 

[lindy46]

Re: 62 Lark 4 electrical question

Those two wires connect to the points and ground them out when connected. Make sure they are properly connected to the points - you'll probably have to pull the flywheel. There also may be wire connectors outside the flywheel that have come loose. That motor needs a 24:1 fuelil mix.

 

[F_R]

Re: 62 Lark 4 electrical question

Those two wires connect to the points and ground them out when connected. Make sure they are properly connected to the points - you'll probably have to pull the flywheel. There also may be wire connectors outside the flywheel that have come loose. That motor needs a 24:1 fuelil mix.

Somebody has probably screwed around with the black wires where they go to the vacuum cut-off switch. They always do.

 

[reddcarr]

Re: 62 Lark 4 electrical question

OK men, here's where I went today. Pulled the flywheel and everything looks very clean-I think the coils and points have been recently replaced. Wiring looks correct and clean,undamaged. I replaced the vacuum cutoff switch with a known good part from my parts motor. Still nothing. When I short the two black wires together nothing happens. When I short them to ground the motor runs like crap, but still won't die. Other than this problem of not shutting off with the key, the thing purrs at idle, and runs like a champ under full throttle. I don't know if a wiring diagram would help me, but if anyone has one I'd appreciate any leads. Shutting it off with the choke is a bit of a pain due to the reach from midship to the front of the motor.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: 62 Lark 4 electrical question

The black wire is connected to both sets of points? It sounds like something is connected wrong, since the Motor won't die, when you ground the killer wire.

 

[lindy46]

Re: 62 Lark 4 electrical question

One of those black wires (from one set of points) should go to the cut-out switch and then on to the key switch. The other black wire, from the other set of points, should go directly to the key switch. Is that the way it is connected?

 

[reddcarr]

Re: 62 Lark 4 electrical question

I'll check wire routing shortly. Will post my findings later today. Thanks everyone for the help.

 

[Willyclay]

Re: 62 Lark 4 electrical question

I have scanned and saved a twelve page, non-factory service manual that covers your motor. One page contains a wiring diagram. I can send you that page or the whole thing as an email attachment if you will send me your email address in a Private Message.

 

[reddcarr]

Re: 62 Lark 4 electrical question

Thanks all, as I suspected it was something simple that was fooling me. Although an ohm meter showed continuity through both black leads, one of them must have been attached by a couple strands of wire. I unwrapped the main harness from the junction box to the engine, and when I was pulling the outer sheath off the bundle of wire, one of the black leads just broke in half. I don't know much about the previous history of the boat, but that main harness had been apart once before, and had a lot of electric tape holding it together. Anyway, the wire is repaired and the motor now shuts off with the key, and all is well.
Thanks again.