Want to change to electronic ignition

[acuraguy81]

i have a 1990 4.3 omc. the motor starts and runs ok but has a very bad idle im sure it needs a tune up i just bought the boat and the previous owner for 4 years never did a tune up at all not even plugs. So im thinking of changing to electronic ignition. any tips or advice please.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

Ayuh,... 1990,+ it still Has points,..??

Pertronics probably has a conversion if it is...
I hear getting the ESA to work right is the problem though..

 

[cooter2506]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

Stick with the points. My father in law and I put the pertronix kit on his WITH the new ESA that was supposed to work with electronic ignition and it never worked right! He went back to points. By the way his was on a 1988 4.3 OMC. If you wanna try go ahead maybe you will have bettter luck.

 

[180shabah]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

Ditto - just fix what you have and save your money for later repairs.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

What is ESA? Does the 3.0 liter Mercruiser have that too?

 

[SeanMcl]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

i have a 1990 4.3 omc. the motor starts and runs ok but has a very bad idle im sure it needs a tune up i just bought the boat and the previous owner for 4 years never did a tune up at all not even plugs. So im thinking of changing to electronic ignition. any tips or advice please.

If the previous owner didn't do any maintenance at all, I would do a full tune up first and then decide if you want to go to electronic ignition. The point being there are several things that could be causing that bad idle and replacing the ignition may not be the right fix or the only fix. Someone on here has a .sig file that says something like "The older the boat, the more likely you are to have several problems".

Your boat is of legal drinking age next year. Give it some good TLC and enjoy an uneventful boating season.

 

[180shabah]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

ESA = Electronic Shift Assist

Merc uses a very simple shift interrupt system, just a switch against the shift cable.

 

[fishinpa]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

I would give it a full tune up and forget the electronic ignition.

Yes tune up and while the plugs are ot do a comp test so you have some kind of an idea what you are starting out with .Not a better time to do it than now!

It most likely has elec ignition already as stated by others !


fish

 

[acuraguy81]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

the repair book i have says until 91 they used points on the 4.3. Also i am only 28yo so i have no experience with points. I figure why spend the money to tune up the points system when i can spend a little more and have electronic and not have and issues with it in the future with all the benefits on electronic.

 

[cooter2506]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

Read up in your repair manual on how to set points and dwell. Not hard to do and the system is very reliable when properly maintained. The OMC ESA is a finicky beast. I know my experience going to electronic ignition was not a good one. Others have had success but thats just my 2% of a dollar.

 

[acuraguy81]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

I will read up on it for sure as I have been.

 

[acuraguy81]

electronic ignition "kits available"?

electronic ignition "kits available"?

1990 omc 4.3 any one have any luck with kits or systems out there to upgrade my points to electronic ignition

 

[rodbolt]

Re: electronic ignition "kits available"?

Re: electronic ignition "kits available"?

many are avalible.}
I like the DELCO est kit ,simple,reliable and easy to wire in the shift cut switch.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

It most likely has elec ignition already as stated by others !

Nope... 1990 has points in it.

 

[Bondo]

Re: electronic ignition "kits available"?

Re: electronic ignition "kits available"?

Ayuh,... WHY did you start a 2nd thread about the Same topic as your Other thread,..??..??

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: electronic ignition "kits available"?

Re: electronic ignition "kits available"?

merged posts........ only need to post a topic once

 

[smarks]

Re: electronic ignition "kits available"?

Re: electronic ignition "kits available"?

many are avalible.}
I like the DELCO est kit ,simple,reliable and easy to wire in the shift cut switch.

I to am interested in switching to Electronic Ignition, can you provide Pt # for the delco? Info?

I'm running a 1989 4.3 liter Cobra set up
Thanks

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

Acuraguy and Smarks - you have pm's

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

sierra and a few others, make a very nice delco EST kit for the 4.3 in a marine application.
then for the OMC simply wire it like a mercruiser with EST and do away with the ESA.
you may still have to keep the overstroke switchs if applicable.

 

[acuraguy81]

Re: Want to change to electronic ignition

sierra and a few others, make a very nice delco EST kit for the 4.3 in a marine application.
then for the OMC simply wire it like a mercruiser with EST and do away with the ESA.
you may still have to keep the overstroke switchs if applicable.

Help with the lingo ESA and overstroke switches? what the hell is all that? does the kits not have a certain way to put ti together why would I have choices of what wire to hook up? Im confused by a kit then have to customize it to work properly?