1983 Force 85HP: how to hook up new Tach and Kill switch?

[Benz Mondi]

Finally getting around to fixing my hard starting problem has also gotten me to want to finish another couple of items on the long overdue "things to do list": hooking up my 20 pole tach and adding a kill switch. What the heck I've got the dash apart might as well get it done once and for all...

I found the purple wire that was folded back and black-taped against the casing of the harness, as well as, a black wire. I liberated them both. The label on the motor says: yellow/ Starter, purple/ Tach, white/ Magneto, green/ Choke, organge/ Heat, red/ Battery (+), blue/ Magneto, black/ Battery (-).

The purple Tach signal wire has the OEM hook connector to it like all the other wires in the harness. In so far as I want to be able to quickly disconnect all the wiring from my dash panel when I need to take the panel out, I have used shielded male/female connectors with the other wires.

1. Can I splice the Tach signal wire to put in connectors or must I keep the signal wire whole to keep the Tach operating properly?

2. What should I do about the black OEM (ground wire)?

(The previous owner ran a separate black ground wire from the battery to a 5 point terminal mounted to the underside of the dash. The fish finder, horn and nav light grounds are already connected to the terminal.)

3. Which Magneto wire do I hook the kill switch to?

(I?ve read where the raised M is the ignition kill circuit. It?s not obvious on my ignition switch which one is has the ?raised M?.?

4. How does the wiring work for the Kill Switch?

(The kill switch that my buddy gave me has four terminals labled: A, B, M, M.)

Thanks,

 

[Benz Mondi]

Re: 1983 Force 85HP: how to hook up new Tach and Kill switch?

I think I was able to figure out the info on my four terminal universal kill switch.

All I need to use are the two terminals marked "M" and hook up jumper leads from the two magneto wires from the engine and ignore the other two terminals marked "A and B". These are the ones used for four-stroke outboard applications since they don't use a "magneto circuit". When the lanyard pops out, the kill switch grounds the white and the blue wires and the engine stops.

This correct?

Thanks,

 

[NYBo]

Re: 1983 Force 85HP: how to hook up new Tach and Kill switch?

You are correct with the kill switch wiring.

Wasn't it nice of Bayliner to use the same wiring harness for boats with and without a tach? I ran into the same situation with my boat; it made the tach install very simple. The purple wire goes to the signal terminal on the tach. Length of wire or type of connector doesn't matter. You can use the black for negative or daisy-chain from the closest gauge (e.g. fuel gauge). You will also need battery+ from the ignition switch; again, you should be able to daisy-chain from the nearest gauge. Same for the + lead for the internal light, if any.

 

[Benz Mondi]

Re: 1983 Force 85HP: how to hook up new Tach and Kill switch?

OK then. I'll do for my Tach as I've done with the other signal wires for the fuel and volt gauges (someday I'll figure out how to rig a sensor to send a Trim signal to my added trim gauge), I'll use male/female connectors so that I can take the dash panel out without much trouble.

I'm done with this thread.
Thanks for all the help folks.