Engine hour gauge

[kulle]

Hey- my boat didn’t come with a engine hours counter gauge and is the carbed 4.3 Merc so no electronic method to get info. Does anyone know of a decent product that hooks up to tach? - that I could add on to at least capture the hours I put on the boat from now on ?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[1960 Starflite]

I just wired mine from the IGN post on key switch to + on hour gauge. Of course the - side goes to common ground.

 

[QBhoy]

Hi. As said above…that’s the normal way of doing it. Just don’t leave your ignition on by mistake. Haha.
I might also add that despite me presuming previously that carb engines can’t show hours from a plug in…I’m sure I was made aware on here ages ago that perhaps that’s not always the case. I have it in my head that even carb models after a certain year, can display true running hours with a diagnostic plug in. Don’t quote me on it…I can’t think exactly how they would..but almost sure it’s been mentioned that they can.

 

[Silvertip]

Aftermarket hour meters tend to be 12 volt "clocks" that click off the amount of time the gauge has power applied to it. It doesn't matter if the engine is running or not. If the key is ON, the meter is ticking. There are some ways to power the meter but it would require getting power via an oil pressure switch (not the sender) so it would run only when there is oil pressure.

 

[RMClark]

I put a small engine hour meter/tachometer on my 20HP Mercury OB when I got it. Inexpensive and works great.

Your question peaked my interest so I went out to see if I could find a similar unit for a much larger unit than my small Merc. Found this hours meter & tach. It should be able to configure for an 8 cylinder.

These units works by sensing the induction field set up by the current going through a spark plug wire. Easy to hook up and not intrusive on any existing system. Inexpensive; if it doesn't work, you're not out much.

Hope this helps.

 

[nola mike]

Hi. As said above…that’s the normal way of doing it. Just don’t leave your ignition on by mistake. Haha.
I might also add that despite me presuming previously that carb engines can’t show hours from a plug in…I’m sure I was made aware on here ages ago that perhaps that’s not always the case. I have it in my head that even carb models after a certain year, can display true running hours with a diagnostic plug in. Don’t quote me on it…I can’t think exactly how they would..but almost sure it’s been mentioned that they can.

It's buried somewhere on a TB-V ignition IIRC. For sure not on the TB-IVs.

 

[JimS123]

Back in the 1980's I bought a brand new boat and it didn't have an hour meter. Before I ever launched it I installed one off the ignition switch. I can't remember, but I believe it was a Sierra brand. It was still working 35 years later when I sold the boat.

The radio and other accessories ran off accessory plugs, so there was no reason that the ignition switch was ever needed to be left on. Even if you do forget, the dead battery will be of more concern than having the wrong hour data.

 

[mr 88]

Go with the analog style , not the digital only . If the digital fails you lose all info , not with the other style as it's mechanical and the hours are always showing , on or off .

 

[mvn]

Merc Thunderbolt V ignition systems store engine hour data which can be read by scan tools such as Rinda's Techmate Pro or Rinda's Diacom PC software.

Mark

 

[QBhoy]

Merc Thunderbolt V ignition systems store engine hour data which can be read by scan tools such as Rinda's Techmate Pro or Rinda's Diacom PC software.

Mark

That’s the one. Knew there was some of them

 

[Scott Danforth]

Bayliner and other entry level Brunswick brands removed the hour meters as people were getting upset that their boat with only 20 hours on it that sat in their yard without use for 2 years was out of warranty.

Other than for service intervals, an hour meters is almost useless

 

[kulle]

Bayliner and other entry level Brunswick brands removed the hour meters as people were getting upset that their boat with only 20 hours on it that sat in their yard without use for 2 years was out of warranty.

Other than for service intervals, an hour meters is almost useless

Yeah I get that and that’s a valid point. I was looking to use one for maintenance intervals as well. I tend to lose track when I write stuff down.

 

[kulle]

That’s the one. Knew there was some of them

Where would you hook up a scan tool? I’m pretty sure mine doesn’t have any brains to store any info.

 

[mvn]

From the Rinda website, downloaded the Techmate Pro scan tool manual. If you have a Thunderbolt V ignition system, the instructions will make sense. Pages 55 to 61.

Mark