Ignition Switch Questions

[glostah]

I have a '82 Johnson 200 ona 25' Tiara that was recently hit by lightning that fried just about everything - see this thread:
http://forums.iboats.com/bbBoard.cgi?a=viewthread;fid=28;gtid=1169619

I'm still trying to figure out some stuff with the rewire so maybe somebody could help me with some basic ingnition switch questions. In the process of replacing most of the electrical system, I decided to replace the ignition switch as well.

The old switch had was a three pos, push to choke with accessory node. It had nodes for battery, magneto, ignition solenoid, accesory circuit and choke.

I replaced it with a Sea-Dog 420385-1 ignition that has a pretty similar configuration, except it has two nodes for the magneto. The diagram below shows the configuration.

The old ignition had only one node for the magneto with two wires that ran to it. One was a black/yellow wire that ran towards the engine and the other was a solid black wire that went to the ground block under the console.

When I installed the new switch, I reattached both old wires to the magneto circuit node. I then ran another new ground wire for the magneto ground on the new switch.

So I have three questions.

1. Can someone briefly explain what the magneto circuit on the ignition switch is all about?
2. Should I disconnect the ground wire from the original setup and just go with the black/yellow wire to the magneto circuit node and the new ground wire on the magneto ground?
3. Would it have been at all possible to start my engine with the way I wired the new switch?

 

[imported_lorin]

Re: Ignition Switch Questions

I'm not sure if things were the same in 1982, but this is how the wiring is for the "big red" plug and key switch found on more recent models. The black/yellow wire going to the M comes from the power pack on the motor. This M would have another black/yellow wire going to the emergency kill switch. The other side of the emergency kill switch has a black wire going directly to engine ground. The other M on the key switch also has a black wire going directly to engine ground. When you turn the key to "off" the two M's are connected and the current from the power pack travels through the key switch to ground, killing the motor. The current from the power pack will also go to ground if you pull the clip out of the emergency kill switch, and this will kill the engine. So connecting the power pack to ground kills the engine. If you dont have an emergency kill switch then you dont need the 2nd yellow/black wire coming off the M. Looking at your new switch diagram, it looks like the connection labeled "igniiton circuit" is unnecessary. Again, this is how a more modern key switch works-maybe the same for '82.

 

[F_R]

Re: Ignition Switch Questions

Lorin pretty much said it all. For what it's worth, here's a little about the M terms: Back in the old days motors with magnetos were shut off by connecting the upper and lower cylinder's points together, which shorted everything out. That required an odd sort of switch where the two M terminals are connected in the off position. Odd in the sense that it is different than an automotive switch.

Come newer motors with Mag CD ignition where the motor is shut off by grounding the power pack's internal capacitor so it will no longer take a charge. That is done with the same kind of switch but there is one wire coming from the power pack, to one of the M terminals. The other M terminal is grounded. So, when the switch is off, and the M terminals are connected, the power pack is grounded which kills the ignition. The driver-overboard kill switch is just an add-on, so to speak, and provides a second way of grounding the capacitor.