Points to Electronic Conversion

[pete44]

Hello. '87 Searay with 3.0 Liter Alpha One drive...The boat cranked and ran before I did this conversion ...Here is original wiring before conversion:

BEFORE CONVERSION

purple/yellow stripe wire to + on coil (to starter positive lead)
purple (smaller wire) to + on coil (to electric choke???)

tan wire to - on coil (to ???)
black wire to - on coil (to distributor/points)


AFTER CONVERSION
red wire of Petronix to + on coil
purple (smaller wire) to + on coil

tan wire to - on coil
black wire of Petronix to - on coil


Engine turns over BUT will not crank (no fire)
I verified I had switchable 12 volts on purple (smaller wire) with digital meter
when I turn key on now it reads about 11 volts on boat gauge


PLEASE HELP!!...................Thanks,Pete

 

[cheburashka]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

I'm not following. What did you do with the purple wire with the yellow stripe? Are you saying the only things hooked up to + on the coil are the small solid purple and the red from the electronic ignition? You need to bypass the ballast resistor, but I think you bypassed power to the coil and left yourself only the ballast resistor wire. Try it with only the purple/yellow wire and the small purple out of the circuit. You'll need the full 12 volts.

Oh, and make sure you remembered to put the rotor back in.

Hello. '87 Searay with 3.0 Liter Alpha One drive...The boat cranked and ran before I did this conversion ...Here is original wiring before conversion:

BEFORE CONVERSION

purple/yellow stripe wire to + on coil (to starter positive lead)
purple (smaller wire) to + on coil (to electric choke???)

tan wire to - on coil (to ???)
black wire to - on coil (to distributor/points)


AFTER CONVERSION
red wire of Petronix to + on coil
purple (smaller wire) to + on coil

tan wire to - on coil
black wire of Petronix to - on coil


Engine turns over BUT will not crank (no fire)
I verified I had switchable 12 volts on purple (smaller wire) with digital meter
when I turn key on now it reads about 11 volts on boat gauge


PLEASE HELP!!...................Thanks,Pete

 

[pete44]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

I'm not following. What did you do with the purple wire with the yellow stripe? Are you saying the only things hooked up to + on the coil are the small solid purple and the red from the electronic ignition? You need to bypass the ballast resistor, but I think you bypassed power to the coil and left yourself only the ballast resistor wire. Try it with only the purple/yellow wire and the small purple out of the circuit. You'll need the full 12 volts.

Oh, and make sure you remembered to put the rotor back in.

Thanks for the quick responce!...yes, the rotor is back in and the purple wire with yellow stripe is now disconnected...I saw this on another blog on this site..(the purple wire yellow stripe goes to the positive side of starter) I can try this but what led me to believe to use little purple wire is that I checked it with my volt meter it switched from 12volts to no voltage when I turned my key on and off at helm...the purple wire/yellow strip NEVER had voltage regardless of the key position...Pete

 

[Don S]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

The Purple yellow wire should be hooked to the D terminal of the start solenoid (see picture below). This puts full voltage to the coil while the engine is cranking. If it's not hooked there, it needs to be hooked up.

 

[pete44]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

The Purple yellow wire should be hooked to the D terminal of the start solenoid (see picture below). This puts full voltage to the coil while the engine is cranking. If it's not hooked there, it needs to be hooked up.

Hello Don, yes that is how it is...Like I said this motor cranked fine before ignition conversion...So ya'll are saying to use only the purple/yellow wire on the + side of coil along with red wire from petronix?..this would leave out the skinny purple wire..And on the negative side of coil it would leave the tan wire and the black wire of Petronix......Thanks again,Pete

 

[Don S]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

So ya'll are saying to use only the purple/yellow wire on the + side of coil along with red wire from petronix?

If you don't use the purple wire, then it will only run while the starter is engaged. The Purple/yellow wire only puts power to the coil while the starter is engaged. You will have these 3 wires on the + terminal of the coil
1. Purple/yellow
2. Purple (which is a resistor wire..... or it should be)
3. Red wire from the Pertronix.

 

[thumpar]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

The instructions on my pertronix ignitor II said that the module needs full power all the time and the resistor wire needed to be bypassed for the module (not the coil though). I got a flamethrower II also so I just removed both wires and tapped into the purple wire in the loom next to the coil.

 

[pete44]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

The instructions on my pertronix ignitor II said that the module needs full power all the time and the resistor wire needed to be bypassed for the module (not the coil though). I got a flamethrower II also so I just removed both wires and tapped into the purple wire in the loom next to the coil.

Thanks Don and Thumpar...Don, I tried that config originally with same results..will turn over but no crank...Thumpar, do you have the 3.0L mercruiser like me?..What exactly do you have the red and black wire hooked to off the pertronix?..(I think my Petronix is different..not the IgnitorII but the original..I do not think I can even leave my key on ignition over 30 seconds without burning it up........Thanks,Pete

 

[thumpar]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

Thanks Don and Thumpar...Don, I tried that config originally with same results..will turn over but no crank...Thumpar, do you have the 3.0L mercruiser like me?..What exactly do you have the red and black wire hooked to off the pertronix?..(I think my Petronix is different..not the IgnitorII but the original..I do not think I can even leave my key on ignition over 30 seconds without burning it up........Thanks,Pete

I have a 2.5L. Pretty much the same thing. The pertronix + goes to the purple wire in the loom, not the resistor wire. I had to cut the tape and tap into the wire. The - goes to the coil -. I would think the wiring for the original would be the same. And you are right about the leaving the key on. That is one reason I got the II version.

Here is the pdf of the instructions. Notice the wiring diagram. It shows the ignitor getting full power and not from the resistor. http://www.pertronix.com/downloads/ignitor12vneg.pdf

 

[pete44]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

I have a 2.5L. Pretty much the same thing. The pertronix + goes to the purple wire in the loom, not the resistor wire. I had to cut the tape and tap into the wire. The - goes to the coil -. I would think the wiring for the original would be the same. And you are right about the leaving the key on. That is one reason I got the II version.

Here is the pdf of the instructions. Notice the wiring diagram. It shows the ignitor getting full power and not from the resistor. http://www.pertronix.com/downloads/ignitor12vneg.pdf

Thanks Thumpar!..I printed out instructions and I will try this tomorrow...The "loom" on my engine is wrapped with electrical tape..so I will have to disect it carefully..disconnecting my negative on battery of course and I hope this gets me going..I will then go to my original wiring off coil like Don suggested...I'll let you know...Pete

 

[thumpar]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

Thanks Thumpar!..I printed out instructions and I will try this tomorrow...The "loom" on my engine is wrapped with electrical tape..so I will have to disect it carefully..disconnecting my negative on battery of course and I hope this gets me going..I will then go to my original wiring off coil like Don suggested...I'll let you know...Pete

My loom is the same way. I opened it a bit where the wire comes out that goes to the coil (resistor wire). Found the purple wire. Cut the insulation and pulled it back a bit. Then soldered the wire to that. Make sure you tape it back up good also.

 

[Don S]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

Don, I tried that config originally with same results..will turn over but no crank...

Did you put a test light or a meter on it and see if the terminal on the starter works, or check the wire to make sure it works.
If you don't have power on it while cranking, then you have a problem that needs checked out.
Or you can forget about fixing it right and splice in somewhere else and hope for the best.

 

[thumpar]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

Or you can forget about fixing it right and splice in somewhere else and hope for the best.

The splicing that I was telling him to do is what the instructions say to do. The module will get the full battery power while cranking but as so as the key is turned from start to run it will go to the resistor wire power. It needs the full power all the time. I just went through this mess. Took me a while to figure it all out as I am an electronics guy and need schematics. I also never use a wire as a resistor. I just pulled it all out and did it like it should have been done in the first place.

 

[pete44]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

The splicing that I was telling him to do is what the instructions say to do. The module will get the full battery power while cranking but as so as the key is turned from start to run it will go to the resistor wire power. It needs the full power all the time. I just went through this mess. Took me a while to figure it all out as I am an electronics guy and need schematics. I also never use a wire as a resistor. I just pulled it all out and did it like it should have been done in the first place.

OK..I hand traced/metered the wiring further and here is what I found:

+ side of coil

purple/yellow to starter solenoid
skinny purple to electric choke of carb


I opened up sheath and found

purple wire from Alternator to "little canon plug"
ANOTHER purple wire out of "big canon plug" to helm (also inside plastic sheath)

the "big" and "little" canon plugs are mated together

WHICH PURPLE WIRE TO I SPLICE RED WIRE OF PETRONIX/IGNITOR TO?????


Thanks,Pete

 

[pete44]

Re: Points to Electronic Conversion

OK......I got a hold of Petronix (by phone) they reside in California..Its funny their support number is on the Ignitor II module manual but not the Ignitior I..Anyhow,the tech said to connect the RED wire of ignitor to the purple wire going to electric choke side..(this is the ballast resistor)..NEVER heard a resisitor called a wire before..GO FIGURE..You just cut before the plug that goes into electric choke and splice red wire into it...wiring stays the same on COIL..The BLACK wire off Petronix goes to coil negative..Will let you know....Pete