pre- purchase tohatsu 50 question

[whosmatt]

Greetings,

I'm about to buy a 50 TLDI for my stitch and glue skiff that is nearing completion. I'm at the point where it's time to start pulling wire and I'm wondering whether this motor has a fuse on the starting circuit, and , if so, what size it is. I intend to put the battery in the center console and will need to replace the factory supplied battery leads (as I understand it), so I want to size my wire correctly.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[pvanv]

Re: pre- purchase tohatsu 50 question

Matt, There is a fuse for the electronics, but not a high-amp starting fuse, so no worries. Be sure to run at least 8 awg wire, marine grade (individually tinned strands), and properly heat shrink the fittings. And be sure to get a 1000 cca battery.

 

[whosmatt]

Re: pre- purchase tohatsu 50 question

Matt, There is a fuse for the electronics, but not a high-amp starting fuse, so no worries. Be sure to run at least 8 awg wire, marine grade (individually tinned strands), and properly heat shrink the fittings. And be sure to get a 1000 cca battery.

Excellent, thanks for the info. I'm planning on a Lifeline group 27 AGM starting battery which delivers 900 cca at 32F and 1020 at 68F. 8 AWG seems kind of small, but I've never done this before so what do I know? I'm glad to know I don't have to use super heavy wire. All the builders that have the 50 TLDI seem very happy with it.

-Matt

 

[pvanv]

Re: pre- purchase tohatsu 50 question

Many motors will work with only 10 awg wire. DFI motors need better current delivery to assure that the ECU does not suffer a voltage drop during cranking, hence 8 or larger. 6 would be OK, especially for a longer run.

 

[whosmatt]

Re: pre- purchase tohatsu 50 question

One more quick question -- do you know the size of the terminals on the motor? I'm ordering cable now and want to get my lugs at the same time. I'm not planning on splicing into the factory supplied cable as that would just be an extra point of failure.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[pvanv]

Re: pre- purchase tohatsu 50 question

At the battery end, 3/8 for positive, 5/15 for ground, as usual. At the motor end, I think they are roughly 5/16. (The fasteners at the motor end are metric). You can use "ring terminals" at the motor instead of "lugs", as they are smaller and lighter.