rewiring tilt/trim on 77 Evinrude 115HP

[RustynHouston]

To eliminate the birdsnest of wires I inherited in my first used boat,I spent the weekend attempting a rewire.I moved original battery to, and added a second battery, under the console, along with a battery switch, and positive and negative bussbars. I took all the wires hooked to the battery and ran new wires to the new location. I wanted all wires out of the inner wall (aluminum boat with flotation beneath wood paneling floor)and ran them in a neat bundle along the side of the boat and plan to protect them in a flex conduit.<br />My tilt doesn't work now. It did before the rewire. I must have missed a solenoid wire(s) somewhere in the fray. Keep in mind, this was already a changed older 77 motor on a newer 96 boat. It looked like crap but it worked.<br /><br />Rather than dig into the wall to chase a connection, can I splice onto the tilt trim harness with new wires and simply hook up to the toggle (3 wire)switch on my dash? Can I rewire that phantom solenoid wire(s) in that tilt/trim harness? Or must I find it elsewhere?<br /><br />115 HP 1977 Evinrude with combo reservoir/motor/pump -

 

[piniongear]

Re: rewiring tilt/trim on 77 Evinrude 115HP

I think you need to look for five wires that are encased together: red w/ white stripe, blue w/ white stripe, and green w/ white stripe. These are the power, up, and down tilt wires. The other two are a black and a white that go to the trim/tilt gauge. All five of these wires should be together. Start at the engine end and trace forward..........piniongear

 

[RustynHouston]

Re: rewiring tilt/trim on 77 Evinrude 115HP

will do, thanks

 

[piniongear]

Re: rewiring tilt/trim on 77 Evinrude 115HP

Rustyinhouston: The black wire and white wire I spoke of going to the trim gauge may be a black w/ tan stripe and the white would be a white w/ tan stripe. In anycase, all forementioned five wires should be bundled together starting at the engine/tilt motor/relays.

 

[RustynHouston]

Re: rewiring tilt/trim on 77 Evinrude 115HP

Keep in mind this motor is a 77..and the tilt reservoir/pump/motor is a combination unit.<br /><br />Out of the reservoir/pump/motor comes a single round cord with a knurled screw cap to secure it to the res/pmp/motor on the side. This cord I found to be separate inside the wall. I found only 3 wires in it.(I have no trim gauge on my boat. The colors of the 3 wires in this cord were black, light green with white stripe, and dark green (may have been dark blue with white stripe....colors faded and I am color blind too in blue green spectrum). I will assume this is blue.<br /><br />I extended these wires, took them to the battery, and when touching black to positive terminal on battery and green/white stripe to negative post - motor lowers. Motor raises when other wire (blue)is touching negative post. This is making sense considering previous posts.Blue sky wire raises etc)<br /><br />I connected the black to center of toggle switch (thinking it may be the power) and blue to the raise prong on toggle switch and "blue" to opposite prong on toggle. <br /><br />Toggle does not work. <br /><br />Spliced to center wire on toggle and touched to positive on battery ...toggle still does not work the tilt.<br /><br />I reread the previous posts to see what I am screwing up and need to research the "relays". Are the other wires (gauge) absolutely necessary simply to raise and lower the moter? <br /><br />This seems to be the last problem and I can't figure that darned toggle switch.<br /><br />thanks guys

 

[Walker]

Re: rewiring tilt/trim on 77 Evinrude 115HP

Black is ground, not positive.

 

[RustynHouston]

Re: rewiring tilt/trim on 77 Evinrude 115HP

understand but only 3 wires coming out of cord and none were red

 

[RustynHouston]

Re: rewiring tilt/trim on 77 Evinrude 115HP

so I shoud run that to negative bussbar and another red wire from Battery positive to center of toggle?

 

[rodbolt]

Re: rewiring tilt/trim on 77 Evinrude 115HP

the original system used a single solinoid. down was straight to the switch. as they aged sometimes it would draw excessive current coming down and melt the switch. I use 2 solinoids mounted on a bracket. mount the solinoids where they are accessable yet protected from spray and such. run a 10 gauge wire through a 40 amp circuit breaker from the battery switch positive to the large post on one solinoid. jump a 10 ga wire from that one to the other large post on the other solinoid. mount the switch. run a 10 gauge wire to the base of both solinoids at the mounting screw from the battery negative terminal. this is a good connection point for the black wire from the trim motor as well. run a 16ga wire with a 20 amp fuse from the battery switch to the center lead on the toggle for 12v power. run a 16ga wire from the up terminal on the switch to one of the solinoids S terminal. attach the blue wire from the trim motor to the other large post. now run a 16 ga wire from the down terminal to the other soliniod S term. attach the green lead from the trim motor to the other large post on that solinoid. if the solinoids you use have isolated bases you will need a short ground jumper from the small ground solinoid term to the base with the battery and motor grounds. should be ready for action now. use only marine rated solinoids. no ford starter ones from napa. sierra part number 18-5813 from napa will work. it uses a grounded base.

 

[RustynHouston]

Re: rewiring tilt/trim on 77 Evinrude 115HP

walker,<br />I was fixated on the 3 bundle wire and 2 bundle post from Piniongear and thought the 3rd (black) wire was a gerryrigged power turned black. You should see the mess I started with.<br />After you shocked me back to reality with "black is ground", I ran outside and attached that wire to the negative bussbar and quickly ran a new red wire from positive bussbar to center of toggle.....and she works!! Thank you!<br /><br />Now Rodbolt......all that stuff you wrote makes me dizzy. Keep in mind I even forgot "black is ground". I'm gonna print that post out and sit down and draw a picture of what I think you are tellin me. When you say "melts the switch", are you referring to the toggle? If so, aren't extra toggles cheaper than all that solinoid addition? Are toggles actually the solinoids you are talking about? Thank you too.<br />I apologize for these questions, but I am someone who is electrically "challenged"

 

[rodbolt]

Re: rewiring tilt/trim on 77 Evinrude 115HP

yep<br /> sometimes the toggle will melt in your hand .<br /> thgink of trons as water in a pipe. the system must be kept clear of leaks(shorts) and from clogs (opens or poor connections) after that its all smoke and magic. keep the smoke in the wire and it works like magic. to make a circuit you must have a source and a return to the source.