Safety Switch Assembly

[canadalooney]

Any way to repair a safety switch? Here is a picture(not my own picture, but the same safety switch): I fried it I think. I connected the battery directly to ground through it and then jumped the starter. It looks REALLY hard to get out, I looked and it is right under the base of the flywheel, almost no way to reach the flat heads without removing the flywheel, design makes no sense. Now the solenoid isn't giving the starter any voltage because it isn't grounded.

 

[flyingscott]

Are you sure it's not the main fuse. What motor and model#

 

[canadalooney]

Johnson 60esl70b. Im guessing the safety switch is basically just a fuse that is grounded and i maxed out the current because the starter draws so darn much..

 

[boobie]

The safety switch is wired into the solenoid, not the starter so not much current goes through it.

 

[canadalooney]

Hi boobie, as stated before i think i fried it so now the solenoid wont send any voltage to the starter. Is there any way of fixing it. Smoke was coming out i thought the rig would catch fire. Will it fix itself? I should not have used the starter pick as the ground based off of someones advice.

 

[flyingscott]

Check the switch with a continuity tester with the power disconnected.

 

[canadalooney]

Ok i tested the wire that the safety switch is attached to to see if it had continuity to ground and it does not anymore. It used to. Continuity through wire though.

 

[racerone]

The safety switch needs to be replaced !---No repair possible after starter current fried it !!

 

[canadalooney]

Any ideas on how to take it out of there? It has two flat head screw up under the flywhell with only about an inch of room above and about three inches under the flywheel.

 

[F_R]

The safety switch is mounted on a flat metal bracket, which is held to the powerhead by one Hex head bolt--the bolt under the red arrowhead in your picture. If I'm not mistaken, you can remove the bolt, bracket and switch as one whole assembly without removing the flywheel.

BTW, people cook those safety switches every day by attempting to replace the stock OMC solenoid with a Ford solenoid from the auto parts store. The Ford solenoid looks identical, but is different inside. It will instantly destroy the safety switch the first time you attempt to start it. And I do mean destroy. It melts the switching contacts inside.