Trim/Tilt wiring harness

[fgarnold]

I have been converting a manual tilt 1980 50 HP Merc to trim/tilt. Everything is hooked up but the wiring harness from the Trim/Tilt to the switch is not with the unit.It appears to have a 3 wire connecter at the trim motor that the harness plugs into along with 2 wires from the limiter switch that looks like it plugs into the missing harness. I guess my question is can an after market switch be wired into this unit or do I need an OEM harness? I'm not having very good luck finding an OEM harness. Any suggestions!!!!<br />By the way this is a Trim/Tilt 1984 50 HP tiller model.<br />Thanks,<br />Fred

 

[inohv8]

Re: Trim/Tilt wiring harness

HI.<br />You don't need an oem harness, they are only wires.. and only two wires are being used.. If your connector looks like a happy face, two vertical lines and one horizontal below, then one is not being used, it is only there as a guide..<br />You can't make a mistake, other than it may be reversed.. but since it is a DC motor, all that wil happen is that it will go reversed.. up will be down and down will be up.. Keep in mind that your unit may have a overtravel limit so it may have to be connected accordingly, so you don't overtax the pump and blow the cylendar.. however two wires is all you need.. What I did on mine was to get a couple of spade connectors and crimp the wires onto the connectors and fit the spade part into the slot and run power to it . this will tell you if it is up or down. Basically you connect + to one and - to the other and connect to a battery to see what is what and which one of the 3 on the connector is not used.. Hope this helps..<br />Oh by the way, the horrizontal slot is used, so one of the vertical ones is not used.. if you have a trim limit switch, on the assembly, you would be wise to use it..

 

[fgarnold]

Re: Trim/Tilt wiring harness

I hooked this up with spade connectors as you suggested. On this unit the horizontal slot is "up" and the right vertical slot is "down". The left vertical is "power". So this works but where do I hook up the 2 wires from the limiter switch? Do they connect to the up and down wires? I'm nervous about hooking up wiring that I'm not sure about. I appreciate your help. Thanks very much.<br />Fred

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Trim/Tilt wiring harness

FA, the trim limit switch is in series with the up button. Thas is, in order for the motor to trim up, the trim limit switch must be closed, and then you push the middle button.<br /><br />I bypassed my trim limit switch years ago, due to its malfunction in the salt environment. When I trim the motor up, I make sure I do not over trim it. They usually ventilate before you over trim them anyway.

 

[fgarnold]

Re: Trim/Tilt wiring harness

Chris,<br />I can't seem to find out what the two wires hook to that come out of the limiter switch. Someone said they are used for a T/T gauge. The limiter switch( according to Chilton's manual) says the unit is on the left ram tube mounting bracket and this is where these two wires originate and I don't know what to hook them to. All I know is, when the motor is in full tilt or full tuck the motor keeps running until I let off the switch. All my other boats when the motor was in full tilt and tuck the pump motor shut off. I don't have a middle button only up and down buttons. This not an OEM T/T switch since the OEM wiring harness did not come with the unit. This is a Merc unit not an after market.If someone could tell me how or where to hook these wires to or do I even need them at all, I would really appreciate it. Inohv8 really helped with the hook up of the motor, my thanks to him, and the unit works great except for this over run of the motor. Maybe this is normal, but I guess I need to know that.<br />Thanks for everyones help, it is very much appreciated.<br />Thanks,<br />Fred

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Trim/Tilt wiring harness

FA, The limiter switch is used to tell the operator when you are "Tilting up" the motor, versus "Trimming out" the motor. A bit confusing yes? Try this explanation. When the motor is in the trim down position, the trim limit switch is closed. This closed switch completes the circuit and alows the operator to trim up the motor using the "Trim up" switch. As the motor trims up, when it reaches the end of the preset trim limit, the trim limit switch opens, ans stops the trim pump from operating. If the operator wants to tilt the motor up for trailering, he activates the tilt switch, which turns the pump motor back on.<br /><br />In your case, it doesn't sound like you have seperate switches for trim up and tilt up. Just use your system as it is. The trim limit switch is supposed to be set at the point where the lower unit clears the transom bracket, and as such the LU would not have side support in a turn.<br /><br />PS the trim limit switch is not for the trim gauge. Most outboards do not have them.

 

[fgarnold]

Re: Trim/Tilt wiring harness

Chris,<br />Thanks very much for your detailed explanation. I now understand what I have been trying to understand for two weeks now. I will use the T/T as it is right now because it does exactly what I bought it for. Once again, thank you and everyone for their help. I hope I can be of some assistance too all of you some day.<br />Fred