Re: 1981 seaswirl died
I finally got the boat running. After replacing the 50 amp fuse, the instument panel, the up down motor and the starter all came back to life but I had no spark. I had the alternator tested and it was dead... the internal voltage regulator had fried and was replaced. I also replaced the Mallory unilite ignition module which also tested dead. Following advice from this site I visually inspected all wires to and from the 50 amp fuse that origanally blew but could find no evidence of a short. So, I tried to start the engine .... "click, click" from the starter solinoid as well as from the tilt motor solinoids. I replaced the other 50 amp fuse (which was not blown but showed resistance on an ohm meter) and the engine turned over again but no spark. I tested the voltage at the coil and only got 3 volts. I Removed all wires from the negative side of the coil and tested again... 12 volts! It seems the wires from the negative side of the coil to the tachometer were causing a drop in voltage. I reconnected only the negative wire to the Mallory unilite module in the distributor and VROOM it started right up. While it was running I sniffed around for hot wires or circuts but never found one. I let it run for 5 -10 minutes at various rpm and nothing went wrong. The wire from the negative side of the coil splits into two wires, one gray and one black. One of them goes to the tachometer, does anyone know where the other goes/ Or, does anyone have an idea of what might have originally happened?<br /><br />Here are the facts:<br /><br />-Son smelt hot wires<br />-engine died<br />-found blown 50 amp fuse<br />-replaced 50 amp fuse, motor turned over but, no spark<br />-replaced blowm internal voltage regulator in alternator<br />-replaced mallory unilite ignition module<br />-could not find visual evidence of melted wires or short<br />-tried to lower outdrive/start engine.."Click"<br />-replaced the other 50 amp fuse which was not blown<br />-Motor turned over but no spark.<br />-checked voltage at coil (3 Volts)<br />-disconnected all wires from neg. side of coil and tested again(12 Volts)<br />- connected negative side of coil to mallory unilite in distributor ...engine starts<br />-ran engine 5-10 min @ various rpm... no problems seen or smelt.<br /><br />Not sure where to go from here.<br /><br />Any advice is greatly appreciated,<br /><br />Robert Ridgway, San Diego CA<br /><br />P.S. I can live without the Tach.
