1973 Evinrude 50HP

[brents]

Hey fellows, you all supply great information here. I have lurked and occasionally posted for over a year now, and now I have a real question. I have a 1973 Evinrude 50hp that my wife recently decided to break the key off in the ignition switch. I got a new switch, the 6 pole with push to choke, but that is not what was on my outboard. I had the 5 pole with a choke toggle below the ignition switch. The guy told me it would be fine, so I took it home and wired it up, but it will not crank the engine. I can turn the key to "on" and jump the engine off the solenoid and it starts right up, and can be killed by shutting the key off. My question is why will it not start off the key. Is there a difference in the switches? I assume my neutral safety switch is fine as it remains in neutral, shifts fine, and starts fine from the solenoid jump, and prior to my wife breaking the key it started fine. Below is how my switch is currently set up, any help is greatly appreciated.

M - (Raised Post) starter kill (Black w/ Yellow)
M - Black X2 (1 ground in control box, other going back towards engine)
S - light color (goes to neutral safety switch, and back towards engine)
A / I - Purple X2 (1 wire comes from choke switch, and other goes back towards engine)
B - 12 volt battery

I was checking the net and saw something about a purple w/ white wire going into the accessory / ignition, but this wire goes to the choke switch, then a purple wire from the choke switch comes over to the ignition switch, just an FYI in case it helps.

Thanks for all your help fellows, I kow someone can help me here.

What I had installed in the control box: http://www.iboats.com/Evinrude_Ignit...view_id.268900

What I have purchased: http://continuouswave.com/whaler/ref...ionSwitch.html - Looks exactly like the one referenced here.

[Joe Reeves]

The switch you purchased is fine. You can either have the choke connected directly to the "C" (choke) terminal of the ignition switch OR wire it as it was previously, from the "A" (accessory) terminal of the ignition switch to the accessory choke switch.

The "C" terminal hookup just makes it easier to operate as all you need to do is push the key in to operate the choke.

The light "white" wire leading from the "S" (solenoid) terminal connects to a neutral safety switch, and from that neutral safety switch connects to the starter solenoid. Apparently you have somehow distrubed that neutral safety switch. It is adjustable to a point so you can slide it a little closer to its operating cam. This type problem happens from time to time and usually starts out as having to shake the throttle lever back and forth somewhat to have that switch make contact.

The purpose of this neutral safety switch is to prevent having the engine start in gear.

[brents]

Ok, so if I am understanding you correctly it is as I thought, I have it wired properly, but somehow disturbed the neutral safety switch... I read a post somewere telling me that is doesn't matter which wire is connected to which M terminal, is that correct, will the kill switch still activate from the raised post? Reason I ask is that I switched them out last night before reading that post in hopes that it would help.

[Joe Reeves]

Best to keep everything as it should be..... Black/yellow connected to raised "M" terminal.

[brents]

Will do, thanks so much for your help Joe, looks like I will be investing in a new neutral safety switch

[brents]

Ok, I have called around to several places and checked online and cannot find a neutral safety switch for my motor. I have a used outboard place searching for one. But in the event it cannot be found, can I just bypass the neutral safety switch via a bypass? Will this cause any harm? If I have lower unit issues down the road, will this allow me to start in gear? What is the easist way to do this? Loop the solenoid to a 12volt and ground via a toggle?

[Joe Reeves]

Simply adjust the neutral safety switch. NO need to purchase another unless you broke it. Do you have the part number.... I probably have a few left in my remaing stock.

[brents]

Ok fellows, I will come clean and admit I just got the boat on Friday and do not et have a manual. That being said, I am somewhat handy mechanically and electrically. I searched the forum and found little in regards to adjusting the switch. In my controller, it is a spring loaded poal that has 2 wires coming in, 1 from ignition switch, and one to the solenoid. How exactly does the switch adjust? My final quesiton, if I was unsuccesful at adjusting it, could I simply disconect it and connect the solenoid wire from it to the ignition switch, just being exceptionally careful not to start in gear? If I did start in gear, what would the possible repurcussions be?

[brents]

Ok, more intensive research tells me number one that removing the neutral safety swith is not recomended. Next, I should be able to adjust the switch by loosening it some, and adjusting something on the switch, rather than the cable which was set prior to the ignition switch going out. If there is something I am missing, someone please let me know. Thanks for all your help

[Joe Reeves]

The switch is actually incased with a white housing and is secured with two screws. Notice that the plunger of the switch when in neutral is centered against a protruding portion of the cam that the switch slides against.

To adjust, simply have that throttle/Shift lever in neutral so that the protruding portion of the cam and the plunger of the neutral safety switch face each other.

Now, simply loosen the screws slightly and slide the switch as far as it will go against that cam...... tighten the screws, that's it.

Let us know if the starter circuit now functions as it should.

[brents]

Ok, I checked out the neutral switch, it seems to be fine. I could find no needed adjustment, so I am assuming it is in the starting circuit, just my luck as it worked fine until it was disco. Some of the wiring looks a little poor anyhow. My plan is to now replace the wiring as I am unsure of what else can be done. I checked continuity to trace the wires and found that S (Starter) and M (ground) have continuity and should not. The colors on a couple of these wires do not match the diagram anyhow, but this is were my focus will be tonight as I work on it more. Funny thing, I can turn the key to the on position, bump the solenoid, and it starts right up, turn the ignition switch to off, and it shuts right down.

[k1w1t1m]

You might have a bad ignition switch. Have you checked for voltage on the wire that goes to the starter when the key is in the start position? I'd also test the NSS this way too.

[brents]

Yes, the switch tested out fine. I am getting power to the switch, but nothing out, which makes me think something is up with the wire to the solenoid. I am grounding out somewhere, I must be, that is the only reason I can think my solenoid and ground would have continuity. Right now my only option as I see is to trace and replace each wire, or look for an obvious physical problem in the wiring.

What does not make sense to me is that I am positive the switch is hooked up correctly, my NSS works fine, and the motor started fine prior to this replacement. So either I disturbed something fragile, or its a bad switch, but the switch opens as it should, M-M always, M-S on, M-S-B run. Also, prior to the switch my choke worked fine, now it is not working.... I have unknowingly disturbed something....

[brents]

Figured it out today fellows. I didn't realize there was a fuse looped into the wire from the ignition switch to the solenoid, it was wrapped around by the rectifier!! The fuse in it had blown. Call me lucky that it was there. Lesson learned, buy the manual on the ride home from purchasing the motor!!

Thanks for all the direction Joe!!

[Joe Reeves]

YOu kept saying that you had voltage to the ignition switch. That's why we made no mention of the 20 amp power fuse.

How could you be getting voltage to the switch with a blown fuse?

[brents]

Thats actually an interesting question. I guess my kids had been playing with my multimeter and blew the internal fuse. I found this out when I noticed everything I touched had 11.57 volts..... Once I realized this, it was cake from there.