new to site, really need help!

hi fellow boaters,

i am new to the site not really new to boating though, but i have never restored a boat before. i have a 1982 vip bass boat. with a evinrude 90 motor. i got the boat for free!!!! YAY ME! well that is about the only good news i got! i am a firm believer in spending the money to get something fixed vs buying new. on time of a few years of sitting, being filled with water and holding water. the previous owner i guess thought he new better then vip on the wiring on the boat. i have wires in places wiring should not be. original wiring harness cut and hacked up. wires that i cant find a end to. a stereo zip tied to the steering wheel support. (granted there is no place for a stereo on the boat but still) i have live wells that have a water hose going through a hole they drilled and the factory stuff plugged off. i cant find a wiring diagram anywhere online. i can get the boat rewired just need help finding a diagram. i dont want to use the boat as a bass boat, but more of a ski, family type boat. i also dont want to completely loose the fishing side of the boat after all it is a bass boat.

i have done hull integrity checks. i got the motor to bust off but not fully running. (no fuel hose yet) so the boat isnt a lost cause. oh i got the boat for free because, the previous owner hit a stump with the prop. he told me he sheared the shear pin in the lower unit. i looked at everything and found that the rubber in the prop was busted up. i bought a used stainless steel prop for 35 dollars that is in great shape. i put the prop on stuck the control into gear. and turned the prop by hand, behold i was turning the motor over. thanks for the time i hope to get a answer about the wiring soon thank yall.

Re: new to site, really need help!

Take your time and search the forum. Lots of info here. Try the first sticky top of this forum.

Re: new to site, really need help!

i looked there and around on the forum before i posted didnt find anything.

Re: new to site, really need help!

http://forums.iboats.com/engine-fre...ric-boat-wiring-diagram-silvertip-186986.html ?

Re: new to site, really need help!

Thanks for posting this on the thread. i ran into this before i posted my question. i guess i had something else on my mind i needed. is there anything similar that might help me also?

Re: new to site, really need help!

The problem with older boats is the manufacturers just wired them up for the accessories installed. They really didn't use standardized wiring harnesses. Each manufacturer used what they liked. Consequently, finding a wiring diagram specific to your boat will be extremely difficult, if not impossible (just trying to save you from wasting time). Today most manufacturers will use ABYC recommended wire color codes. The 'generic' wiring diagrams above are very good starting points for re-wiring your boat. There are some good boat wiring discussions in the boat restoration section of this site, too. I responded to one (LONG tinny rebuild), so search my old posts - can't remember the OP's name. He drew a wiring diagram (with lighted toggle switches), complete will all accessories on his boat (find the last CORRECT wiring diagram).

Draw everything out first and run one circuit at a time. Test (I like 'resettable' fuses), and move on to the next circuit (unless you are comfortable with tracing all wires in a single bundle).


Good luck - it's not that hard - just tedious.

Todd

P.S. There's also some very knowledgeable electrical experts on this forum that will be able to answer any specific questions you may have.

Re: new to site, really need help!

thanks everyone for the tips and pointers, i really appreciate it.