Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

[boatingdudebmk]

Hey iBoats.

I recently had an Addictor Mini Boat donated to me (long story) but anyways, I need to wire it. I have a bilge pump, a tach, and a speedo, all of which I have, need a little help on working with, but the real question is could I be putting a stereo system (even if its just 2 speakers, nothing special) into the boat. I would really enjoy having music while I cruise around, instead of blasting my ears with earbuds (which is not safe, either!). I can upload a picture of the inside of the boat later today, ASAP. Thanks Ohh, the boat is 8 feet long, 4.5 feet wide, and has a 1986 25hp Evinrude (Electric Start) powering this thing. Thanks again!

 

[seabob4]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

The tach will be wired into the engines harness, gray wire is tach sender, purple is ignition power, and of course black is ground. The speedo simply works off a pitot tube pickup on the transom, really has nothing to do with the engine electricals. Both gauges have back-lighting, you want to wire them into your nav lgt switch so they only come on when you need them...at night. The bilge pump? Wire to an on/off switch at the helm, if you are using a float also, one of the leads will go straight to the batt, the other combined with the hot (usually brown) from the pump to the on/off switch.

Certainly you can install a stereo. Just keep in mind it will be sucking some juice from the batt when the engine is off. How much juice is up to your listening habits...

 

[boatingdudebmk]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

Ok. So does the tachometer actually get hooked up to a battery? Because the tach that I have has three contacts, 1 that says 12volt, 1 grnd (ground) and 1 that says sender. does the 12 volt one go to the purple wire, and the grey to the sender?

 

[seabob4]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

Ok. So does the tachometer actually get hooked up to a battery? Because the tach that I have has three contacts, 1 that says 12volt, 1 grnd (ground) and 1 that says sender. does the 12 volt one go to the purple wire, and the grey to the sender?

Correctamundo. If you look on the backside of your ignition switch, you'll see a purple wire. This is the wire you want to tap into. We call it "ignition power", it's energized when the key is in either "run" or "start" position. Just for those out there with Mercs or Yamahas, the same purple wire on Mercs, yellow on Yamahas...

 

[boatingdudebmk]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

I am using the OMC throttle/gear shifting mechanism. Is this still the same principle? Or different?

 

[seabob4]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

Yes. Do you have the OMC binnacle (what we call the shift/throttle control) that has the key switch in it?

 

[boatingdudebmk]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

Yes. Do you have the OMC binnacle (what we call the shift/throttle control) that has the key switch in it?

Yes, i do. There is a small little 3 prong plug, a female side, that looks like something could be plugged into it. I am guessing that I need some adapter?

 

[boatingdudebmk]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

Also, the tachometer that I have has a sticker n the back that has the poistions for various engine applications. (All in four stroke) 4 cylinder, 6 cylinder, 8 cylinder, and 12 volt pole or something like that. Would it work to use the 4 cylinder 4 stroke? The engine it would be reading is a 2 stroke, 2 cylinder. That should work, correct? Correct me if im wrong haha thanks!

 

[seabob4]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

Reference this Faria tach setting pdf...http://faria-instruments.com/site_manuals/IS0086p.pdf You may not have a Faria tach, but the settings should be the same. As far as the 3-wire plug, are the wire colors purple/black/tan, or red/green/blue? The first is for gauges, the second for trim/tilt...

 

[NYBo]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

I believe the 12-pole setting will work; the others definitely won't.

A 25 HP on an 8' boat? That baby must scream! ( I won't get into whether it's overpowered or not; that's up to you.)

 

[boatingdudebmk]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

@NYBo Haha if you look here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saH0ifchAXA that is a similar one. It goes 33, and it lives in my neighborhood actually haha. But yea, its supposed to have this big of an engine haha. I have an engine analyzer that uses an alligator clip. It is set for 4 stroke engines, 4, 6, 8, cylinders, and I put it on the 4 cylinder, and it showed just over 2000 rpm @ idle. This, I believe, is correct. So, shouldnt the tach I have just be set for a 4 cylinder 4 stroke?

@seabob thanks for the chart, its really helpful

 

[seabob4]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

Your idle should be around 750-800 RPM. 2 grand is well up there, and you'd know it just from the sound...

Watched the vid, looks like fun! But you gotta pick your days...

 

[boatingdudebmk]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

Thats it before the thing flipped Its great.


A 2 stroke idles at 750-800 RPM????? Shows how much I know... haha anyways, I actually don't live on the Bay, I live in a boating community (Bel Marin Keys, Novato, if you wanted to look it up haha) but the water is usually calm there, so it a lot easier to go out there. ANYWAYS, yes, it will be fun. That's my friends boat actually. Its great. Hope to get mine in the water soon!

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

Set it for 8 cylinders and it will read closer to 1000rpm.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Wiring my "New" Boat and Tach/Speedo Work

He most likely has a 12-pole stator, so that's the setting he should try.