1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

[inghamphoto]

I'm restoring a 1957 Big twin electric, Model 25028, and need some help with wiring up a start switch. I see that Evinrude had an electrical junction box that had a start switch and a choke switch. I?ve searched for such a box, but can't find anything that looks right. As far as I can tell, mine has a manual choke. The wiring harness appears to be complete. How do I set this up for tiller operation?

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

Is it electric start? But with a manual choke? The starter was probably added on afterwards then. All you need is a solenoid in the box for the starter. Or some folks get the smaller Merc solenoid and mount it inside the cowling so as not to require the junction box. If it will be a tiller engine then you wont really need the electric choke solenoid. I dont have my wiring diagrams with me (I'm on vacation and my laptop died) but if you search the forum you will find them. And welcome to the forum.

 

[jasper60103]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

I would follow Steve's advice and mount the solenoid along with the start button to your motor. Here's a wiring diagram and example. Note: if your motor is equipped with a neutral safety switch, then the solenoid is not hard wired to ground (point#1). Connect it to the neutral safety switch.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

If you look at Jasper's photo above you will see the electric choke solenoid at the bottom of the carb with a rod running up to the choke. It needs 12v to energize. Another question is how do you plan to stop the engine? Just turn the throttle down to nil? Or do you plan a stop switch as it would be hooked up to the two black wires coming from under the flywheel.

Jasper, is that a 28hp? Odd color?

 

[jasper60103]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

...

Jasper, is that a 28hp? Odd color?

Steve, yea that's Paul Moir's 28hp. He used to hang out here a long time ago. Guess he got a little creative with the colors, LOL.

 

[inghamphoto]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

I do have a solenoid for the starter, but not for the choke. The choke just has a rod that protrudes through the intake manifold, and out the cowling to the left of the low speed needle.
So, two switches, one for start and one for stop. Any issues with drilling two holes in the front, lower pan area and mounting them there? Start would be a momentary push button, and a toggle for run/stop?
Thanks for the diagram. Does the battery ground run back to the starter ground? Nothing but wood on the boat...

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

You can drill holes for the switches if you can find space for em. Both switches can be normally open momentary also if you want. As you're running a tiller you also might want to consider a kill switch connected in line with the momemtary off switch... One that attaches via a lanyard to your body in case you're tossed overboard... You also could use the choke to kill the engine like the early models did if you dont want to wire up a switch but it's not the best approach to stop the engine that way.

 

[inghamphoto]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

I have the start switch hooked-up per your diagram. You said to attach the wire #1 from the solenoid to the neutral safety switch. My safety switch has a wire leading from the center terminal to the points. It has a second wire from this terminal that is not attached to anything. There is a ground lead attached to the other terminal. There is also another wire coming from the points that is not attached to anything. Which wire goes to the solinoid#1 post?

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

The switch with the wire coming from the center is the over revving switch (cutout switch) which is vacuum controlled, The neutral safety switch is a little mercury switch located on the throttle shaft. (it sounds like yours might be missing) I have my wiring diagrams now so have attached one. Ignore the generator and regulator as you don't have em (I assume)

.

 

[inghamphoto]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

Thanks for the diagram! O.K., so both leads from the Magneto go to the center terminal on the vacuum switch. I have no neutral safety switch, so the lead from the other terminal goes to ground and back to the small terminal on the solenoid? If I wanted to install a kill switch, would it go in-line on the lead from the solenoid, or between the vacuum switch and the points?

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

I have a pair of '58 Bigtwins, which I rigged with solenoids. First and as previously pointed out, the Mercury starter solenoids will fit in you lower cowl pan better, because they are smaller than the OMC units. Also, do not try to use an automotive solenoid - unlike the outboard units, they ground through the base. The outboard starter solenoids are grounded via one of the smaller terminal posts.

You may also have to remove the air silencer (the box on the carb), in order for the solenoid to fit. I did this and used carb grills off of a couple of Johnson 33hp motors, in place of the air silencers. There is a disadvantage in this, however, in that the motor will be quite loud if you do this. The powerhead in the later OMC 28hp and 33hp motors is essentially the same as yours, but those motors had the fiberglass covers, which kill quite a bit of the noise.

I have never tried to mount the Mercury solenoids along with the air silencers, but may do so soon. I'm thinking about selling the Bigtwins, because I am not using them and I've put the silencers back in, to return them to stock configuration. The solenoids are now out, but I'm thinking that it might make sense to try to put them back in. If I get this done in the next week or so, I'll let you know how it worked out.

On the solenoid rectifier boxes that you are referring to, I would say that they aren't the biggest problem. You can still find them on EBay, etc., but where you will run into trouble, is in finding a cable that isn't so dry rotted as to be useless.

Also, you can tell very easily if your motor was originally built as an electric version v. a manual version. If there is a rectangular "socket" with a number of pins in it, on the starboard side of the motor, it is the electric version. If that is not there, it is the manual version.

 

[inghamphoto]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

I have given up on the box, and will wire to the start switch. Does the solenoid pictured look like a marine one? Is the small terminal on the starter side a ground? I believe mine is a manual model that had a starter added.

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

I have given up on the box, and will wire to the start switch. Does the solenoid pictured look like a marine one? Is the small terminal on the starter side a ground? I believe mine is a manual model that had a starter added.

Is that the solenoid that was on the motor when you got it? Looks pretty new. No way of knowing if it is the correct one, but I'd try it. Just hook up the two red wires to the push button and ground the small solenoid terminal next to the large starter terminal. It looks like the motor has the mercury switch (that shiny object next to remote throttle cable hookup). You could ground through that if you want to prevent the motor from starting if the throttle is advanced too far. Or just ground to the engine block. That carb is a manual choke only. You could hook up another pushbutton for a kill switch. Just add a wire to the center of the cut-out switch. Then add a second wire to the second set of points (you'd have to remove the flywheel to get to the points). Not sure what that blue wire is which is cut off. Check to see if it goes into the bottom of the armature plate. It may have already been hooked up for a kill switch.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

Thanks for the diagram! O.K., so both leads from the Magneto go to the center terminal on the vacuum switch. I have no neutral safety switch, so the lead from the other terminal goes to ground and back to the small terminal on the solenoid? If I wanted to install a kill switch, would it go in-line on the lead from the solenoid, or between the vacuum switch and the points?

Hmmm, wait a sec. Do you have 2 black wires or 1 coming from your magneto? If there's two, you dont hook em both to the cutout switch as it will short out the magneto and you will have no ignition. If there's 2 it is setup for a kill switch, you simply short these two wires together via a momentary normally open switch to kill the engine.

 

[inghamphoto]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

The black wire that is attached to the vacuum switch and the blue, disconnected wire, both come from the magneto. I'm thinking the blue one ran to a kill switch. I'm still confused about the mercury switch. You say you see it next to the remote throttle cable hook-up. Can you be more specific?
Just finished the paint on the cowling. Look like the original?

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

The throttle hook-up is in the lower right corner of the second photo. Looks like something shiny to the left of it, sort of hard to tell in the photo. But anyway, that mercury switch is a small bulb-shaped switch attached to the throttle mechanism. As you advance the throttle, the switch tilts and the mercury in the bulb flows away from the contacts and breaks the ground to the starter solenoid. If that blue wire is coming from the magneto, it was probably added by the PO as a kill switch. Start the motor and touch it to the center of the vacuum cut-out switch. If it kills the motor, there you have it.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

Your solenoid is probably not an outboard solenoid. That is most likely why the second of the smaller posts is not in use. If it were an outboard solenoid, that would be the ground. In an automtive solenoid, which is what I think you have, the base of the unit provides the ground. Because of this, all of the grounds that you would normally run to the post that is now empty on your solenoid, will have to be run to the pan or powerhead somewhere.

By the look of your setup, you are not going to be able to reinstall the air silencer box. Expect this motor to be pretty loud. Also and as I indicated before, you can use the carb grill off of an OMC 28hp or 33hp motor from the 60s. You'll have to pull both needle valves to install the grill, but the carb body is the same, so the screw holes for mounting will be in the right place.

 

[inghamphoto]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

O.K., I think I have it! Thanks all, for your help. Once I get her wired-up, I will pull the flywheel and take a look at the ignition system. I'm sure that will result in a bunch more questions.
Thanks again for all of your help with this project! I can't wait to get it on the boat and see how she runs.

 

[inghamphoto]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

The motor is back together and fired up just fine! Put it on the boat today and discovered that the anti-cavitation plate sits 3 1/2" below the bottom of the boat. It was originally a short shaft, and I added the 5" spacer and related components to make it a long shaft, as I made the transom 20" to fit my old long shaft. So, If I take the spacer out, I will be 1 1/2" too high. I can build a transom extension and jack the motor up 3 1/2" to match the cavitation plate to the boat bottom, live with the motor 3 1/2 " too long, or 1 1/2" too short. The boat is the one pictured. 14? flat bottomed skiff used on the local rivers and bays for fishing and crabbing. I?m not excited about raising the motor, and am leaning towards converting back to a short shaft. What issues will I have with the motor that high on the boat?

 

[lindy46]

Re: 1957 Evinrude 35 hp. junction box

and am leaning towards converting back to a short shaft. What issues will I have with the motor that high on the boat?

Might cavitate some on turns - try tilting it down to the first or second notch to minimize the problem.