Ive been restoring this old boat since 2008. When I bought the boat it ran like a champ. But lost the motor in a freeze. found a replacement that I upgraded. Thought I would have it in the water last year but ended up with this problem. Engine would crank over, start but shut down when ignition went back to run. I hot wired a 12 volt line to the coil and it would run but due to my research at the time it was not supposed to have 12v all the time to the coil but drop to something like 4.5 - 7 when running. One of the upgrades was a Pertronix distributor and a Pertronix igniter II. I have found many references to this and similar problems on this site. This is what I have learned, the set up now has 2 joined tan wires from the boat and the red wire from the distributor to the + on the coil and the black distributor wire to negative on the coil.
The is also another wire to the negative, its origin is unknown to me today. I think it is dark brown, possibly black from the wire loom. I read that a purple wire was in the mix for some of the owners problems, possibly a ballast wire. I recall seeing one on one side or the other of the main engine loom plug but on one side or the other there was none? If my memory (which is highly in doubt these days) serves me correctly the brown wire may have been for a ground to something else. I will have to unwrap it and figure out what it was for.
Now back to the coil. I believe I understand the two tan wires were the ballast wires and are not needed with the electronic system I now have.
Am I correct that one of the tan wires comes from the electric choke where there should be 12v? If so can I use the connection for the 12 source with a new wire, not the tan wire
So I get rid of the tan wires, replace with a switched 12v source and the Red Dist. wire on the plus side.?
Get rid of the dark wire on the negative side and use only the black Dist. wire?
All should work at this point. Yea, Nea or What?
Thanks in advance for your expertise.
PS I'm still waiting to see if we have anymore freeze's here before I de winterize and see if this thing will ever run in California waters.
The is also another wire to the negative, its origin is unknown to me today. I think it is dark brown, possibly black from the wire loom. I read that a purple wire was in the mix for some of the owners problems, possibly a ballast wire. I recall seeing one on one side or the other of the main engine loom plug but on one side or the other there was none? If my memory (which is highly in doubt these days) serves me correctly the brown wire may have been for a ground to something else. I will have to unwrap it and figure out what it was for.
Now back to the coil. I believe I understand the two tan wires were the ballast wires and are not needed with the electronic system I now have.
Am I correct that one of the tan wires comes from the electric choke where there should be 12v? If so can I use the connection for the 12 source with a new wire, not the tan wire
So I get rid of the tan wires, replace with a switched 12v source and the Red Dist. wire on the plus side.?
Get rid of the dark wire on the negative side and use only the black Dist. wire?
All should work at this point. Yea, Nea or What?
Thanks in advance for your expertise.
PS I'm still waiting to see if we have anymore freeze's here before I de winterize and see if this thing will ever run in California waters.
