1968 Evinrude wiring

D

dam4

Recruit
Joined
Jun 26, 2005
Messages
4
I just purchased a boat with a '68 Evinrude 85 hp (model #85893A?) outboard motor on it and the wiring harness plug was cut off on both ends (motor and instrument panel). I ordered a book, however it will not be in till after the 4th probably. I was hoping someone on here would be able to get me a schematic on where the wires go. I have ordered a new wiring harness for the motor (which will be in tomorrow), but cannot find one for the boat (MFG - Edinboro??). What I am looking for is which wire goes to what on the dash so I can re-wire this. Unfortunatly I cannot tell where it goes on the dash due to the wires being pulled off of, spliced, etc. This is the first boat and motor I have ever owned and in need of some assistance, as I want to have it in the water by this weekend. The guy I purchased the boat from was not much help in this and stated that he was able to jump the solinoid and it turned over but didn't start. Is there a way to test the motor out after I get all this wiring done with out putting it in the water or not. I was told you can buy this clamp thing that you can attach a garden hose to and run it, however I don't know where to put it. Thanks in advance for your help on this topic.<br /><br />I have a bet with the wife that I can get this done by the week end. Please help me prove her wrong. Thanks.
 
CATransplant

CATransplant

Admiral
Joined
Feb 26, 2005
Messages
6,319
Re: 1968 Evinrude wiring

I'm betting you're going to lose that bet. Sorry. The manual will help you with the wiring, I have no doubt, assuming it is a service manual.<br /><br />If the guy you bought the boat from couldn't start it, expect to spend some time working on it before you have it on the water.<br /><br />The easiest way to work on these outboards away from the water is to take a large trashcan, put it under the motor while it's still attached to the boat, then fill it with water to a level that is a few inches higher than the horizontal plate over the propellor. <br /><br />With that in place, you can run the motor in neutral, and even idle it in forward and reverse. Don't be tempted to rev it up, though...it'll blow all the water out of the trash can pretty spectacularly.<br /><br />This is a lot easier, I think, than using the hose and ear-muff style connector. I'm not certain that your motor can accept those easily-available ear-muffs, in any case.<br /><br />Once you get your manual, start slowly, and work your way through the wiring, making sure you have the right wire connected to the right terminal.<br /><br />You can build your own harness to the controls, but do follow the color scheme in the manual's diagram. It will make your life much easier later. Also make certain to use wire of at least the same size or larger as that in the harness bits that you have. You'll need things like terminal ends, a soldering iron, solder, plenty of tape, and several different colors of wire. The auto parts store has all of this stuff.<br /><br />Once you get that done, you are almost ready to try to start the outboard. You will certainly want to replace the water pump impeller before using the outboard, however. The manual will tell you how, and parts are available at your local Johnson dealer for that. You'll also want to check the compression on each cylinder. The compression measurement should be close on all cylinders. A compression gauge can be purchased at any auto supply store.<br /><br />From there, you'll probably have lots of questions. We'll all try to help you, but the manual's going to be essential to even get started, since you have no prior outboard experience.<br /><br />So, sit back, enjoy the weekend and try not to stress over your new old boat and outboard. Wait for the manual, then come back and ask all the questions you're going to have.
 
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