1976 Tom Boy Boat, 1976 40 HP Johnson Outboard and who knows what Trailer

[oldrem]

Came out nice!

 

[mickyryan]

boat looks awesome! she is finishing out so nice!

 

[sphelps]

Very nice GM !!!

 

[Ciera2450]

You’ll be out fishing in no time! If I ever get mine done this season we should meet up at the lake sometime. I stay at Tobesofkee for the weekends if the weather is decent.

 

[gm280]

You’ll be out fishing in no time! If I ever get mine done this season we should meet up at the lake sometime. I stay at Tobesofkee for the weekends if the weather is decent.

Yea I am shooting to finish this way-over-do boat project. Unlike your project, I have a mere simple tri-hull boat that seriously should have been finished years ago. You actually have a real boat project.

As for lake Tobesofkee, I used to fish that little lake with great success. The crappy are pretty good size there. Just hope I don't miss another spawning season...

 

[gm280]

Working now on the wiring from the control panel to the engine, I have a question that I may even have asked before on here. I mean this thread is years old now...:facepalm:

I am looking for the Johnson/Evinrude/OMC engine/control connectors with pins/sockets. I can easily find already made cable harnesses and even some new ones. But I want the actual connectors with pins and sockets. Does anybody know where to find them?

On the engine side, I used a Cannon circular type connector that is really better then original. Those connectors are more impervious to the elements then original. And I also have that mating Cannon circular connector as well. And if all else fails, I will continue wiring that setup. But I was wanting to keep this intact with the original connectors if possible. Any help is greatly appreciated indeed. I'll keep searching...

 

[Pusher]

Sorry, I don't know about the connectors, but I know that rub rail looks superb! :thumb:

 

[gm280]

Sorry, I don't know about the connectors, but I know that rub rail looks superb! :thumb:

Ha Pusher, thanks so much for the nice words.

I was pretty amazed as well. Amazing how bad the aluminum rail itself was when I first started straightening it out and working all the dings and dents out of it. But it straighten out pretty well and then a good sanding with progressively higher grit number sand paper and then some Mothers Aluminum Polish.

The neighbor seen it and asked where I got the rub-rail from. I told him it was the original that I straightened and polished. He was really impressed. The insert finished the look off nicely.

Seem the Johnson (Evinrude/OMC) connectors are not available for consumer purchase, so I will continue with the Cannon Brand Circular connectors setup. It is rock solid and custom fit and will do the job nicely. I was just wanting to keep it original, but it is what it is.

 

[gm280]

Haven't posted any progress in a few days. And tha tis because the progress I am doing basically doesn't show up in pictures. WIth that stated, I seem to have run into a predicament.

Way way back when I was installing the side storage boxes and such, I knew I had to install some PVC tube to allow me to run wires and control cables through them after they were finished out. So I installed 1" thin wall PVC tubing. Problem is, I now have to many things to "slide" through that tube, that it is filling up and not allowing everything to get through.

With two control cables, wires for Anchor Light, wires for the Courtesy Lights, wires for the Storage Boxes, a Positive and Negative wires from the battery to the Control Panel, and the standard wiring harness for the engine, I am having a real issue trying to get them all into a 1" inch PVC tube now.

I pulled out the Storage Box wires and Courtesy Light wires and stripped the outer insulation that holds the two wires together for each circuit, to help give me some more room. While that does help, it is really going to be a pain to get everything through that tube. Should have used 1 1/2" tube instead. But Monday morning Quarterbacking doesn't help now.

I was really amazed how nice the control cables were. I pulled the inside solid wire out and flushed the tubes with carb cleaner and then air and then used some WD40 before reinstalling the center solid cable back through. They slide like ball bearings are in them. One of the only things in that old boat that still works perfect after all these years. Go figure.

Everything is coming together very well and I really hope to install the engine soon. I'll post some pictures soon. But not much changes when you are dealing with wiring everything up.

 

[oldrem]

Are you using a wire puller/fish or trying to push them through?

 

[gm280]

Are you using a wire puller/fish or trying to push them through?

Actually I pulled some wires out so I could make room for others. BUT, as I pulled out some wires, I attached line to them so I could pull in others. So I have not yet had any serious issues fitting everything in. That part is coming when I see the numbers I will need. I may have to group the grounds together just before the tube since every circuit I am wiring is merely LED lights that really don't need 16 gauge wire to work properly.

I actually search for 20 gauge paired marine wire for such LED lights, but so far I haven't found any. Seems they stop at 18 gauge.

 

[archbuilder]

I think I would try pulling everything as a bundle if you can. I have had better luck with that.....conduits are never big enough!

 

[steve_h7]

I worked for the phone company for many years and when pulling conduit with multiple wires we'd do them all at once and stagger them so they're not all attached at one point. Use a simple loop with min. tape: https://youtu.be/9kK4IugMIn0

 

[gm280]

I worked for the phone company for many years and when pulling conduit with multiple wires we'd do them all at once and stagger them so they're not all attached at one point. Use a simple loop with min. tape: https://youtu.be/9kK4IugMIn0

I did watch the video and it is basically how I usually pull wires. And thanks for posting it too.

The problem is, or could be, I am really not sure all the wires I have will actually fit inside the 1" PVC tube. So it isn't so much pulling them through, as much as their individual diameters are literally too big when they are all combined. That is why I removed two paired wire runs and removed the outer insulation that holds them in pairs. That seems to have allowed more space.

The 1" PVC tube installed seemed plenty large enough way way back when I was in the actual building stage. Now, maybe not so much. The length is only about 8 to 10 feet long. So if I have to, I can drill additional holes aside the PVC to feed other wires. I do have access to to that it it comes to that. We will see...

All the wires I am using is marine grade tinned stranded wire. And it is either 16 gauge or 18 gauge. But near all the circuits I am working with doesn't require any high current issues and smaller gauge wire could work equally well. I am certain 20 gauge would work for the LED lights two of those runs are for. Measuring on the current meter, merely less then .050 ma. But I always have to build over board...

 

[archbuilder]

Could you pull a common ground and install a ground distribution buss on the other side? Might cut down on some wires.

 

[oldrem]

Could you pull a common ground and install a ground distribution buss on the other side? Might cut down on some wires.

I did that on mine. Ran a single 10ga forward to a terminal block then out to everything from there.

 

[gm280]

archbuilder and oldrem, I actually am going to do that. Since the circuits are low voltage/low current types, a common ground will help. That will remove a few ground wires anyways. I'll try to post some pictures once i get the wires through.

Still making and installing hardware and such. Starting to look more like a workable boat now. I have a question for everybody, where did you mount your fire extinguisher in your boat? I still haven't located the spot for mine and want to be accessible, but out of the way as well. Any ideas are welcomed.

 

[mickyryan]

i used led lighting wire, its 22 gauge i believe and reason was it will work fine for the load they carry, im not worried about it ever burning out and i never used tinned wire either, my original wiring on the boat was still good 30 years later...... it was the non heat shrinked or protected terminals that were crap

 

[archbuilder]

I agree on the non-tinned for freshwater. The heat-shrink connections are the important part in my experience. but nothing wrong with overkill if you can get them all to fit.

 

[gm280]

i used led lighting wire, its 22 gauge i believe and reason was it will work fine for the load they carry, im not worried about it ever burning out and i never used tinned wire either, my original wiring on the boat was still good 30 years later...... it was the non heat shrinked or protected terminals that were crap

I bought all tinned marine grade wire for my project, via the suggestions on these forums. However, the actual engine harness is NOT marine grade and the copper wire ends have all turned black. And cutting back the wire trying to get to some quality copper is iffy and takes a lot of cutting back to get there to copper colored wire again.

You can take black corroded copper wires and dip them into a mixture of vinegar and salt solution, and it will remove the black to allow you to solder the wire again. But you have to stop the etching with a baking soda solution to stop the process before soldering the wires. Just some info.