Bilge Pump/Quicksilver 300 Controller

[surveyor1951]

The problem I have with my Quicksilver 300 Controller is the trim switch does not work, so I have replace it. Can the handle come off, if so how do you do this? If it doesn't do you have to take it off from the backside. I notice there are 3 nuts on the bolts,do you take these ones off. I was on my back looking up, so I only saw 3, are there more if I have to take them off from the back? I know it is the switch because once I disconnected the wire connector I was able to jump the trim wires from the red power wire to move the trim up & down.
As for my bilge pump it was working in Feb. but a couple weeks ago it turned cold & snowed a lot. I noticed a lot of ice around it & the bilge switch would not run it. Today I took it apart & got the model numbers.
Johnson Pump Model 3615
Mayfair Marine Model 3250
Mayfair Marine Cartridge 28552
How should I troubleshoot this pump or what part should I be looking at. Does this cartidge twistoff? I did not do too much troubleshooting this as I was trying to figure out the trim wiring.
Any help on this would be much apprieciated. Thanks

 

[tazrig]

Re: Bilge Pump/Quicksilver 300 Controller

Are you talking about this controller? The 3000?

 

[surveyor1951]

Re: Bilge Pump/Quicksilver 300 Controller

I attached the picture of my controller.

 

[tazrig]

Re: Bilge Pump/Quicksilver 300 Controller

O.K. That makes a little more sense. I had heard of the "3000" but not a "300" Any way here are the instructions to access the trim switch. If you're still having a problem I may be able to get you an emailed file of the owners manual for it but it's 8MB so lets try this first. Let me know how you make out.

1. Press the "throttle only button" and move the handle forward to a WOT position.
2. Pop out the TO button cap. Unfortunately Mercury made a large number of 3000 models. The TO button cap may be square or round. The square one can be popped by two flathead screwdrivers, the first one to lift the edge so that the second one can get a good purchase at the end and is able to pop it. The round one also can be popped by using two screwdrivers simultaneously.
3. There is a brass nut 11/16 inside. Remove it.
4. The handle will come off easily.
5. If the trim switch on the handle needs to be accessed, there is a screw on the underside, which can be removed.
6. If the control unit ( the rhomboidal metal case on the other side of the plywood, containing levers, throttle and shift cables and neutral safety switch yellow wires with red strip) needs to be removed, you will have to remove the plastic panel on the outside, after removing the handle. The panel is held in place by 6 bolts. The 3 larger ones 7/16, go into the control unit housing and are easily removed. They are short. The three small ones 3/8 size, but long, are used to attach the plastic panel to plywood. They have locking nuts and brass washers on the other side. Unfortunately, once you start removing these, the nuts rotate freely and the bolt cannot be removed without holding the nuts on the other side. This can extremely frustrating because there is usually no access to these nuts. Try anyway. Usually you are able to remove two and then the third comes off easy. When you put it back, forget the washers and locknuts. Try some other means of fastening the unit to plywood. When I did this, I used a larger drill to make recess in the plywood centered on the already drilled hole. Not through, but just the depth of the nut. Then the nut was placed in the recess and glued in place with epoxy.The bolt then easily goes in and out.

There are two design flaws (at least!) in the 3000 model, the removal of handle should not require popping off plastic tabs which have a tendency to break. There should be a couple of small screws. Secondly, who but an idiot would put bolts to hold the unit to the plywood but put the nuts on the other side and almost inaccessible. In fact the three 7/16 bolts easily hold the assembly in place by sandwiching the plywood firmly between the panel and the control unit. Even stainless screws instead of bolts would have been nice.

 

[surveyor1951]

Re: Bilge Pump/Quicksilver 300 Controller

I took off the handle, which came off very easy. The problem was not the switch but the wires inside. Fixed the wires up & the trim does work. I also installed a backup switch just in case. The problem I have now is the plastic throttle button. It either says stuck inside then I need to too use a screw driver to pop it out a little bit then when I move the handle forward or back the throttle button will pop right out. Any suggestions how to resolve this issue? I bought a new bilge pump so will install this on days off. Any help on the throttle button would be much apprieciated. Thanks

 

[tazrig]

Re: Bilge Pump/Quicksilver 300 Controller

The problem I have now is the plastic throttle button. It either says stuck inside then I need to too use a screw driver to pop it out a little bit then when I move the handle forward or back the throttle button will pop right out. Any suggestions how to resolve this issue?

A few things come to mind. Firstly was the button and the mechanism under it put back exactly the same way it came out? From the back of the throttle handle? Did you try hitting it with a little bit of WD-40 or the like? (sounds like it might just be sticking a little bit as you have to dig it out with a screwdriver to get it going but then it pops out on its own when you wiggle the throttle handle) And lastly try loosing the throttle handle just a hair. I'm thinking you might have over tightened it and squished the plastic case just enough to push on the release button. When the throttle handle is in neutral the throttle button should push in and then spring back out on it's own almost like it is on a spring. If none of the above things work try disassembling it again only this time clean each part to get any gook or film of of them and then hit each part with a little WD-40 or the like before re-assembling.

 

[surveyor1951]

Re: Bilge Pump/Quicksilver 300 Controller

I will try that tomorrow when I go to the lake,let you know. thanks

 

[surveyor1951]

Re: Bilge Pump/Quicksilver 300 Controller

I tried putting the throttle button in using white lithium, it would seat alright but it was hit & miss, it would work a few times but then it would get stuck, then use a screw driver to pop it out a little, but when I moved the control handle the button would pop out. Originallly when I took the handle off, using my 11/16th" socket it was torqued on pretty tight, I had the handle 1/4 back on the reverse side but when I loosened the nut , it was tight & had to use my knee to hold the handle in place but the handle slid to about the 1/4 forward postion after I got the nut off. Does it matter which position you put the handle on ie. since the handle moved to the forward 1/4 position, I put the handle on as close as I could that the gear mechanisms would allow me to the forward 1/4 position. Will the throttle button do this if the handle is not in the same position as you took it off? I guess I should of marked the position before I slid the handle off but I tried putting it on as close as I could to the forward 1/4 position.. Now that I moved the handle back & forth I would have no idea where the original position would be, If so how can you realign the handle back to the original position? Any help on this would be much apprieciated. Thanks