How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

[boatgrunt]

I have a 1989 OMC with a Chevy 4.3V6. I have read posts that in various situations, recommend starting W/O/T, but I have a neutral safety switch. How do I bypass the switch to start W/O/T? I have identified the wire from the throttle to the ignition and tried removing it...no ignition.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

OK, I gotta ask, curiousity got the best of me. <br /><br />The neutral safety switch allows you to start the motor in neutral only. If you bypass it you can start the motor in gear. And you want to start it at wot (wide open throttle).<br /><br />What situation would come up that youd want to start the motor in gear at wot????

 

[pine island fred]

Re: How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

Not really a good thing to by pass the switch. Have witnessed a few harrowing moments when the engine starts in gear. That said, consider a discretely located spring loaded off toggle switch wired in parallel with the neutral start switch. Am suprised that the controls dont have some way to advance the throttle and not engage the drive. Pull out on the handle or push in on a button where the handle pivots? Be careful! <br /> Holding a spring loaded switch would make you aware you are doing something out of the ordinary. regards fred

 

[craze1cars]

Re: How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

Yep. What they said. You're doing it wrong. You want the boat in WOT while in NEUTRAL. If you bypass the switch you'll be doing it while the boat is in gear.<br /><br />I don't know OMC, but I promise that your controls have either 1.) a shift cable bypass button on the main "Go" lever, or 2.) a separate lever that allows you to open the throttle on the carb without moving the shift cable.

 

[boatgrunt]

Re: How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

One of the instances where I read to start W/O/T was when conducting a compression test (if you haven't noticed, I'm learning as I go and don't know much yet). I assumed that W/O/T means all the way forward on the accelerator, which as I mentioned, I can't do with the neutral safety switch. Can you also accomplish the W/O/T "purpose" by manually setting the choke flap in the carberator all the way open?

 

[Dhadley]

Re: How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

The neutral safety switch has nothing to do with throttle position. It prevents the motor from starting when its in gear (forward or reverse) buy breaking the connection to the starter solenoid. I wouldnt fool with that.<br /><br />You should be able to advance the throttle without putting the motor in gear. There may be a release button on the control or you may have to pull out on the handle. At any rate you should be able to advance the throttle while still in neutral.<br /><br />IE -- the neutral safety switch is connected to the shift linkage. Not the throttle linkage.

 

[boatgrunt]

Re: How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

Dhadley - Now that you mention it, I remember seeing my mechanic pull out on the forward/reverse handle while troubleshooting. If you do this and push forward, will you achieve W/O/T results while still in neutral?

 

[Dhadley]

Re: How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

Yes, that will advance the throttle without going in gear.<br /><br />If you start the motor, dont rev it up much. You dont want that thing turning 5000 rpm with no load on it. Bad things happen.

 

[JustMrWill]

Re: How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

Boatgrunt<br /><br />Where are you located? As you can tell by my sig I am near Boston.<br /><br />I learned the hard way ($1000 to replace flywheel) that starting with in gear is a BAD thing!!! You should be able to pull it out (towards middle of boat) and advance the throttle. Double check that it didn't go into gear BEFORE you turn the key.<br /><br />-JMW

 

[trog100]

Re: How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

"Double check that it didn't go into gear BEFORE you turn the key."<br /><br />kinda hard to do that..??.. which is why the whole thing is set up only to start when in nuetral.. which of course has nothing to do with the forward position of the handle only to do with whether its in or out.. most carb engines wont start up anyway without at least some throttle.. mine certainly wont.. i find it odd that some folks can own a boat and yet still know so little about some very basic things.. like how to work the throttle while still leaving the engine in nuetral..<br /><br />trog

 

[phantoms]

Re: How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

To check the compression on that engine, you have to be at the motor anyway. (to remove plugs, install gauge, etc.) Get you a bump starter switch from any automotive parts house. To check compression, unhook the plug(s) to the coil (Note, not the coil wire). This is to prevent a spark from happening. Hook one wire of the bump starter to battery positive. Hook the other lead to the S terminal on the starter (the little wire). Manually, open the throttle lever all the way (WOT) with one hand, then hold down the button on the bump starter for 10 seconds. Read your compression and go to the next cylinder and repeat (making sure to record your results) until all cylinders are done. After you are done, unhook the bump starter lead, reinstall all plugs and plug wires and hook the coil plugs back up.

 

[boatgrunt]

Re: How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

Trog100 - put your feathers down...some of us admit what we don't know and then learn from reading and listening to others. I guess you were born a boating expert, so excuse my untolerable ignorance. BTW - I HAVE manually "worked" the throttle, but was just trying to understand the tie-in to the neutral safety switch. <br /><br /><br />JustMrWill - I'm on the south shore. Miserable night in Beantown...we need better pitching. The bats just couldn't sustain us. Pats look no better - maybe Bruins/Celtics?

 

[boatgrunt]

Re: How To Bypass the Neutral Safety Switch

phantoms - thanks for the "by the numbers" explanation...just the way I like it - simple!