Electric Start Key Switch Location

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user 7806

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The more I use my boat the less I like where the key switch is located. If your standing on the ground it pretty convientent but I'm very seldom standing on the ground when I start it. I have an idea but thought I would see what you all had to say about it.

The start/choke switch's current location
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If you peek through the seat you can see the switch, you almost have to turn the seat completley sideways to be able to reach the switch and the tiller handle.
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My idea is to make a bracket to hold it that clamps on the front handle. There is plenty of cable so steering shouldn't be a problem. To remove the motor you would unclamp the switch. Any thoughts?
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That is an odd location for the ignition key.
If you had a splash well, placing the switch under it would be a nice place but looks like you don't so I would think on the vertical aluminum panel of the bench seat just next to your left knee might be convenient. I'd cover it with an aircraft type switch box so your leg wouldn't accidentally turn it off or damage it.
 
how did you end up with remote key start on a tiller outboard anyway? never seen that before.

i like your idea, closer to how most electric start tiller outboards have it

even better, why don't you add a push button on the outboard itself wired in parallel with the start wiring from the key switch? turn the key to on to enable the motor to run, then press the button on the OB to start it
 
acabtp said:
how did you end up with remote key start on a tiller outboard anyway? never seen that before.

It was that way when I bought the boat so I can't say. Is nice other than the key location. Takes some practice to be able to push the choke button and turn the key for the starter, unless you spin around and use both hands.
 
wihil said:
I'd move it to the opposite gunnel.
Thought about that but with a 72" beam it's a long way over there & if the wife goes with me she sits on the rear bench too.
 
Gramps
If You've got a holesaw, it's pretty easy to put it in the seat front. Here's a picture of my setup( before the switch was inserted). By the way I've seen several setups like Yours and mine with a elec. start switch on a tiller motor, but not on the motor itself. Mine happens to be a 04 merc 25hp 4 stroke tiller model. I simply cut a hole, ( I believe it was an 1-1/4" hole), another hole at the back, then cut out enough foam to run the switch and wires thru the foam pod and fed it thru. I now have a switch sticking out of the front of the box, with only a key sticking out about 1-1/4". There are several small holes below the key hole for the beeper sound to come out clearly. I just drilled about 10 little holes about an 1-1/2" below the centerline of the switch hole.
Novaman
 

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Been thinking about the best place to put the ignition switch so I went & took it off and held it in some places that I was thinking about like the tiller handle, under the motor on the back of the seat. As I was looking I decided to try over by the small console that has the FF and light/livewell switches.

This location will be more work as I will have to extend the cable about 4' so that I would have enough wire to put it in a full blown console I have been toying with but that is a project for a later time. I want to use the boat more before I built one of those. Anyway here is the new location that I was thinking about.
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The wire come out the wrong side and it is not reversable, but I could re-letter the plate to show the correct positions or I could run the wire out towards the bow and no re-lettering required.
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Sitting in seat
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Didn't try this position from the seat but it looks like it would work to and might be easier to turn the switch and press the choke at the sametime.
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May also mount it a little lower and span the bump out where the wires are running.
 
New Switch location phase One:

Slept on it and went out this morning and looked and on the gunwale in front on the rear seat seemed to be the best place for now.

Removed the old switch by unsoldered the wires so I could take it inside in the cool and make the extension cable.

Made a wiring diagram before I unsoldered anything i made a wiring diagram.

Inside in the AC I soldered 42" of new colored wire on the switch and the choke button. I then took some aircraft rubber shrink tube and put it over the wires to form a singe bundle. After shrinking it I put another layer on and shrank it too. This may have been over kill but with a lot of it laying on the floor under the seat I felt better with the double layer.
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Finished extension cable
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After it cooled down a little Phase Two was started which was splicing the new extention cable with the switch box to the existing cable. Ran the wire between the gunwale and the rear seat down to the floor. Using marine crimp butt connectors the 5 wires were spliced. I had slid the aircraft rubber shrink wrap up the existing wire. After the splicing was done and the connectors shrank with a heat gun & let cool. I put some marine heat shrink over all the butt connectors to keep them bunched and covered.

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I then slid the aircraft heat shrink over the connectors and over the same on the switch end.
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Next was mounting the switch box, which just required 2 holes for the mounting screws.
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Was to late to take it out for a test drive by the time I got done, so maybe tomorrow. Has to be better in the new location as opposed the old position behind my back. I think this will be much easier to kill the motor when beaching my tin.
 

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