Where is GUY G FAST JEFF

"just wanted to say thank you

"just wanted to say thank you guys for all your help you 2 are a blessing.NOW THERE IS A QUESTION? 1971 searay 165hp str 6 cylinder.i have replaced all wiring,replaced all gauges,going to make this short 7,900 everything is brand new even the porta potty(instead of the kitchen sink) hahahah.my tach is my problem.when i hook up the brown tach wire the motor gets no spark when turning over.move the key to the 1st position and there is power to the coil.now the brown wire from tach goes to the neg side of the coil there is another brown wire with it that goes to the transom (i beleive shift interrupt switch)it has a small ball on the end that sets in the notch of (i beleive shifting linkage).2 brown wires have one ring end terimal anotherwards 2 wires 1 ring end going to neg side of coil.now the shift interupt switch has two wires brown coming in and black to ground.its the only two brown wires on the hole motor.when i unhook my tach the boat fires right up.hook the tach up boat wont start.? do i need shift interupt switch?can i elimnate it.can it be a bad tach? where do i go from here."

"if you remove inerrupt switch

"if you remove inerrupt switch, you will find it extremely hard to shift. especially into nuetral. sounds like a bad tach. this is common. if it runs o.k. with tach disconnected, there's your problem."

"Richard:
You have to use the

"Richard:
You have to use the shift interrupter switch to reduce the torque on the clutch assy. when shifting or it will fail prematurely. In neutral, the roller on the switch should be sitting in the little valley of the cam assy. If not, then it is out of adjustment. It is a PITA to adjust so don't touch it yet.

I am looking at a schematic that has a brown wire (pin # 2 of the engine harness) connecting to the neg. terminal of the coil. It also shows another brown wire going from the neg. coil terminal to the terminal block on the shift bracket where it connects to the brown wire of the shift interrupter switch. The black wire from the shift inter. switch connects to another black wire on the terminal block and then connects from it to ground. That connection is how it kills the engine for a microsecond when you shift which improves shifting.

Verify that the shift int. switch is wired correctly from the coil. The shift int. switch should be open while in neutral and it only closes briefly when shifting into forward or reverse.

Verify the tach is wired correctly. The studs are labeled so make sure you connected the wires to the right studs. There is a black ground wire for the lighting and tach operation. A separate tach connection for the brown wire only and a purple wire connected on another stud for 12 volts to the light.

If the tach is wired correctly and the shift interupt. switch is wired correctly and working like it should; all should be functioning properly. If it still won't run with the tach connected, disconnect the tach at the tach and see if that solves your problem. If it does, get a working tach. The tach is set for 6 cylinders isn't it?

Guy"

"Sounds like a ground inside t

"Sounds like a ground inside the tach. Can you beg, borrow or steal another tach to test it?

Jeff"

hey guy g. there is no termina

hey guy g. there is no terminal block on my harness.brown wire from tach to neg side of coil.another brown wire from neg side of coil to shift interupt switch.and yes the roller is in the valley.the boat always has been super hard to shift back in neatrul from drive.the two brown wires have one ring terminal end.its the only two brown wires on the whole motor.i have the old style shifter it has a big silver half round mounted to a horizontal flat surface with the shifting arm coming out the side.the two wires coming from the bottom of it(1 white wire-1black wire)i have the white wire connected to the key switch and the black is connected to the yellow which goes to the starter solenoid.is this right.or should i run white to fuse panel and black ground and yellow directly to the key switch. thank you guys.i wished you lived in new york so you could take a look at it. hahahaha

"Fastjeff, Rod & Others:

"Fastjeff, Rod & Others: Jump in here!

Would you agree that the single terminal with two brown wires gets connected to the neg. coil terminal and the other end goes to the shift inter. (SI) switch? Rich: Is there a black wire on the SI switch connected to ground? If not, it should be there to ground the coil which could explain the hard shifting. Test the SI switch when connected to see if it still works.

The wires coming out of the shifter I assume are connected to a neutral start switch. One end would connect to the ignition (I) terminal on the ignition switch and the other to the yellow.
Give it a try."

I'll see if I can find the

I'll see if I can find the right wiring diagram at home tonight.
That may help.
Rod

"OK I found a wiring diag that

"OK I found a wiring diag that covers 165's up to SN 3774865. Hope that's it.
The - terminal on the coil has 3 brown wires hooked to it. One goes to the tach. One goes to the shift int switch and one goes to the distributor (to the points). The shift int switch is NO, so if it's in the V notch it should be open.
If the tach wire kills the ignition I would disconnect it at the tach end and see if it runs. If not then there is a short in the wire somewhere. Otherwise it's the tach like Jeff said.
When you shift from gear into neutral, do you notice a definite pause in the engine for a split second? If not, your int switch is not working properly and it will be hard to shift out of gear. If its working, and hard to shift, you may need the lower shift cable replaced.
Hope that helps,
Rod"

rich & Guy;
The neutral s

rich & Guy;
The neutral safety switch should actually be connected between the yellow wire to the slave solenoid (as you have it) and the other wire to the start position on the key switch. This is so the start circuit will not energize if not in neutral. On my diag the start terminal is marked C. You can check it with a test light to make sure it's the one that only energizes in the start position.
I can scan and Email you the diagram if you send me your Email addy.
Good luck.
Rod

Rod:
Thanks for the correct

Rod:
Thanks for the correct connection scenario. I was walking blind w/o the correct schematic. The SELOC manual that I have does not cover that engine at all but lists the year as included. I guess that is why I use Merc. service manuals.

Guy

"Guy; no worries.
The diag th

"Guy; no worries.
The diag that I have is in my Clymer manual, and though not always the best, I think this is what Rich needs.
Cheers,
Rod"

Rod: Thanks.

Someone I&#

Rod: Thanks.

Someone I've helped in the past pulled their engine and didn't do as I suggested; label each wire removed and draw a diagram before removing it. Now they are in need of more help and neither one of us has the right digram but have worked it out.

Some questions about slightly leaking seals. During your tenure have you found seals on older boats that start to leak a little after sitting all winter and then the leak sort of stops? Have you ever used automotive OIL SEAL CONDITIONERS during servicing ODs and engines?
I would appreciate yours and others comments.
Guy

"Guy;
I'm no expert by an

"Guy;
I'm no expert by any measure, but it seems seals can weep a little and not cause major loss. They rarely fix themselves however, and eventually need replacing. Of course, the older the seal, the harder and less forgiving the material, and the more prone to cracking and leaking. This is true of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and boats alike I guess. Never tried a seal conditioner of any sort. Not sure how they would work in marine world.
Just to be clear, I am not a marine service tech or trained Merc mechanic. I am a petroleum engineer by profession, and a long time boat, motorcycle, and light aircraft owner. I guess I have a fair mechanical aptitude and I enjoy doing what I can on my own. I have also been able to help many friends get their boats up and running along the way.
I have picked up lots of very helpful advice and tips from many knowledgeable folks on this site, and now I feel it's my turn to give back and help others in whatever small way I can.
That's really the best thing about this and other sites like it. It's about people helping people, and without getting too silly, it kind of makes you feel good. Good grief, enough with the speeches already!
Cheers,
Rod"

"Rod:

I thank you for your

"Rod:

I thank you for your response. I am a 56 yr. old retired buyer not a mechanic but have been a DIY repairman, self contractor at home and whenever I can, like you, pick up whatever, esp. from this site. I enjoy repairing anything I can and have been able to store problem solutions in my head for almost anything electrical or mechanical. I am the neighborhood "Ask his dad".
You are right. Helping people is what it's all about. I have been told that I missed my calling more times than I like. Guy"

"Guy and Rod
I have used seal

"Guy and Rod
I have used seal conditioners in the past in Automotive applications only, I have had some mixed success.
I have only used them where we were trying to slow a rear main leak without removing an engine or transmission. If it was a wick style seal the additives made no difference at all, if they were a one piece or a two piece rubber seal they worked maybe 20-25% of the time rather reducing or sealing the leak.
Its worth a try if nothing else.
Cheers
Peter C"