Tilt Kill Switch (Mercury Switch)

I have a 1977 Mercury 500 50hp motor. Do I disconnect the kill switch at the switch box terminal (orange wire) to check to see if it is causing an intermittent power loss? I just put a new wiring harness on and it will be a few days before I can get it to a lake for a test so when I go out and still have the same problem I would like to be able to see if that tilt switch is a problem by running without it. Thanks, Fuddyduddy

Some folk just throw them away.What it actually does is stop the motor from starting while tilted up.And I don't think anyone is going to start a motor while tilted,or are they?????

It's actually intended to shut the motor off if you run over something that tilts her up. Not necessary and can cause trouble.

Jeff

I stand corrected. I hope I never hit anything that hard that it kicks my auld Merc 800 that high out of the water

I started it at home this morning and took the orange wire off the switch box. That didn't stop the motor. Do I take the wire off (orange) that is at a little junction to disconnect? I just want to run the motor while the switch is disconnected so I can figure out if it is causing a problem or not. It is possible that it is no good
. Thanks, Fuddy

If she fired up and ran with the tilt-switch connected,then there is no problem with it.
Tilt switch makes a ground when motor is tilted,thus "switching off the engine". Fluid mercury within the cylinder makes the ground when the outboard is tilted beyond a certain point

Understand how it works. I got a wiring harness without two orange wires (old one was OEM with a splice on that wire where one went to switchbox and one to Mercury switch terminal.) I made a jumper for that wire and ran it to the mercury switch terminal to the switchbox. The single orange wire that was original to the new harness was installed directly to the terminal on the mercury switch. Do I just take the mercury switch positive (orange) wire off the terminal and leave the rest intact? When I just removed the wire from the switch box only, I did have to choke it a you said, to stop it. Thanks, Fuddy

Leave the orange wire from the harness on the switch-box.That way you will be able to switch the motor off with the key.Just remove the tilt switch wire from the switch-box.

Ahhhhh. Simple mind can follow simple directions. I have a feeling that will not be the probem.Thanks again, Fuddyduddy

My motor has two fuel pumps (starboard side of the carbs). Is it possible and/or feasible to replace the parts in those pumps without removing the carbs from the motor's intake manifold?-Thanks, Fuddy duddy