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can't get powershift II control box apart.

P

pedalyurassoff

New member
I am old enough to know to ask for help BEFORE grabbing a bigger hammer. This box is for my 1974 johnson 85hp outboard. It is a Powershift II, with the start lever below the main throttle handle. and a friction knob, and some other adjustment knob on the forward end of it, with the ignition switch, and an electric choke intermittent switch below that . I started having issues a few days ago with getting the starter to crank. I have noticed that the ignition switch is loose, and I think a wire has broken off inside. I was wiggling the start lever (high idle) and it would crank, but now nothing. The motor runs great. I can easily rope start it. Sooo, I got the start lever off, the three screws of the lower part of the cover, and that cover off. The throttle handle is off, but i can't seem to pry apart the two halves. The whole box is bolted to my railing from inside the upper part of the box...with only threads showing on the other side of the railing, so I can't detach it from the boat yet (it's a pontoon). What am I missing, here?
 
Factory manuals do cover the control box. Well worth it in my opinion.
You will have to remove it. My only saving grace was I installed my control box, so I knew how it went on.
No hammers required (maybe).
If you don't get it by tonight, I will take some pics of my spare with the top cover off.

If I remember right there are hex head bolts on the inside. They must have nuts on the outside.
The hex heads are in a fitted casting section and would just slide out without nuts on the outside.

Jim
 
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Thanks. I got it off and apart. Good time to clean and grease everything. All wiring checks out. I even have 12 volts when I turn the key to start on the S terminal of the starter solenoid. I ohmed out the solenoid, and it checked good, But i replaced it with a generic one, and it still won't crank. If I jump the bat terminal to the S terminal, the starter engages just fine. Sooo, now i'm thinking I have to take the control box apart again, and jump out the nuetral safety switch. I'm guessing the contacts are good enough to read voltage, but not carry current. I do have a manual coming, but I want to get this going now. I will find a schematic for the control box. I had some trouble identifying ground up there. I'll figure this out...even if I have to permantly jump out the nuetral swith, or get one. I see that crowley marine has a lot of the parts. Any other points that I might have forgotten/missed?
 
racerone said:
Use only the factory solenoid or an exact equivalent.----No automotive units.
Click to expand...

I get it. They are different. If use it in a pinch, just cause I'm I'm fresh water. But it didn't solve it. I'm gonna take the controller apart again and double check that neutral switch. Now I am armed with the schematic
 
very frustrated. I thought I had the right schematic. 72 to 78 v4. Everything checks. The nuetral switch needed cleaning, but it's good now. I have a solid 12 volts at the s terminal of the relay. The schemtic shows another safety swith that closes ground on the I terminal. I bypassed it by grounding the I terminal, and it blew the 20 amp fuze when I turn the ignition swith to start. However, If I grounf the I terminal with a jumper, and put 12 volts from the lower bat cable, the solenoid will engage. WTF? I am an expert troubleshhooter. I've been fixing way more complicated systems than this for 40 years. Where is the safety swith, and what is it hooked to? Throttle advance? I can trace the wire to the terminal block, but I haven't taken anything more apart yet. Tomorrow...with your advice...Thanks!
 
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