The Gearhead Thread

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The Gearhead Thread

Post by Bloodhound »

sweetandsour wrote: 23 Aug 2024, 06:25
sweetandsour wrote: 30 Jul 2024, 18:32
sweetandsour wrote: 28 Jul 2024, 17:38 My outboard motor, a 2012 Suzuki DF70A, 70hp, will not start. The battery is fully charged, and measures 12.7 volts with the meter. The voltage at the engine, (pos lead on the starter, neg lead on the chassis ground), measures 12.1 volts. When the ignition is in the run position, (ie, "on", not cranking), the voltage at the engine measures just 8 volts. There's various audible clicks, and the beeper, and I hear the fuel pump priming, etc, but turning the key to start results in no other sound. The tilt and trim, which does not require the ignition to be on, does not work either. The relay clicks, but the tilt/trim motor does not engage.

All connections look good and are tight. I tried using the battery neg post as the ground, with the pos test lead on the starter, but there is still the voltage drop. I'll take the battery to be load tested tomorrow, for starters. Otherwise, I'm sort of at a loss.
Confirmed good battery. Attached brand new cables. Good connections. Volts measured at the battery = volts measured at the engine starter, with the key in the "on" position. When the key is turned to start, only clicks are heard, nothing else. Also the tilt/trim will not engage, audible clicks only.
Tomorrow I will play around with the switch, and wiring under the console. You guys are no help.
Bad battery cable(s). Not all battery cables are created equal, apparently. Sometimes 4-ga copper wire does not equal 4-ga copper wire. Apparently my Suzuki only likes very expensive Suzuki battery cable; but anyway there is now power to the motor. Today I'll change plugs, fuel filter, flush with fresh gas, and try to get it running, just in time for the end of summer.
Glad you got it figured out...I would have had to take it to a shop...I am not skilled when it comes to mechanical/electrical and such...
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The Gearhead Thread

Post by sweetandsour »

Quote from someone on another forum: "You dont want to use your aluminum boat for a ground wire. There are some weird things that will happen if you do. Especially if you have one of those Riveted boats (starcraft).

However I have grounded my Bow light to the boat on my little 12' skiff and its never been the cause of a problem.

But if you have a big complex boat and lots of gear, just run black wires from the Ground Buss to everything. It's only another 50' of wire, a few bucks, and once its done properly you wont have any more problems.
Only one Black wire from the Negative terminal of the Battery to the Ground buss. Make it a clean neat looking job.

Plan your schemetic so you have only one Red wire
wire from the Battery to a Buss.
The positive wires all eminate from that Buss.
Use fuses.
Make them easily accessible when your out on the water and have places for spare fuses right at the Positive buss.

Get your stuff from a good Marine boat supply store
."

This all looks pretty good. And on the aluminum boat that I'm currently checking running lights on, the previous owner had the ground wire of the bow light attached to a screw on the bow. I replaced the old (broken) light with a new one, and when I touch the ground wire to the screw, or anywhere else on the boat hull, the stern light goes out. Remove the ground wire from the hull, and the stern light comes back on. Apparently a ground fault? I have some wire that I can run directly to the battery negative, but I'm still curious how the previous owner got this to work, if it did work.
Appreciate if anyone on here happens to have any ideas. Meanwhile I've ordered a marine buss or two, and plan to do some re-wiring, and use a separate deep cycle battery for the trolling motor.
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The Gearhead Thread

Post by Hovannes »

I need to put a new gasket on a coolant outlet casting that bolts on to the engine block.
I've got Gascacinch, Permatex Ultra Black Gasket maker, and Permatex 2 Form-a-gasket
on hand, but which one is best suited for coolant? Or do I need something else (like I need another tube of gasket goop cluttering up my garage!)
What say you motor wise men?
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The Gearhead Thread

Post by sweetandsour »

Hovannes wrote: 27 Oct 2024, 16:39 I need to put a new gasket on a coolant outlet casting that bolts on to the engine block.
I've got Gascacinch, Permatex Ultra Black Gasket maker, and Permatex 2 Form-a-gasket
on hand, but which one is best suited for coolant? Or do I need something else (like I need another tube of gasket goop cluttering up my garage!)
What say you motor wise men?
Permatex Super 300.
Now, what can you tell me about DC circuits, or more specifically, about running lights on an aluminum boat?
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The Gearhead Thread

Post by Hovannes »

sweetandsour wrote: 27 Oct 2024, 18:36
Hovannes wrote: 27 Oct 2024, 16:39 I need to put a new gasket on a coolant outlet casting that bolts on to the engine block.
I've got Gascacinch, Permatex Ultra Black Gasket maker, and Permatex 2 Form-a-gasket
on hand, but which one is best suited for coolant? Or do I need something else (like I need another tube of gasket goop cluttering up my garage!)
What say you motor wise men?
Permatex Super 300.
Now, what can you tell me about DC circuits, or more specifically, about running lights on an aluminum boat?
Don't ground it on the hull. Theoretically you can, but in the real world it's a pita because of corrosion.
Of course, my aluminum boat is a canoe and doesn't have running lights.

I'm going with Permatex type 2, not as a gasket, but as a gasket adhesive since it doesn't dry so I'll be able to reuse the gaskets...I hope!
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The Gearhead Thread

Post by sweetandsour »

Hovannes wrote: 27 Oct 2024, 20:07
sweetandsour wrote: 27 Oct 2024, 18:36
Hovannes wrote: 27 Oct 2024, 16:39 I need to put a new gasket on a coolant outlet casting that bolts on to the engine block.
I've got Gascacinch, Permatex Ultra Black Gasket maker, and Permatex 2 Form-a-gasket
on hand, but which one is best suited for coolant? Or do I need something else (like I need another tube of gasket goop cluttering up my garage!)
What say you motor wise men?
Permatex Super 300.
Now, what can you tell me about DC circuits, or more specifically, about running lights on an aluminum boat?
Don't ground it on the hull. Theoretically you can, but in the real world it's a pita because of corrosion.
Of course, my aluminum boat is a canoe and doesn't have running lights.

I'm going with Permatex type 2, not as a gasket, but as a gasket adhesive since it doesn't dry so I'll be able to reuse the gaskets...I hope!
Good idea. And good luck!

WRT the alum boat, so much for theory, I'm running some new wires today, and plan to use a ground buss for all of the wires going back to the neg post on the battery.
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The Gearhead Thread

Post by Hovannes »

I've got the health, time, and great weather to go back to working on the Model T.
Here's my question:
After giving her her fluids a while back, she started leaking coolant, fuel and oil :o
While I think I've now got the coolant situation resolved, that leaves the fuel and the oil leak yet to deal with.
Is there any preferable order which should I address these issues?
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The Gearhead Thread

Post by FredS »

Hovannes wrote: 31 Oct 2024, 09:35 I've got the health, time, and great weather to go back to working on the Model T.
Here's my question:
After giving her her fluids a while back, she started leaking coolant, fuel and oil :o
While I think I've now got the coolant situation resolved, that leaves the fuel and the oil leak yet to deal with.
Is there any preferable order which should I address these issues?
By all means, find and fix the fuel leaks first. You guys are probably paying $10/gallon by now so it's expensive to let it run out onto the ground. Plus, you'll smell like gas every time you go back in the house after tinkering with it.

Oil leaks are annoying but it's not a big deal to top it off once in a while until you get around to fixing them
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The Gearhead Thread

Post by Hovannes »

My 10 inch bandsaw got all wonky after I used it to cut a tire in half to fit in the recycling can as the alternative was a 30 mile trip to the closest county recycling center.
I suspect it needs a new blade and quite a bit of adjustment so I dug out he owner's manual, but I have to admit I'm finding this task a wee bit daunting.
Any words of encouragement?
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The Gearhead Thread

Post by sweetandsour »

I got our Go Devil running, and tried it out in the marsh earlier this week, prior to yesterday's opening day duck hunt. Towards the end of the clip it looks like smoke but it isn't, it's water spray in the wind when we got out into some open water.

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