Hanksv
08-03-2022, 01:23 PM
Helping my dad with his boat. He has the old two stroke V8 Sea Drive. It's a 1987 3.6L, but the powerhead was warranty replaced in 1989 or 1990. It seems that the shift interrupt switch is going bad. Launched the boat the other day and it started fine. Put it in gear and it was only running on 4 cylinders. Shifted in and out of gear a few times and it still only ran on 4 cylinders. Pulled the hood and disconnected and connected the black and yellow wire by the starboard powerpack a few times (thinking maybe a bad connection) and worked the shift switch up and down by hand a few times. Then it started and worked fine for the rest of the day. He also had this problem a couple of weeks go.
It seems that the switch is failing, but it is difficult to find a new one. It looks like there was one style used from 1985 to 1987 and another style used in 1989 and later. The old style switch is more of a square and a new style switch is taller and cylindrical at top. It has the newer style on it now. We were thinking that we should replace the switch, but I saw this article on Crowley marine Shift Assist Switch Replacement Kit | Crowley Marine (https://www.crowleymarine.com/d/tech_article/shift-assist-switch-replacement-kit) and it appears, but I'm not sure, that the old style switch was upgraded to the newer style with a specific kit. The article also says "The switch and cable look the same as those used on later models, but have a reversed diode polarity and are not interchangeable". So our dilemma is do we get part number 0583897 which is referenced in the article as the replacement for the that upgrade kit, or 0584011 which is the replacement for the new motors. I'm not sure how to tell what is on there now. Maybe when they replaced the powerhead the new powerhead came with the new switch and cable that was used on 1989 motors, or it came with the upgrade kit to the old switch for 1985 to 1987 motors. Or, it also looks like I could get the switch itself off of just about any evinrude/johnson motor and splice it into the existing wires? Then I wouldn't have to worry about this diode issue?
I think we are going to pull the existing switch off tonight and see if it is just gummed up with something, but I'm also planning ahead for a replacement.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
It seems that the switch is failing, but it is difficult to find a new one. It looks like there was one style used from 1985 to 1987 and another style used in 1989 and later. The old style switch is more of a square and a new style switch is taller and cylindrical at top. It has the newer style on it now. We were thinking that we should replace the switch, but I saw this article on Crowley marine Shift Assist Switch Replacement Kit | Crowley Marine (https://www.crowleymarine.com/d/tech_article/shift-assist-switch-replacement-kit) and it appears, but I'm not sure, that the old style switch was upgraded to the newer style with a specific kit. The article also says "The switch and cable look the same as those used on later models, but have a reversed diode polarity and are not interchangeable". So our dilemma is do we get part number 0583897 which is referenced in the article as the replacement for the that upgrade kit, or 0584011 which is the replacement for the new motors. I'm not sure how to tell what is on there now. Maybe when they replaced the powerhead the new powerhead came with the new switch and cable that was used on 1989 motors, or it came with the upgrade kit to the old switch for 1985 to 1987 motors. Or, it also looks like I could get the switch itself off of just about any evinrude/johnson motor and splice it into the existing wires? Then I wouldn't have to worry about this diode issue?
I think we are going to pull the existing switch off tonight and see if it is just gummed up with something, but I'm also planning ahead for a replacement.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.