Many questions on my OMC conversion

[keeponkeepnon]

1. From the conversion manual parts list, #13 Upper housing spacer guides, I can't figure out where they go. Do you have a photo or diagram?

2. On the lower unit, just in front of the shift lever there is a nipple. There is a good picture of it on 2.2 of the SE116 assembly guide. What is that for? I assume I just leave it open.

3. Bypassing the ESA system. Lots of questions here. The manual says "Remove the nut from the
negative side of the coil and attach the wire eyelet to the post, then reinstall the nut.
The other side of the wire will connect to the side of the main interrupter switch that
is open when the switch is not activated. Using a multi-meter hook one wire up to
ground and touch each side of the switch with the other wire. The side that does not
show continuity is the side you want to connect the additional wire to using the blue
quick tap connector." So I attach the included wire to the negative side of the coil, easy. I would like to test using a simple test light. So attach my test light to ground or to the wire on the negative side of the coil? I assume I should turn the ignition switch on? Then touch my test light to each side of the interruptor switch and one side will light up. Should I connect the side that lights up or the other side to the wire on the negative side of the coil? Then cut the switch out completely and insulate the remaining wire. Can I remove the other switch to clean up the area or is that still functional?

4. Lastly the fittin on my pump to put oil in the drive does not fit. It is the same fitting that I used on my OMC and is supposed to fit Mercury. I almost stripped the threads. What fitting should I be using here?

[admin]

I think you sent me an email a couple days ago, correct? Here are the answers to your questions.

1. I will email you a photo showing the area. Basically, it is on the sides of the upper, the part that goes into the gimbal ring to support the drive from twisting. There is a hole already in the case that the bolt goes through. I just sent the picture now.

2. That nipple is for a speedometer. The conversion kit will not utilize it, so you can just leave it be.

3. I apologize, i think the instructions are overly complicated. Essentially what we are doing is rewiring the switch. The easiest way is to cut the wires on both sides of the switch and run two new wires. One wire from the switch will go to ground. The other wire from the switch will go to the negative side of the coil. You can remove the other switch if you want, but it is not required.

4. It should be the same fitting. As a test, you can use a 3/8-16 bolt and screw it in. Maybe the threads are damaged?

Thanks, and please let me know if you need any more clarification.

Tech Support

[keeponkeepnon]

Thanks for getting back to me.

1. The photo is helpful. I hope I can still put them on with the drive mounted and the bellows in place.
2. Good, I got that I wouldn't do anything with it but it bothered me not knowing.
3. I still don't know which wire from the interruptor should be connected to the coil. Can you explain how to check the wires using a test light and which one to use?
4. The threads look clean. Ill try it on my old OMC drive to make sure.

One more thing. I put on the old exhaust bellows and as far as I could tell it did not need to be trimmed at all, certainly not by 4 inches. Getting a hose clamp on it was impossible though with the water hose in place.

[admin]

There is no need to use a test light on the interrupter switch. The switch has two wires. Cut them both, then run one wire to ground and the other wire to the negative side of the coil. As long as you cut both wires to the switch, it doesn't matter which side you hook to ground or the coil. The way the circuit works is under normal use the switch is open allowing the engine to run. When you shift out of gear, the switch momentarily stalls the engine by grounding out the coil allowing the clutch to let go and get back into neutral.

Hopefully that helps.

Tech Support

[keeponkeepnon]

There is no need to use a test light on the interrupter switch. The switch has two wires. Cut them both, then run one wire to ground and the other wire to the negative side of the coil. As long as you cut both wires to the switch, it doesn't matter which side you hook to ground or the coil.

This did not work for me. Either way I hooked it up to the negative side of the coil the engine died, not just stalling and interrupted, it died completely. Logically it does not make sense to me that this would work. How will this set up know to stall the engine only when I am shifting? How does the mercury set up sense when to stall the motor?

The drive worked great, it felt smooth and was quiet. It shifted into gear perfectly but could not shift out of gear with out the ESA system in place unless I turned off the motor.

I also had some leakage from the intermediate cable. Not from the big hose the cable passes through but coming through the cable itself and dripping where it is connected above the engine by the primary shift cable. I foresee that cable failing very early with it taking a salt water bath and no way to flush it.

[admin]

The switch acts like a light switch. under normal circumstances, the switch is off, so there is no light. When you are shifting out of gear, the tension on the shift system causes the switch to activate, turning the light on momentarily. This allows the clutch to let go which removes any tension on the shift system. Now of course there is no light, but in our case the light is the engine spark. If your engine is stalling no matter how you hook up the switch, then you must have a bad switch or are not hooking it up properly.

Concerning the water coming up the shift cable, that is not normal. I would be concerned that you missed the large o-ring on the bell housing allowing water up in that area.

Tech Support

[keeponkeepnon]

You have given me a good description of how the original OMC ESA system works. That is how I understood it to work.

What I do not understand is how the modified configuration can do that. There is nothing to sense when shifting is occuring and there is no switch to open/close to cause the motor to stall only when needed. Can you explain how the modified set up can accomplish this?

I guess I will have to pull the outdrive in order to check the status of the O-ring around the intermediate shift cable. It has only been wet once but do you think I should use it or get a new one? Can it be cleaned and lubed?