HELP!!!! Questions after doing searches

[jwfergus]

I thought I landed a steal of a deal on a '93 SNOB last summer. I got it at a good price and had it out on the water a couple of times before it got too cold. I had it winterized and summerized by the Mastercraft dealer (They used to be a Nautique dealer and now the closest dealer is over 3 hours away). I've had it out twice this year already and had nothing but troubles.

Problems:
1. Very stiff stearing: I've had the whole floor apart, greased the rudder and concluded that I need to change the cable. This doen't look too difficult but any advice would be appreciated. Does the new steering cable come with the steering rack already assembled? I don't see where the cable comes loose.

2. I have to turn the ignition breaker on for the bildge to work at all. AND, when I turn the automatic bildge on both bildge pumps run and keep running even when dry. I don't remember it doing this last year AND my friends boats don't ever seem to be doing this either. I have one bildge and foat switch in both the stern near the rudder and just in front of the engine. Any thought on how to check a float switch that is stuck open? I hate to cut wires and have to assemble with connectors when I don't really need to.

3. My starter will not always turn over even when I have a new fully charged batter. I've tried smacking the solenoid and briding the terminals so that it engages, but this is very embarassing to have to do at the ramp each time. Is it more practical to replace the solenoid or the whole assembly?

I'm beginning to hate this boat already. I've been waiting all winter to get it out and tried to do all the "right" things and it's just falling to pieces.

I need a new bimini and boat cover too. I'm really getting to believe that boat stands for Bring On Another Thousand and that it is a hole in the water for me to throw my money in to.

Can anyone help me please.

[nms1991]

RE: HELP!!!! Questions after doing searches

Problem #1 replace the steering cable, they normally go "bad" over the winter due to no use with moisture in cable . Problem #2 That vintage had waterwitch switches for the auto bilge pumps some times oil could foul the contacts on the switches all you have to do clean the circular spots on the boxes with electrical contact cleaner or rubbing alcohol, and the only way for the bilgepump system to get power is to have the ignition breaker on because it was the way it was wired from the factory. Problem #3 replace the starter relay on the back of the engine under the Protec module and most problems will be fixed.

[jwfergus]

Thanks for the advice. You do know what you're talking about. I'll try to clean the bildge switches but is it hard to replace these and do you know if a good way to check to see which one is bad without cutting wires and checking for continuity? I would think that if a switch like that would fail in the opposite manner (fail to come on at all) but hey, I'm new to this game. I"ve pulled the starter off and I'm going to either get a brand new one or get the old one rebuilt. When I turn the key, I hear it open the relay/switch but the starter just doesn't start to turn over. I would think that the if the relay were bad that I would get any juice to the starter at all. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm a mechanical engineer not an electrical.

Again, thanks for any help you can give.

[ag4ever]

From his description, it does not sound like the switches have failed, but just the oil has created a path for current to flow, even when there is no water present.

Also the relays can be intermitent.

As Matthew McConaughey puts it, it is after all electrickery.

[Dean]

You might also check your neutral cut off switch too. Sometimes these get worn. It would sound like the relay was opening too the starter but no power gets there, just try moving the throttle control back and forth a bit when starting and if it fires during this procedure then it may be the neutral switch and not the relay. Good luck with all of it and don't get too discouraged, once it's all good you'll have a great boat to enjoy.

[AirJeff]

I would take a close look at that starter selenoid/relay before I brought in the starter. I've seen a boat where all it would do is click when you try to start it. Put in a new relay and it worked great! Good luck with the repairs!

[M3Fan]

The auto bilge runs automatically right away for a short period when you first turn it on. I'd say about 20 seconds or so. This is normal. The ignition switch needs to be on for anything to run, as somebody else said. The starting problem is either low voltage (bad ground or low batt) or bad starter relay. The relay can click and still not have enough voltage to actuate fully- happened to mine and turned out to be low voltage and not the relay. What you are describing are nothing as far as problems. Enjoy the boat, it sounds fine to me.

[Mikeski]

If you can take the soldnoid apart you can probably just rotate the shorting ring 90 degrees and it should work like new... $0 cost

[jwfergus]

Thanks for the info guys. I have the starter problem fixed, the steering cable is ordered and according to woody at Midwest, the water witch switches were discontinued in the '97 boats and replaced with rhule (spelling?) 750 pumps that have a built in automatic circuit and they are cheaper than the replacement switches too. (Bonus=getting an additional breaker switch on the dash panel)

In addition, I have the new bearings for the trailer and am going to order a whole new Titan/Dico Model 60 actuator and 2 new drum brake plates complete to rebuild the trailers brake system. If I can do it on my M3, I should be able to do it on my boat trailer. Besides, my wifes rig is big enough that we don't REALLY need the brakes (HaHa)

Again, thanks for all your helpfull suggestions. They were quite usefull. I only hope that I can be of service to others on here too.

Thanks,

Joe