engine synchro wiring?

rjcress

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Jan 28, 2008
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29301
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Ok, thought I'd try posting this in the Carver section first. If I don't get an answer here I'll post in the engines and electronics section.

My 3607's upper helm was removed for transport, and all of the gauges were disconnected. I have everything back together and working except for the engine synchronizer.
Can anyone here tell me where the engine sync wires go?

I'm going from memory since I didn't have the sense to draw a diagram or take a picture, but I think there are only 2 wires... one grey, one black. Hmmm. Shouldn't there also be something for the backlight? I would think so, but I don't recall seeing anything. But I digress...

I'm assuming that one of the wires goes to the starboard tach, the other to the port tach, but I don't know where on the tachs to attach them.

If anyone with a similar setup wouldn't mind taking a peek under the helm and telling me where the wires go... or taking a picture, I'd be eternally greatful.

Thanks in advance!
Jeff
1986 Carver 3607
 
I might be totally wrong, but when I asked my mechanic about a problem I was having, he mentioned that the syncronizer does not feed off the tacks but from another source.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Dan Kozusko

I might be totally wrong, but when I asked my mechanic about a problem I was having, he mentioned that the syncronizer does not feed off the tacks but from another source.





Thanks for the note Dan. That would not totally surprise me, as the sycro wires were cut when the helm was removed, and I haven't yet located the other ends. I don't recall seeing the other ends anywhere on the tachs... so they are probably hiding somewhere amongst the mass of other wires under the helm. The best use of my time may be to thoroughly search for the other ends of the wires.
Of course, if anyone has any clues on where I should be looking for the other ends, please speak up.
Jeff
 
Oh boy, I forgot where they go. Kenny I'm sure will pipe up before long...

One thing I know is, DON'T screw that wiring up! On my old 2895 we cut the synchro wires when we removed a bad unit and simply connected them together. The result was that later on my breaker-point ignition on one engine was drawing current through the synchro circuit from the other! It sure made for an interesting diagnostic exercise when I had a condenser fail, because the bad engine was drawing power from the good one, and I replaced the good one first thinking "it" was the bad engine! So I got all mixed up until someone set me straight...
 
The synchronizer is wired off the Tachs. I've seen it, but I don't remember how, I will try to get down to the boat in the next day or two to see exactly how, and report back unless somebody else has given you the proper answer before I get there. ( I really need a little boat "fix" anyway.)
 
The synch gauge is wired from the "signal" post on your tach(s). I just installed all new gauges and panels. Took pictures of each gauge prior to starting.

Hope this helps:

SYNCH.gif
 
quote:

Hope this helps...






YEP! That helps a LOT.
Thanks to all that commented.
With your info in hand I looked up the tach wiring instructions here:
http://www.teleflexmarine.com/cgi-bin/library.cgi?site=home&type=us&library=1019

So, if my memory servers...the wiring on the back of my tach is:
Above the horizontal mounting bar there are 2 blue on the left. That is labeled "LT"... which looks like it must be the "panel light" circuit.

Below the horizontal mounting bar:
-single grey on the left (must be the "signal")
-double black below and center (the black wires are labled as ignition in your picture... which matches the teleflex document)
-double purple to right (the purple wires are labled as ignition in your picture... which matches the teleflex document).

Looks like I just need to attach the grey "signal" lead from the port tach to the port side grey wire on the back of the sync... same for stbd.

Thanks again for arming me to get my last instrument hooked up.

Jeff
 
you just reminded me I did not see lighting on my syncro and fuel gages during my night cruise. I too am interested - Are these normally lit gages on this model?
 
Geez, they should be, after all I can see the light socket in the picture. Those damn things do get loose though - get under the dash, remove the lamps (have to turn counterclockwise a bit) and make sure the contacts are clean...
 
No luck, gang.
I printed out the explanation from Skeetobite and took it with me. Turns out I have a different gauge than what is pictured.

By chance I decided to work on installing the new air horns first. When crawling around fishing wires for the horn I stumbled across a loose piece of equipment that I had not seen before. It had slid under the fwd panel on the bridge and blended in with the black carpet stuff that Carver put on the interior walls of the bridge to conceal the unfinished side of the fiberglass. The loose item was black plastic and shaped like a puck with a lip on one edge. It has terminal posts on one side labeled for attachment to the tachs and had 3 post to attach to the sychronizer's wire harness.
The cut wires on the puck matched the cut wires hanging from the tachs and it looked like I had found the solution. However, after hooking everything up, it didn't work.

I'll re-read the info that I downloaded from Teleflex and will take a look (and pictures this time!) next time I am at the boat. I just didn't have time to troubleshoot this weekend, as we were moving to a new marina. Moving day is too hectic, even for a boat.

If anyone else has pics of how to hook this up, or can point me to any info, I'd be grateful.
 
On my boat, the synchronizer is a simple gauge, but hooked to a mystery puck, which is round, and surface mounted to the back of the helm (i.e. not gauge face).

tach.jpg


Sorry - this is the best photo I could find.

That puck then I think, has wires going to the two tachs. I never looked, but would not be surprized to find that the tach leads from the engine going to the puck rather than directly to the tachs.
 
Yep, that is what mine looks like!
Thanks for posting the pic, awboater.

I think I did the same thing with this one that I did on the DSC VHF to GPS wiring... neglected to hook up the negative to go with the positive source input. That thread is in the engines and electrical forum.

Your pic shows 2 black wires going to the same post in the center... which must be the ground terminal to go with the tach inputs. I don't recall hooking up any ground wires, but that does explain the extra ground wires that i have hanging under my panel, not connected to anything.

Hopefully my next post on this topic will be a report of success.
 
Yep, hooked the 2 tach ground wires together, one of which was sliced in with a long wire that I hooked to the center post on the puck... and it worked!! Wooo Hoooo!

After a 20 minute cruise today it looks like I need to adjust my throttle cables, as the stbd throttle is always a bit further advanced than port when the rpms are in synch.

thanks again to all that helped.
 
Congrats! Seems everyone has a little different issues/schematics with wiring. We're on a 15 year old boat and every new install results in chasing gremlins for at least an hour or more.

Glad to hear all turned out ok.
 
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