SoCal Jet Boats

Tech Talk => Engine Mechanical / Electrical => Topic started by: Jimmyrigd on May 07, 2013, 07:20:15 PM

Title: Wiring melted on engine
Post by: Jimmyrigd on May 07, 2013, 07:20:15 PM
Please excuse my neebie question. I just bought a 1979 pioneer 20 with a 460 harman engine I took it out for a test run on Saturday to Elsinore  after about an hour of running the boat it died. So I opened the engine cover to check it out and found the split loom and wires had melted on the choke block off plate of the intake manifold.
No signs of the wires shorting out causing them to melt since it only melted in one spot. It is just weird to me that a boat that old is just having this problem. It's not a big deal to fix the wires and build a a stand off to hold the wires off of the intake manifold. I guess my question is is there anything else I should look for that could of caused this as you see many engine with the harness running next to the intake manifold/valve cove.
Oh yea the engine temp was 160 so I can't blame it on that
Thanks
Title: Re: Wiring melted on engine
Post by: Beaveretriever on May 07, 2013, 07:41:26 PM
I would just check all the wires. It sounds like to me that there was a short somewhere and the wire could have been shorting in that one spot. If the vibrations of the motor over time wore thru the insulation the one wire that melted could have been hot power to something and the once it touched the manifold it popped the breakers 

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Title: Re: Wiring melted on engine
Post by: GT Jets on May 07, 2013, 07:46:50 PM
Sounds like there is no heat riser block off plates in the manifold, the wiring should not be anywhere close to that area.

Typically there are metal clamps that keep the loom tight to the valve cover, not the manifold, more than likely got discarded during a gasket change. If the heat riser is not used for a choke spring, be sure to block off the riser with the supplied plates the next time you have the manifold off...

GT
Title: Re: Wiring melted on engine
Post by: ka0tyk on May 07, 2013, 11:20:02 PM
Not one mention of fuses... you guys must like boats catching on fire.
Title: Re: Wiring melted on engine
Post by: Jimmyrigd on May 08, 2013, 09:34:14 AM
I was thinking the same thing. I could not find one fuse on the boat when I repair the wiring I am going to add some resettable circuit breakers
Title: Re: Wiring melted on engine
Post by: berkbryan on May 08, 2013, 10:03:17 AM
Old jet boats did not have fuses they had one breaker

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Title: Re: Wiring melted on engine
Post by: Beaveretriever on May 08, 2013, 10:09:34 AM
Old jet boats did not have fuses they had one breaker

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i thought i said that i wasnt sure. I have never caught a boat on fire.

GtJets probably has the right idea. I would listen to everything he has to say. He has been around a boat or two.

The Beav
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