What is this ? And what does it do ?

[Hawg Hunter]

I started yanking wiress out of the ole gal Can any one tell me what it does ? and what do you hook it up too?

[Hawg Hunter]

Sorry Guys I am on a company Computer and for some reason I still Cant post Pics .If you cut and paste that link it will show you what i am talkin about .

[MarshMarlowe196]

[Hawg Hunter]

This what I found on the net  its a SPST 12V 85A Insulated Continuous Weather Resistant Solenoid , Does this go to the starters ? maybe ? tilt and trim ?

[GoneFission]

Solenoids are big switches.  They are used for high current devices, so you can use a small switch and the solenoid does the work of moving the high current.  They are used for starters, windlasses, hydraulic pumps, and other high current devices (over 20 amps or so...).  

Hope this helps!

[Capt. Bob]

Other than the marine app.it looks like it came off of a 63 Ford motor (for the starter).

Where was it in the boat?

[Hawg Hunter]

Next to the Batteries  
if that helps

[Hawg Hunter]

heres a reply that i got off of another forum , But it sounds like Chineeszs to me Could some one give me the good ole boy versoin of this...
 
Your batteries are isolated by the batery switch. This isolates the chargeing circut and the start circut and the "house battery". On your dash you should have an emergency start switch. That thing is the solinoid that allows you to start or slave one isolated electrical supply (port) from the other (starboard). should yougetone side started andnot the other!!


What does them 2 studs on the front do ?

[Capt. Bob]

What does them 2 studs on the front do ?

I would think they are your power and ground connections for tripping the "switch" ie solenoid.
Your heavy amperage travels through the copper posts.
As CJ stated, you can transfer heavier electrical loads through this type of switch. Low current on the small posts trips (energizes) the coil which "throws (closes) the switch and allows higher current to flow through the bigger poles. The current needed to start your motor would fry the ignition switch if it passed directly though it.

I know, it doesn't really answer your question but at least you know what it can do. I would guess it's there for switching current between motors as you first explained.

[Mad Dog]

Is your boat an outboard?  Is so, its not the starter solenoid.  My first thought is the relay to a jackplate but usually those have five posts.  Do you have any other high amperage accessories, such as a windless?  

MD  

[RickK]

I think it was used as a way to combine 2 batteries.  Is there a switch on the console marked batteries or something?  My buddy has 3 of these solinoids to switch his 3 batteries (twin motors and a house battery) around in case one goes dead.

[wingtime]

Capt Bob is right that is a Ford style starter solenoid AKA contactor that has been coated in rubber or something to make it waterproof.  The Two smaller terminals are as follows.  One that should be marked "S" will energize the contactor when 12V+ is applied to it.  The other one that should be marked "I" will have +12V when the contactor is energized.  It is not a ground!  The unit is grounded thru the base.  This is a hold over from old points style ignition systems that used a ballast resistor.  The "I" terminal supplied full voltage to the ignition system for easier starts.  This is a intermittent duty solenoid that should only be used for starting duty.  A continuous duty contactor should be used to remotely switch on a battery.  These are used in RV's and aircraft.

[Hawg Hunter]

yEP You guys are right I have duel motors and 3 places to put batteries, On one side of the boat I have one battery with about a 5 inch diamiter Red Selector switch above it, The wires from the selector switch are run under the top hull over to the Battery box that holds 2 batteries and it also has a Big red selector switch. mounted in it. the selection are "1" "2" "all"  or Both cant remember,
I think that a heavy Gauge Red wire is from the Single battery ran to the left post of that selenoid thing and on the right side of the selinoid was a heavy gauge black wire ran to a negitive on battery # 3 .

Now the $ 100 dollar quistion the two small post on the front of the selenoid had a white wire attached and a black wire attached .But without thinking I didnt look where they were attached on the other end before I got crazy with the wire snips. Any Ideas this crap is  keeping me up at night trying to figure out how to re wire this thing.

[RickK]

I somehow don't think that there should have been a black wire to the other side - may have been, but both were probably connected to the same polarities (+) on 2 different batteries.

Ref:http://www.1728.com/relay.gif
Even though the pic says Relay the concept is the same - a way to isolate BIG current from little current.

When 12V is applied to the front 2 posts, [(+) switched somewhere (sw on console?) to one post and (-) connected to other post (no "ground" on a boat - Neg on battery is it)] the solenoid should energize and short the 2 batteries same polarity together thus putting them in parallel - like an "A+B or both" switch.  The heavy terminals handle the heavy current from the parallel batteires. Neg is common between all batteries.
Try applying +/- 12V across the front with nothing else conected and you should feel it energize.

Another look at wiring:

Ref:http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/attachments/electrical-systems/11666d1172161592t-typical-wiring-schematic-diagram-instrumentpanelwiring.jpg

I deny typing this and any havoc it should cause    (You will be fine - just try it in standalone)

[Capt. Bob]

yEP You guys are right I have duel motors and 3 places to put batteries, On one side of the boat I have one battery with about a 5 inch diamiter Red Selector switch above it, The wires from the selector switch are run under the top hull over to the Battery box that holds 2 batteries and it also has a Big red selector switch. mounted in it. the selection are "1" "2" "all"  or Both cant remember,
I think that a heavy Gauge Red wire is from the Single battery ran to the left post of that selenoid thing and on the right side of the selinoid was a heavy gauge black wire ran to a negitive on battery # 3 .

Now the $ 100 dollar quistion the two small post on the front of the selenoid had a white wire attached and a black wire attached .But without thinking I didnt look where they were attached on the other end before I got crazy with the wire snips. Any Ideas this crap is  keeping me up at night trying to figure out how to re wire this thing.

Double H,
A few questions.
The single battery has the positive lead running where? To the selector switch above it?
How many wires are running out of this (the single battery) switch?
The double battery switch has two wires running into it, one from each battery positive post?
Does this switch have two wires running out the bottom middle with one each going to each motor?

As far as the two small posts go, they are for power that will engage the solenoid. Think of those wires coming from under the console. On my boat I have a large brass buss bar that has a fairly heavy gauge wire running from the negative post of one battery to the bar (the negative posts of both batteries are wired together). Another wire runs from the rotary switch to a fuse panel. This feed comes from the batteries positive poles via the switch so that the panel is hot in three of the switch positions 1, 2, Both but not in the "Off" position. To make the solenoid work, I would run a wire from the fuse panel to a post on yet another switch, then run from that switch's other post to one of the small posts on the solenoid. Then I'd run a wire from the brass buss (-) to the other post. With my battery switch in the 1, 2, or Both position, I would then throw the switch running from the fuse panel and the solenoid would energize.  

What would really help is some pictures.
Never having had a twin engine boat, I'm not sure how it is wired to start but.... Based on my wiring, I came up with one that would work for both engines (I think) off a single switch (two batteries) and use the solenoid to tie in the third (single) battery for emergency starting. Rick is right, no matter what color wire was used on the solenoid posts, it didn't go from the positive post of one battery to the negative post of another so....
Pics man, we need pics.