Wiring Connectors

[RickK]

As I start the rebuild process of my Evinrude 60 degree engine I need to try to identify the year (I bought a rebuilt and was told it was a 90s) and anything else I can find out since it has no data plates or stamped plugs that mean anything.
The Clymer manual says "Only Amphenol connectors are used on 1995 models, while Deutsch and Amphenol connectors are used on 1996-2002 models".
Are Deutsch connectors orange inside or part of them?  I have some square or rectangular plugs that have orange in them and snap together.
Not sure what an Amphenol connector is.

[seabob4]

Rick, IMO deutsch are the best.  To Identify, they will have a gray (most common) or black housing, an orange rubber insert where you push in the pins from the black side, A plastic orange insert that you insert from the front side to align the pins and keep them aligned, and an orange sealing gasket that that slips over the front end of the male plugs.

On an OMC, they come in several flavors.  2-pin rectangular for the harness from the oil tank.  3-pin triangular for trim, so you round plug is probably an amphenol.  6-pin rectangular for gauge connections and for the ignition switch...

[RickK]

Thanks SB.
I figure the motor is the " '96-'02" version because of the combination I've found. I'm ready to pop the power head off the mid section now.  

[Circle Hooked]

Rick keep us up to date with your progress, once you get started I would like to swing by, maybe I'll learn something.

[Georgie]

SB - maybe you can clarify this for me... I thought "Amphenol" was the pin style (i.e. rigid male pin and spring tensioned female tube soldered to the wires) and I thought Deutsch was the top end/most popular brand in the industry.  Based on Rick's OP, I'm now doubting myself.

[seabob4]

Ryan,
Amphenol and Deutsch connectors are similar in there housings, gasketing, and locking mechanisms.  Deutsch connectors use pins, both female and male, that are crimped on with THEIR crimper (pins and connectors are inexpensive, crimper is around $250!).  I also doubt in the marine business that harness builders using Amphenol connectors are soldering there wires...way to time consuming to meet the profit margin.  Soldering in this application would be allowed under ABYC standards due to the support of the joint inside the connector body...

One thing that puzzles me.  I was hanging and rigging and an absolute ton of OMCs in the time frame of Rick's motor.  The trim plug was always a triangular 3-pin Deutsch.  Never saw a round one.  Older OMCs, say circa early 80s?  Yep...

[Georgie]

Thanks SB, I run old crossflows and the factory manuals refer to all the rubberized electrical connectors and internal pins as "amphenol" so my assumption was that amphenol was a design/style and not a brand.  My engines are generally twice the age of Rick's engine and I've seen a TON of "RE"-engineering that is generally self-explanatory, but I guess that does make Rick's OP a bit of a conundrum.  Why switch from a triangular to a round deutsch plug if you're not changing wiring???...it's not like the plugs by themselves can really go bad?  

Rick - please forgive the semi-derail.  Given your original question, should we assume you're aiming for as close to factorty/original work as possible?  Otherwise, my thought is, if the contacts are clean, reliable, water"proof", well assembled, etc., then why worry about the style of plugs themselves on a 10-15 year old engine?  Regardless, if yours is a factory remanufactured powerhead with no freeze plugs or other identifying info, you can still do the rebuild job and find/buy the correct parts by identifying the age "range" of the engine simply by comparing schematics of older and newer engines.  I've used www.boats.net for this and have only run into one parts "question" in 5 years that's not explained by the schematics.

Just a poor man's opinion.

[RickK]

One thing that puzzles me.  I was hanging and rigging and an absolute ton of OMCs in the time frame of Rick's motor.  The trim plug was always a triangular 3-pin Deutsch.  Never saw a round one.  Older OMCs, say circa early 80s?  Yep...

SB I was wrong - my T&T connector is a triangular Deutsch. I corrected my statement above. I'll take some pics as I go through this.

Ryan, I'm not aiming for anything other than figuring out the year range of the motor, which I think I have now - actually a HP would be nice too.  The decals say 115, I paid the rebuilder for a 115 but a mechanic told me it is a 90.  Not sure how he would know that without markings of some type.  I called OMC TS and they said that there is little to no difference between the two models.  I was told to call back when I am standing at the engine so they can ask some pointed questions.  They're real hard to get through to when you really need/want to.
I plan on re-using the harnesses I have.

Scott I plan on being out in the shop each weekend and then after Thanksgiving, daily for the next month.  Stop by any time you want.

[fitz73222]

Hi Rick,

As I mentioned earlier; the difference between the two engines will be the port size. Once you get the exhaust baffle plate off between the cylinder banks you can measure the exhaust port diameter and then you will know what you have. The task will be to find out what the port size is supposed to be between the two engines but a reputable engine builder or OMC guru will know. There may also be suttle differences in combustion chamber size or geometry in the cylinder heads that may give you a clue. In reality, the parts to rebuild the 90 or 115 are probably indentical assuming the bore diameters are the same.

[seabob4]

SB I was wrong - my T&T connector is a triangular Deutsch. I corrected my statement above. I'll take some pics as I go through this.

OK Rick, now I have a much warmer and fuzzier feeling!  

[John Jones]

Like Fitz said, there can be amazingly little difference between motors of a different HP if they are from the same generation.  Back around 1980 my brother-in-law had a Johnson 135 HP on a bass boat.  He had an issue with the crankshaft splines being worn out where the driveshaft goes into the crank.  I had a connection at the time with an OMC mechanic.  The only difference between the 90/115/135 on those motors was the piston/bore diameter according to the mechanic.  The powerhead bore size, piston diameter, and ring diameter were the only non-interchangeable parts.  In looking things up for that motor, we found out that the 90 actually weighed more than the 135 because the 135 had bigger bores thus less metal in the powerhead.  My son has an older 45 HP Honda 4-stroke.  A Honda mechanic told him that for years the only difference in the various HP Honda mid-range motors was the carbs.

[RickK]

Hi Rick,

As I mentioned earlier; the difference between the two engines will be the port size. Once you get the exhaust baffle plate off between the cylinder banks you can measure the exhaust port diameter and then you will know what you have. The task will be to find out what the port size is supposed to be between the two engines but a reputable engine builder or OMC guru will know. There may also be suttle differences in combustion chamber size or geometry in the cylinder heads that may give you a clue. In reality, the parts to rebuild the 90 or 115 are probably indentical assuming the bore diameters are the same.

Yup, I remember you saying that Fitz and now that I'm into it, I need those kind of reminders to keep me on track.  Thanks bud, I'll be digging in deeper this weekend and BTW I have no clue what an exhaust port is right now so I'm learning all the way through this one, which is good for the brain.

[RickK]

I got the engine disassembled down to the powerhead yesterday and Fitz I saw the exhaust ports you were talking about.  I need to do a little reading to understand the design and see if I can find the specs in the Chilton type manual I have. The engine undressed nice and easy and then the powerhead separated from the mid section with no effort     I did find what the mechanic was saying that one piston could be moved in and out 3/8".  I don't hear any mechanical sound when rotating the crank. I will take it to my buddies house next weekend and we'll open her up.
We also got the boat "undressed" today and the floor out - been a long weekend.