ThirdBird

Was just swapping oil in my freshly rebuilt fat blocks. Had to get the assembly lube contaminated oil out.

Anyway, went to put the hatch up and it just racheted, no upage

Then I remebered reading a post some time ago about this very subject. Did a short search and there it was. Iggy has been through this before and gave excellent instructions on how to fix it. Fixed 'er up in a jiffy, no prob.


Thanks Iggy, and thanks to OSO for a really fun site and an exceptional technical resource.

Iggy

Your welcome.
I've learned a lot too since I joined the fun. The OSO family is always here to help.


BTW since my lift has a bad habbit of jamming I got tired of cutting the wires and resoldering them together. I found a waterproof electrical connector designed for a bass boat trolling motor. Paid 20.00 at Walmart for it. All I do now is a quick twist and it's disconnected, pull a couple bolts and it's out.
Of course, now that I've made it easy to tear apart it'll never jam again.

ThirdBird

Iggy,
I saw that suggestion of yours in the earlier posts. It's a really good idea, I'll be doing the same if it happens again.

Thanks again buddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poorsche

I found a "UF" underground wire connector at HomeDepot the other day. I was thinking aout using for the hatch lifter wires.

It had a brass bullet thingy that was drilled with 4 holes at each end with set screws in the side of each hole at each end and included some heat heatshrink for the whole assembly.

I thought it would be good resolution for moisture/corrosion in that connection since it was made for direct bury of high voltage electrical wires.

THe biggest issue I've been dealing with is connecting the #8 wires coming from the switch to the # 12 wires from the lifter motor.

Is that similar to the trolling motor connector? Would this thing work at all?

dkammeyer

I have been having the same problems, I have released the hatch and proped it up and using a screwdriver to keep it from turning, have someone bump the up switch, it have been coming loose, just don't hold the switch to long as it will launch the screwdriver into the bottom of the bilge. I think I will try the fix thing new grease sure can't hurt a thing.

Iggy

I think I found what Poorche found at Home Depot.
Is this it?...see pic.
If so, I believe it's meant for a permanent connection. Not one to be taken apart.

What I used is from Minn Kota. A combination deck plate and three prong connector.
P/N MKR-18 http://www.minnkotamotors.com/produc...lug_recept.asp

Formula Outlaw

I've learned more from OSO than three years in college.....



































































































































and the pictures are better too....

captaindave

Poorshe what you mentioned is different from what Iggy posted but you better make sure that the underground lug that you referred to has four individual circuits and does not have continuity between all of the holes in that one lug like I think it does, you would have to have one lug for the + and one for the - . What Iggy posted is a wire nut with die-electric grease in the barrel of it to prevent moisture and corrosion, they work very good and can easily be taken off and used again. My personal opinion, all of these will work; but the trolling motor connector would probably be the way to go, out of the three mentioned. The best thing to do would be to get some butt splices the correct size and shoot some die-electric grease in it and crimp it on.

Iggy

captaindave, I thought of doing the same thing, butt splices, but I've had to pull mine apart at least once a season to fix it. I got tired of cutting and splicing. The trolling motor connector was the best way to solve the problem.
I don't understand why Formula hard wired that mechanism to the electrical system. It should have had a connector all along.

captaindave

Yeah, you would think so but a connector is an eye-sore, and if you think about it, every connection that is made has some resistance and the probability of corrosion and heat build-up, there fore the best thing to do is run the wire from the control switch to whatever device with minimal splicing or none at all. What about a fire hazard, i know not in this case because there is not constant voltage on this circuit but it is a good habit to cut out all splicing when-ever possible.