My friend and I have done this very simple thing and it can save your motor and it does not cost you a thing. One of the things that outboards do is when they are going fast the mercury switch bounces. When it bounces the engine cuts out. So what I do is I cut the mercury switch as when you are going fast the cut out can cause some serious handling issues, and lets face it if the boat flips it will hydrolock anyhow..... I then take the engine overheat wire and I attach that to the mercury switch. This will kill the motor instantly if you overheat. I then use the brown wire that used to be for the overheat siren that you can not hear anyhow and use that for the temp guage. Hope this helps some one out, I know it has saved me a few motors.

Jon

...outboards are for girls

not when you have a big Johnson. lol.

Good one! LMAO!

I've snipped all the mercury switches off my eggbeaters. Otherwise I'd never be able to get over 7000 rpm in my little toothchippers.

I DO really like your other changes. Makes great sense.

My little padvee, though, would get pretty hot on top end due to water starvation. Touchy little bastage, I'd cringe to think about an overtemp killing the juice unexpectedly.

The one time I knocked out the killswitch at over 90, the resultant mayhem left me with bruised ribs and a broken toe (after the first BAD hook, I got er yanked back straight one handed while I hung onto the outside of the hull with my right hand). It ain't like chopping the throttles on a Bayliner. Coulda been ugly.

Yep, I used to drag race the Allisons, STVs and Hydrostreams myself. Anyone that's had an Ally blow out, fall off the pad and take a hard left can relate. You definitely don't want a 2.5 Drag to go dead during a 100+ pass.

Another helpful hint to keep from scorching a couple of pistons. We used to use a "drench" system after a pass. Use the fuel solenoide from a nitrous kit (or the new style primer/choke systems) to drench the motor with fuel and cool it off before easing off the throttle. Just like any other 2-stroke, that outboard is really flying (and really hot) right before it locks up!

Glad I'm out of all that. Now it only costs me 5 times more than it did before to go boating. Oh well, boys and their toys!

Drench, eh? Cool idea.

On my carb motors, I ran with the economizer air jets removed, and would "roll off" to low mid throttle before coming on down. The lack of economizer jets made the midrange "wet rich" without affecting idle mix or WOT mix. I like your idea better.

I have never had one shut down unless the motor was REAL hot. So my basic though on that is the thing was going to seize anyhow

In a competitive drag outboard, you tune to the point that it'll start seizing in another 40 yards... Pistonwash to light tan, almost chalky, but you gotta be able to bring her back from the edge. That fuel dump solenoid is the best idea I've heard (shows how long I've been out ot O/Bs).

I still like the mods, audio, as long as it's on a boat that won't kill you if you get the power chopped unexpectedly.