rewiring 74 35 II

[admirals barge]

hi all
i'm about to rewire the boat. i've looked at all the posts and pics on the location of the panels. i've decided to leave the panels where they are. i plan to move the battery switch to under the nav table so its close to the batteries. the engine panel is beyond repair and is being replaced as well as the gauges. i haven't figured out how to run the wiring around the boat i'm curious as to how others have routed the wiring from the panel to the a4.my present harness is attached to the inside of the sink cabinet and then lays on the hull going to the front of the engine. all comments welcome

thanks
greg

s/v dalliance
74 35II #325
wilmington,ca

 

[Howard Keiper]

This is a nice project....
I used the old engine panel as a template (pic attached).
Do yourself a favor and measure the distance between the panel and the engine carefully, then add about 3'.... just kidding. Anyway my cable bundle runs from the panel down to and alongside the fuel tank, through the bilge to the engine. You should tie the bundle and encase it in a suitable length of clear PVC tubing to protect it from chafe where it passes the tank, and to protect it from bilge debris and water if you have any. You should secure the bundle where ever you can through the bilge with nylon cable ties that you can fasten to any kind of hardware available under the floor....there are lots of posibilities.
Use high quality wire, tinned, correctly color coded, and the same or one guage larger than what you've got now within practical limits. Terminate the ends of each of your conductors with crimped ring terminals. Buy a good crimping tool for just this purpose if you have to, it's well worth it.
Mount the finished panel first, and be sure that you have allowed enough conductor to reach your instrument sender before you cut and crimp. Avoid splices.

Howard Keiper

 

[gareth harris]

If you want my panel, you can have it for the cost of shipping. I made it about five years ago, it was on the boat for about 3 years. It is teak, and set up for the A4, I no longer need it since my engine got flooded, which I will replace with a different engine, needing a different panel. I am currently planning to head to the boat on Friday, although that may change (I have not been there in nearly two years), and there is a chance I threw it away (although I don't think I did).... but if you can wait a week or two, it is yours if I can find it.

I ran my wires the same way as Howard, except I did not use hose as a loom through the bilge, as I did not want water to find its way inside and not find its way out, so used the West Marine curly stuff. I seem to remember the wires had to be 12' long, so I bought 15' spools in each colour; and they were all 14 gu except for the white one which was 10gu. Check me on that! I also wired the bilge blowers to the same circuit as the ignition, so it was impossible to start the engine without them running, the circuit needed a 10A circuit breaker.

Before redoing the whole system, I recommend you buy Nigel Calder's book and read the first few chapters in detail, it is brilliantly written.

I also moved my battery selector to the battery compartment area - the original set up seemed pretty daft, with too much expensive cable and still too much voltage drop. I suggest you also mount a 100A circuit breaker there, and run everything except the starter through it; that will give your whole boat short circuit protection. You will only need two heavy gauge cables, one battery to starter (a short run from the battery when not going to the selector switch in its original location), and the other to the main panel. For each, 2gu is ideal, but 4gu a lot cheaper and probably good enough (depending on how much electrical equipment you plan to install).

If you can afford it, now would be the perfect time to replace the fuse panel with a circuit breaker panel, but they are not cheap.

Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972

 

[admirals barge]

rewiring

thanks for the respones. i hadn't thought of running the harness under the tank. sounds like its the way to go. gareth thanks for the offer. i have fabricated a new panel with all new gauges and switches. i plan on going 1 size larger then required on all the wiring not just the engine control panel. i plan on leaving enough wire at the panel so i can put it on the deck if i have to rather then have it hang.

once again thanks for the ideas.
happy sailing
greg
s/v dalliance
74 35II # 325
wilmington,ca

 

[gareth harris]

When you talk about going one size larger than required, the way I did it was to choose wire for a maximum 3% voltage drop, instead of the 10% that is commonly used.

One other thing - on the back of the panel, you will have multiple circuits both +ve and -ve close together, so make sure all the connections are well insulated. Think of a tool falling against the back of it, and making sure it will not short circuit anything.

 

[chaco]

E35II New Panel / Wiring

Just completed engine repower and DC Panel rewire.
You will see the location of the new panel in attached pic.
(next to NAV Station)
The Panel install worked out great and is CLOSE to batteries and starter.
I would abandon the original panel location and go with a new (20) breaker
DC Panel with Digital Volt and Amp Meter. I used Paneltronics.
Very impressed with Panel Construction and competitive with Blue Sea.
Will post more pics. Let me know as you need to check us out in Oside.

Good Luck

 

[chaco]

E35II ReWire Project

Here are some pics of the House & Start Battery Storage and Panel Project
completion :nerd:

Good Luck to all of you Rebuilding these wonderful sailboats

 

[Brisdon]

I don't think I would want to run the harness under the tank. That is where water from the rudder packing and the lazarette makes it's way to the bilge. One, you don't want to plug the space so that it doesn't flow, but also it's a real corrosion zone. Ericson always ran the wires under the deck where they don't get wet.

 

[chaco]

Harness runs from Engine to Lift Station area, then to bottom of Starboard
locker to Control. Throttle and Transmission Linkage run under Tank(1"clear)

 

[Howard Keiper]

I don't think running the cable bundle under the tank is a good idea either...but beside the tank is as good an idea as any other. The given is that it should be protected by a suitable sheath anyway..one that is waterproof and provides chafe protection. The clear vinyl tubing you can get in any hardware store is ideal.
howard keiper

 

[gareth harris]

Dan, that looks like some good work you have done. I am planning to relocate my panel to about the same location, so thanks for the pictures.

Locating a bar over the residual warmth of the engine is not something I would have thought of either.

Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972

 

[admirals barge]

rewire

dan

thanks for the pic's and suggestions. the panel looks great. i plan on using that area for electronic equipment. i.e hf radio, backup gps,radar repeater, ham 2 meter so i'm going to leave the panels where they are, but move the battery switch. i thought about running the wiring harness under the gas tank but then got to thinking that i have to run other wires to the panel area so am thinking about running the harness down the the strbrd side and then go down and to the engine. this way i can pick up the wires i need from the fuse panel...

thanks for your suggestions all were appreciated
happy sailing
greg

s/v dalliance
74 35II # 325
wilmington,ca