Rewiring Westerbeke 'Admiral' panel on ODay 272

[cbourne200]

Ok. Need to replace water temp guage in panel. Unscrewed it and it fell into 2 pieces. Break is vertical through temp guage hole. Took off wires (labeling each), found new guage at West Marine (of all places). May be a little oversized- can't hold faceplate together to see if it fits. New faceplate is available.
I'm thinking I'll need to remove wires from all guages, labeling each, then using new faceplate, replace en-mass to all guages.
Is there an easier way to accomplish this task? Hope I can get all wires replaced correctly - there's an awful lot of them! I've already photographed back of panel several times...
All help is appreciated!

 

[Stu Jackson]

Is there an easier way to accomplish this task? Hope I can get all wires replaced correctly - there's an awful lot of them! I've already photographed back of panel several times...

Good starting point. Draw a wiring diagram, too. Good luck.

 

[jviss]

You can get the wiring diagram from the Westerbeke site. They sell just about all the parts, too.

Wiring Diagram - All Marine Diesel Propulsion Engines

 

[DayDreamer41]

Anytime I do that kind of wiring/rewiring I take some good pictures, seems to work for me. If you are careful about not man handling the wire they usually find the terminal they were on almost on their own.

 

[cbourne200]

I have the wiring diagram. I'm taking several pictures. I'm assuming I have to get the old guages off the faceplate so I can begin installing the new temp guage, then continue with remounting old guages. I don't see any other way other than to remove everything (wires from each guage, then guages from old faceplate), then begin adding back each guage, then all wires to each guage... I assume I can't add one guage, wire it, then add another and continue until every wire is accounted for. Or is there an easier way?

 

[jviss]

I don't think there's an easier way.

 

[cbourne200]

Ok. Thanks

 

[jibes138]

You should be able to do the gauges and switches one at a time. Don't know your circumstances but I'd replace all the gauges and switches with new while you are at it. Your boat is now over 30 years old, the gauges are about 35 bucks each. Cost is about a dollar a year per gauge. Change your ammeter to a voltmeter or Stu will yell at you. Look at MaineSail's website and run your alternator output with a big fat red wire directly to the starter solenoid battery connection so your charging current isn't going through a tiny wire to an ammeter and back to your battery bank.

 

[jviss]

Change your ammeter to a voltmeter or Stu will yell at you.

This is not a Catalina panel, it's a Westerbeke. There's no Ammeter.

The gauges are $72, $72, and $80, and the tach is $315.

I know some will complain about Westerbeke's pricing, but at least they can supply everything needed to restore these to original condition. There's a lot to be said for that.

(A complete Admiral panel kit with wiring harnesses and senders is $694.)

 

[Ward H]

As you already plan to do, take plenty of photos of the back of each gauge. Maybe mark the wires with tape marked with the wire's position.
An advantage to replacing all the gauges is that then you only have to move the wires one by one from the old panel to the new panel.
I'd avoid removing all the wires at once, then moving the gauges. I think I'd do one gauge at a time, then power the panel to make sure that moved went well. Then on to the next.

 

[jibes138]

This is not a Catalina panel, it's a Westerbeke. There's no Ammeter.

The gauges are $72, $72, and $80, and the tach is $315.

I know some will complain about Westerbeke's pricing, but at least they can supply everything needed to restore these to original condition. There's a lot to be said for that.

(A complete Admiral panel kit with wiring harnesses and senders is $694.)

Things like volt meters and temperature gauges do not need to be purchased from the high cost OEM supplier. Westerbeke does not make their own gauges, they buy them and resell them for a large margin. If you do a quick search even West Marine has gauges for 39 bucks. On Amazon they are less than thirty bucks for a Faria gauge. I rebuilt a Universal (owned by Westerbeke) panel a few years ago and used off the shelf gauges they worked fine. The owner did not specify the motor brand, most O'Day's were built with Universal motors so I made the assumption it was a Universal panel he was talking about. My Universal M25 was also used by Catalina with the same issues. It had an Ammeter. Let's let the OP respond with what he is actually dealing with.

 

[jviss]

Things like volt meters and temperature gauges do not need to be purchased from the high cost OEM supplier. Westerbeke does not make their own gauges, they buy them and resell them for a large margin. If you do a quick search even West Marine has gauges for 39 bucks. On Amazon they are less than thirty bucks for a Faria gauge. I rebuilt a Universal (owned by Westerbeke) panel a few years ago and used off the shelf gauges they worked fine. The owner did not specify the motor brand, most O'Day's were built with Universal motors so I made the assumption it was a Universal panel he was talking about. My Universal M25 was also used by Catalina with the same issues. It had an Ammeter. Let's let the OP respond with what he is actually dealing with.

I responded as I did because some people may be interested in aesthetics, in preserving the original look, and if not replacing all the gauges, having gauges that have a consistent look.

 

[LloydB]

" Hope I can get all wires replaced correctly - there's an awful lot of them! I've already photographed back of panel several times... "
I've been waiting for an opportunity to use this emoji when appropriate but someone always seems to beat me to it.