Engine Hour Meter

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Dec 1, 2011
75
Catalina 1984 C30 Tall Rig Bow Sprit MD
What is the engine hour meter wiring path on a C30 first model with the Universal M25? I am getting ready to do the wiring mod but I do not see it on the schematic.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,986
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
The hour meter was built into the tach, so when the ignition switch is on, it works.
 
Dec 1, 2011
75
Catalina 1984 C30 Tall Rig Bow Sprit MD
Thank you.
Okay. The tach works, the engine hour meter does not. Either a wire or connection is not doing its job, or the meter is done with.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,986
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
That's happened. The numbers dials get jammed. Repair is not usually possible. Sometimes it's the last "9" that gets stuck. Choice is replace whole instrument or just install a separate hour meter.
 
Nov 24, 2011
95
Catalina 30 San Diego
Happened to me. Had to get another meter. CD wanted $600+ for one. Got a Stewart Warner for under $200 at a marine supply store.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,986
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Teleflex makes 'em, too. Also ask Seaward, the guys who made your cockpit panel, and your electrical panel.
 

jrowan

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Mar 5, 2011
1,294
O'Day 35 Severn River, Mobjack Bay, Va.
Say Boo, why do U even want to install an engine hour meter? Just assume that on boats of our age that its approaching 10,000! lol. Have U checked to see whether or not it was disengaged from the wiring at the back of the meter? it may have been done on purpose.;)
 
Dec 1, 2011
75
Catalina 1984 C30 Tall Rig Bow Sprit MD
Well, first off I was curious about the thing not working. It is there. Second, the meter was working when I bought the boat.

It stopped working at the same time the fuel level gauge stopped. Having some idea of where the wiring for each is routed is a step in troubleshooting.

The engine is essentially a stationary engine so an hour meter is a very good way to know usage for maintenance.

I do not like to have gauges, meters or display units that are not functioning on board. If it is there, it works. Otherwise it is repaired, replaced or removed.

One other thing is my engine panel has the tach and engine hour meter separate. The layout is not like any panel I have seen in diagrams or pictures. I will add the picture to my pictures once I get home.

Say Boo, why do U even want to install an engine hour meter? Just assume that on boats of our age that its approaching 10,000! lol. Have U checked to see whether or not it was disengaged from the wiring at the back of the meter? it may have been done on purpose.;)
 

DanM

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Mar 28, 2011
155
Catalina 30 Galveston Bay
Boo, I'm with you, I think the hour meter is pretty useful, most of my maintenance is based off of it as well as using it for fuel burn to crosscheck the float guage.

My tach hour meter stopped working the year I bought my boat and since the replacement tach is so expensive I just added an hour meter in the engine compartent. I guess strictly speaking though, mine is an "electric fuel pump" hour meter though since I tied it into that circuit for ease of installation. :)

DanM.
 

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Apr 22, 2011
923
Hunter 27 Pecan Grove, Oriental, NC
According to the schematic that Rippleeffect posted, the hour meter is wired in series with the fuel guage along with other instruments. If the fuel guage is not getting power, then there is no way that the hour meter can get power. Is your blower motor working? It is the next in line from the power source which is the starting battery. The series wiring connections are made to the positive posts of the various instruments and blower, so there would have to be a loose connection at the post for the next item in the series to not get power. Failure of one of the instruments would not affect the others.
 
Dec 1, 2011
75
Catalina 1984 C30 Tall Rig Bow Sprit MD
Okay. The blower motor works fine. I think I am getting a better picture now.
Sunday the tach quit about 30 minutes out. Not one to let a failure get in the way of knowledge I sat and watched it for another 30 minutes while we motored out to the middle of the York River. It started working, along with the hour meter, but not the tank level. Then all died again. We had a very wet night the night before and I was sure everything in the panel was damp. It seemed like a good time to give it a slight tap. Using my palm I gave it a rap and the tach started as did the hour meter. The tank level is still not acting.

I need to take the panel connections apart, clean them and reassemble. I also need to check the power coming up to the panel; it might not be very good due to bad connections too.

It is a good time to install the engine connection upgrade, also move the ammeter from the panel and install a volt meter.


According to the schematic that Rippleeffect posted, the hour meter is wired in series with the fuel guage along with other instruments. If the fuel guage is not getting power, then there is no way that the hour meter can get power. Is your blower motor working? It is the next in line from the power source which is the starting battery. The series wiring connections are made to the positive posts of the various instruments and blower, so there would have to be a loose connection at the post for the next item in the series to not get power. Failure of one of the instruments would not affect the others.
 

jrowan

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Mar 5, 2011
1,294
O'Day 35 Severn River, Mobjack Bay, Va.
If you still have all original wiring that is at the instrument panel & at the fuse panel in the cabin then it sounds like you have corrosion at the terminal ends causing them to intermittently fail. When you disconnect them & replace with new terminal fittings, add some di-electric grease around the terminals. It helps to prevent further corosion at the wiring. You can buy it at any auto parts store.
ps. I thought that you had left the York River by now, but if you're still around look us up at Crown Point at the mouth of the York. We are down there most weekends.
Give us a call - 804-221-2603. Cheers, Jeremy.
 
Jun 29, 2011
142
Catalina 30 Mk II Gibsons
Thanks for the posts guys, about a week after I read these my Voltmeter started to go weak, then the tach failed.
Today I pulled the instrument panel and checked the connections, everything looked good, put it back and everything worked perfectly, for 5 minutes, then the tach failed again. it reads 500 rpm with the engine off, and then goes to zero when the engine is running. Voltmeter is working well, blower works, hour meter ticks along nicely.
I will try the dielectric grease next.
 
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