I am preparing to attempt the re-wiring of my '87 C30. I plan on ordering the new wiring harness from Seaward Products. I would appreciate any advice and documentation on other owners' experiences with this task. I have checked the archives, but the searches are not coming up with pertinent info. Thanks in advance Ed
- Status
Harness upgrade
Very simple and well worth it. Seaward is extremely helpful if you have any questions or run into problems. The hardest part at least for me was running the new harness wire to the instrument panel. I am pretty good with electrical work and have all of the tools. I was able to run a wire snake, and with all of the galley draws (including frame) removed I was able to get the new harness through. In fact I left the old one in place. I also upgraded my engine control panel to take advantage of the new alarms now available. I also used a piece of plastic cutting board (Bed Bath and Beyond) to support the new terminal strip in the engine compartment. Much less expensive than marine plastic lumber available from West Marine. I did the upgrade in the spring (5 months ago) and so far no problems.
Very simple and well worth it. Seaward is extremely helpful if you have any questions or run into problems. The hardest part at least for me was running the new harness wire to the instrument panel. I am pretty good with electrical work and have all of the tools. I was able to run a wire snake, and with all of the galley draws (including frame) removed I was able to get the new harness through. In fact I left the old one in place. I also upgraded my engine control panel to take advantage of the new alarms now available. I also used a piece of plastic cutting board (Bed Bath and Beyond) to support the new terminal strip in the engine compartment. Much less expensive than marine plastic lumber available from West Marine. I did the upgrade in the spring (5 months ago) and so far no problems.
There used to be a great download
on the C27 Association homepage under Tech. Since they "improved" that website, it's disappeared! It included the four page "disclaimer" from Seaward and Catalina that it was an upgrade, not a failure-waiting-to-happen replacement, plus the wiring diagrams and the instructions you'll get with the harness. I tried a Google on Catalina Wiring Harness Upgrade, but didn't get any hits. Wiring harness gets you to lots of truck 'sites. Maybe the C30 Association website has it. You should know that website like the back of your hand by now anyway. I have a zip file of the package, so give me your email if you'd like a copy. I'll be out until Sunday (sailing) but could get it to you by email. In any event, order the harness, the instructions that come with it are very good. If you still have an ammeter in your cockpit panel, you'll need to order the package with the new voltmeter, too. Stu
on the C27 Association homepage under Tech. Since they "improved" that website, it's disappeared! It included the four page "disclaimer" from Seaward and Catalina that it was an upgrade, not a failure-waiting-to-happen replacement, plus the wiring diagrams and the instructions you'll get with the harness. I tried a Google on Catalina Wiring Harness Upgrade, but didn't get any hits. Wiring harness gets you to lots of truck 'sites. Maybe the C30 Association website has it. You should know that website like the back of your hand by now anyway. I have a zip file of the package, so give me your email if you'd like a copy. I'll be out until Sunday (sailing) but could get it to you by email. In any event, order the harness, the instructions that come with it are very good. If you still have an ammeter in your cockpit panel, you'll need to order the package with the new voltmeter, too. Stu
Many thanks
Many thanks, Stu and Chief. I forgot about the voltmeter upgrade and the alarms. And the board for the terminal strips is an great idea. I remember the C27 article, and I had it bookmarked because it was an excellent article. Unfortunately, I never bothered to save the page, thinking it would always be available. Stu, I would like the package. If you could mail it to me in the next couple weeks, I would appreciate it (vankess@yahoo.com). No rush as this is a winter project, and I am still sailing. Many thanks for the tips. Ed
Many thanks, Stu and Chief. I forgot about the voltmeter upgrade and the alarms. And the board for the terminal strips is an great idea. I remember the C27 article, and I had it bookmarked because it was an excellent article. Unfortunately, I never bothered to save the page, thinking it would always be available. Stu, I would like the package. If you could mail it to me in the next couple weeks, I would appreciate it (vankess@yahoo.com). No rush as this is a winter project, and I am still sailing. Many thanks for the tips. Ed
- Status