1987 MK 1 Electrical Upgrade Change

[Jon W]

While cursing when adding a 1 1/2" bilge pump hose from the head sink locker to the bilge for a second bilge pump, I noticed the hot and cold water hoses to the head sink could be re-routed into this same area. Previously my hot and cold water hoses ran through the engine compartment, around the aqua lift muffler back and up to the head sink.

So what does this have to do with the electrical upgrade I recently finished?

I used the two holes the hot and cold water hoses used to run through for the starter, and alternator out. I drilled a third 1" hole for the main negative to run through. The result is the alternator out cable is 8 1/2 feet shorter, and the starter cable is 7 3/4 feet shorter. The negative is unchanged. Can't get shorter than a straight line from point A to point B. A couple of photos attached.

[Jon W]

Here's a third photo of the cables going up to connect to the engine. The electrical upgrade write-up in the Tech WIKI I created a couple of months ago has been updated to reflect this change with new text, photos, updated cable planner, and a new pdf of the write-up in case anyone is using it as a reference for their project.

[Noah]

1. How did you get a drill in there?
2. You recut and recrimped your "new" cables?! Couldn't stand not trying out your new crimper or just bored/compulsive?

[Jon W]

1) I used a 90 degree drill adaptor with a 1" Milwaukee dozer hole saw. Only went back far enough to get close to the starter mount for the main negative.

2) Better access to the thru hulls, the starter and alternator runs are better electrically, and the 1.12 bilge hose can run to the bilge on the starboard side where the exit in the transom is. Before and after photos under head sink are attached. The new 1.5" bilge hose is barely visible on the inboard side of the white manual bilge hose in the second photo.

The new crimper worked great. Have to crimp each lug twice due to width of the dye, but really is not a problem.

[Ken Juul]

Nice job   You may want to think about changing those original engine mounts, new K75's really make a difference!

[Stu Jackson]

I wouldn't have put holes there on my boat.  I find that area catches a lot of drips over the years, on both sides.  But it sounded like the PO had done it for the water hoses anyway.

Suggest you add chafe protection around the wires through the holes, and check for support - don't hang those big wires off the alternator or starter posts. 

I have repeatedly said that the "reasoning" behind "...cable is 8 1/2 feet shorter..." is usually not borne out by analyzing the wire size, which would in most cases remain the same anyway, but a tad longer. 

Your boat, your choice. 

[Jon W]

The hoses to the water heater also pass through a slot on the other side. If by a PO, what did the original look like?

Shorter cables are a bonus not the driver.

[Stu Jackson]

My hoses go UNDER the engine bed.  The holes shown way way way in the back on the vertical surface (NOT in the bed where your wires go), IIRC, are for the raw water pump hoses to the pump from the seacock and from the HX to the nipple.  That hole(s) is more like a wide slot in fiberglass running athwartship.

[patrice]

The hoses to the water heater also pass through a slot on the other side. If by a PO, what did the original look like?

Shorter cables are a bonus not the driver.

Hi,

My hose to WH goes like yours, but thru 2 holes.

And nice job you did.

[Jon W]

There is no way to pass under the engine bed to the aft cabin on my boat. All glassed shut, and pilot holes ~1" deep didn't break through. The holes in the vertical section in the back are too small for the raw water supply. The hot and cold water hoses to the head passed through them from the engine compartment.

[Ron Hill]

Jon : Hurrah!!  Somebody read both of my early and late 1990s Mainsheet tech note articles. 
One on rerouting the water hoses and getting them out of the hot engine room and the other about wiring the alternator direct to the house batteries.

Thanks you'll like those changes, but do get some chaff guard around where the wires passing thru the engine floor and you might get some ties to take the strain off those wires to the alternator (a lot of weight and vibration) 

A few thoughts

[britinusa]

Are you guys talking about these mounts?

Paul

[Jon W]

I will be adding chafe protection and proper support after I get some clear HST to cover the cable ID #s and labels to finish this off.

According to the PO, he replaced two of the engine mounts before I purchased the boat. After reading so much about them on this forum, new mounts are a future thought.

[patrice]

Hi,

My hoses that I mentioned are the one that heat the water heater,
The one for the head sink, goes from the pump located under the kitchen sink, under floor up to the head cabinet.

[Ron Hill]

Paul : Those are the mounts. 

You'll think that you have a new engine because of the decreased vibration!!

A thought