1999 Procraft Bass boat need information on rewiring the switches for...

Steven W · #1 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008, 06:18 PM

...livewells lights horn and so on ? The wiring on my bass boat needs to be replaced as well as several switches. I have never attempted anything like this. Is there some type of wiring harness out there to simplify this or do i need to redo each switch individually. Any help would be appreciated.

kelly_f_1999 · #2 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008, 06:19 PM

well if you got it.. you can always remove one wire and run another just unhook one at atime and replace it not so hard.... not knowing where one wire goes is the only hard part but if they are there you can follow them not so hard

jtexas · #3 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008, 06:19 PM

rewiring your boat is a real labor of love.

be real surprised if you can find a ready-made harness -- you're just going to have to suck it up & do what the rest of us have done.

ABYC standard is marine grade tinned copper strand (too much shock & vibration on a boat for solid conductor), with crimped or crimped & soldered connections, but not solder alone (the solder joint amounts to a solid conductor junction to stranded -- too likely to break on a boat). Wire nuts or taped pigtails are just not a good idea, on a boat.

I used automotive -- I have a feeling it won't last as long.

Get yourself a good quality crimping tool (I mean a really good one) and wire stripper, and some butt connectors. Some people add heat shrink, not a bad idea.

*DON'T* be tempted to not use fuses -- a boat is no place to have a fire. Use wire of at least the same gauge as you have on there now.

where you have to go under floors or through bulkheads, use electrical tape to fasten the end of the new wire to the old and pull it through.

Basic generic boat wiring:
http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w333/dustyCrockett/InstrumentPanelWiring.jpg

contrary to that diagram, standard wire colors for gauge senders are gray (tach) and pink (fuel). I don't know about speedo (don't have one).

Hey, there's way worse ways to spend an afternoon.