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I am replacing the apparently original existing shift and throttle control heads with a used but relatively new dual single lever control head (Morse MT-3) on my '83 B33 with Cummins 6B diesels.

The new control has two microswitches used to prevent being able to start the engines unless the transmissions are in neutral. The old controls did not have this feature. This apparently is a USCG requirement.

My engines start by turning the keyed switches to on, letting the air preheaters have a few seconds to get hot, and then depressing a start switch button. The engines shut off by simply turning the key switches to the off position.

I am not sure how to connect the microswitches to the existing wiring. Can anyone offer any help?

The microswitches should close (conduct juice) only when the control is in nuetral - check that with an ohmeter. If so, just wire the 12V+ that feeds the start button thru the microswitch so it will only shoot juice to the starter solenoids when the microswitches are closed, i.e., shifter in nuetral.

I disconnected my microswitches years ago and they tend to fail at the worst possible moment. One of those "saftey" features that are unsafe.

UV

UV...

Thank you! I was also thinking that introducing another potential failure point in a system that is so critical is an invitation to a major problem at what usually seems to be the worst possible time. "Phoenix" has survived for 27 years without this feature.. perhaps it would be best to disregard this "safety" feature altogether!

I will take a look at mine over the weekend. I have the same controls, new last year. If I remember correctly we did not hook up the switches.

Never installed them on Chimera like UV said an unsafe safety feature.

Even my kids know to make sure its in neutral before starting.

You will get dinged on a survey for not having them though.

If you don't know enough to start it in neutral...you won't know enough to get out of the water when its started.

IR Guy

I double checked mine and we did not hook up the switch on the controls.

i was fishing out of montauk on my own boat many years back .a 24' hydrosport with a 235hp evinrude .could not start the boat when the waves started to pick up big time lot 3 miles off . neutral safety switch went bad just like that . a terrible experiance with my young son on board .i wound never have them on phoenix .i could see myself laying on my back troubleshooting under that pod. no thank you!!!

Well... that settles it! It is unanimous!

I will leave the microswitches in place in the control head, but won't connect them. If someday in the future a surveyor makes a negative comment about them not being connected and a sale hinges on this fact I will gladly hook them up with a warning that they add one more potential problem to consider.

Thanks all for your comments.. great advice as always from people whose opinions I value highly.