Finding / installing dead man's switch for 8B 677

[Waveydavey]

Hi all - first time poster; hope you can help!

I just picked up an 8hp Yamaha outboard in excellent shape for its age, along with an Avon 310 Rover. I'd like to fit a safety cut off w/ lanyard, but having trouble IDing the right part to buy.

Can anyone help? It's an 8B 677, pics attached.

[boscoe99]

Are you going to tiller steer it or go with a remote control?

[Waveydavey]

Hi there - tiller. Have a 4hp without lanyard (just straight push button) currently and is past time I upgraded for safety

[boscoe99]

Looks to be of 1979 year vintage.

The white wire from the CDI gets grounded to stop the motor. Normally via the stop switch.

You are going to tap into the white wire to run it to your dead man's switch. What I call a kill switch. Then connect the kill switch to a ground source.

When either switch is closed the motor will stop running.

[Waveydavey]

Excellent, thank you! It already has a push-button kill switch - I was hoping I cpuld just swap that out for a lanyard activated one?

[boscoe99]

That should work.

[DennisG01]

Or, keep the current push-button and connect the new kill switch in parallel with it. That way you still have your normal push-button and don't have to keep yanking the kill switch. You can get a simple kill siwtch just about anywhere - drill a hole in the lower cowling somewhere to mount the kill switch "button". I just did this with an older Merc.

[boscoe99]

Yamaha makes a kill switch that can be pushed to stop the motor. No need to pull the lanyard. Combo stop switch/kill switch.

[Waveydavey]

Yamaha makes a kill switch that can be pushed to stop the motor. No need to pull the lanyard. Combo stop switch/kill switch.

Thats exactly what I'm after.. Any chance you could drop a link in here? I'm finding it hard work narrowing down the right part.

[Waveydavey]

One of these should do it? I think my hesitancy is down to not bring sure what will fit my old motor.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-Ge...-127635-2958-0

[DennisG01]

Davey, are you sure that one is a COMBO switch? That looks more like the one I was talking about (JUST a kill switch) which is available on the aftermaker for under $15 USD (albeit without the fancy "yamaha" name/packaging). However, in terms of whether it will "fit"... it's just an electrical connection and that will work with any motor that uses ground to stop the engine - which your engine does. And you can mount it anywhere where you have some room for it - and you'll definitely have some room.

Now, if you are looking to REPLACE your existing stop switch with a combo switch and want to use the existing hole... measure the hole you have and compare to the specs for the correct Yamaha part you're thinking of using (if you can find those specs, of course).

[boscoe99]

That is a combo shut off switch/kill switch. Whether it will fit is anyone's best guess.

Here is another from a later model motor.

[DennisG01]

Boscoe, so even with the clip in place, pressing that red button kills the engine, as well? I wonder if all of the ones that "look" like that are a combo - even the $10 and $15 ones? I guess it's not fair to assume that they ALL do that just because they look like that, though. I know the one I bought is not a combo because it uses the other style of clip that pushes the "button" IN to open the switch.

I would have liked to get one of those combo switches, now that I see them. But they appear to require the same size hole and I know that the existing stop switch hole in my OB was too big and it was just easier to drill a new hole than to make some type of adapter plate. With that in mind, I guess that's something for you, Davey, to take into account as well. If you HAVE to drill a new hole, do you need the $50 one or will a $10/$15 suffice? It's good to have options, though!

[99yam40]

I know this is all about safety, but getting thrown overboard out of a 8hp motor powered boat is not likely.
But standing up in the Rib while underway would not be a good idea, someone could fall and end up overboard

[boscoe99]

Yes. It is a combo switch. Press to stop the motor normally or pull the lanyard to stop the motor upon being thrown out of the boat.

Had a 25 Mercury with no kill switch. Almost got thrown out of the boat one time. I am only here by some good fortune. Well maybe not.