Help with my "vintage" Avon Searider

[wookie]

I purchased a 1991 Avon Searider 7.4M SOLAS inboard Volvo turbo diesel that had had a hard life. After replacing the turbo, exhaust elbow, rewiring the entire engine system, patching tubes, etc. etc., I'm having more fun than any 50 year old man with 2 hookers and a puppy. It irritates me, though, that the original tilt/trim wiring, fuel sender, and speed sensor wiring are all installed and complete right up to under the dash. All end in various sized AMP connectors with various numbers of pins or socket holes, but I have no idea how to put any of them together again.

I've contacted Avon for the owners manual for the boat, but they are about as worthless as tits on a boar hog when it comes to anything that happened before Zodiac bought them out. If anyone has an owners manual with wiring diagrams for an Avon Searider 7.4M inboard SOLAS version, well I'd buy it from you, I'd steal it from you, I'd beg you to make me a bad copy, I'd borrow it, scan it, and put it on the internet for everyone to see if you'd let me. I'd be willing to bet that the 6.4M and the 8.4M inboard diesel have the same wiring as the 7.4, so they would do in a pinch. OR, I'm pretty handy with an O-scope. If enyone knew what the range on the senders was, I could hook up the ol' O-scope and figure out what does what. I don't know if any/all are 4-20 mA or something else.

If anyone knows what the heck I'm talking about, I'd love a reply.

Thanks,
Captain Frank Wasson
Spree@spreeexpeditions.com
Spree Expeditions

[whisper]

Originally Posted by wookie

I'm having more fun than any 50 year old man with 2 hookers and a puppy.

Tits on a boar hog

[Tim M]

Rogue Wave on here used to have a 7.4 inboard Searider. He might be able to help?

Failing that, BHG marine are usually pretty helpful and they are a fairly major Avon dealership. They might be able to get you the required info from Avon/Zodiac: BHG Marine - Home Page

[diverbert]

Worthless those old seariders , what i would do is put it in a container and ship it to the netherlands.i will gladly put you out of your misery. And even pay the freigt :-) . Rogue wave is a good guy. Hoge he can be of help if not just pm and ill ask a freind who has a 6,4m that had origianally a 140hp volvo in it.

Rg bert

[Nos4r2]

Yep, Rogue will know. If he doesn't, Biffer will.

[wookie]

Originally Posted by diverbert

Worthless those old seariders , what i would do is put it in a container and ship it to the netherlands.i will gladly put you out of your misery. And even pay the freigt :-) . Rogue wave is a good guy. Hoge he can be of help if not just pm and ill ask a freind who has a 6,4m that had origianally a 140hp volvo in it.

Rg bert

Probably not worth the shipping, engine runs smooth (I can only compare to old Detroits), hull is sound, out drive seems bulletproof, and it only runs 25 knots when hooked up. You probably wouldn't want it. Thanks for the offer, though.

My Volvo dealer thinks that the engine in it is only 90 HP. Is that possible? I thought it was a TAMD 31B, he says it's a AD 31P.

[yam man]

150hp

[biffer]

I had an old avon 7.4 with a Yamaha 240hp in it, used to do 57 mph, tough old girl, sold it recently to a boatyard as a tow boat, getting back to your avon, avon won't know nothing about your engine installation, chances are that they never even installed it themselves, best to get a wiring diagram from Volvo, I know what you mean about plugs etc on there looms, they do seem over complicated

[wookie]

Originally Posted by biffer

I had an old avon 7.4 with a Yamaha 240hp in it, used to do 57 mph, tough old girl, sold it recently to a boatyard as a tow boat, getting back to your avon, avon won't know nothing about your engine installation, chances are that they never even installed it themselves, best to get a wiring diagram from Volvo, I know what you mean about plugs etc on there looms, they do seem over complicated

I bought a Volvo loom for the engine, top notch there, it was used and I got it for free. All worked too. It's the speed sensor and fuel tank sender I'm most interested in figuring out how to get working. You think that was installed by Volvo?

[biffer]

What makes you think that the fuel sender and speed sensor are compatible with your engine installation, can you see the fuel sender unit and where is the speed sensor on your hull/ out drive, have you a Volvo fuel and speed gauge on your dash.
Volvo don't make fuel senders so it will be one that should be compatible and as far as I can think while sitting in a hotel in the south of France, there is no speed sensor on that Volvo outdrive

[wookie]

You said get the wiring diagram from Volvo. I have their diagrams, but they don't have anything to do with the fuel tank or speed sensor. The engine loom is fine, I'm looking for Avon information regarding the speed sensor, fuel sender, and trim/tilt.

[biffer]

Uh ha. Now I see where you're coming from, first thing is forget avon, they wouldn't have fitted it out, we'll start with fuel, if you have a gauge and a tank sender it's fairly simple, if you have the gauge already wired, remove the two wires from the sender end and flick them together, if the gauge moves its the sender, if it doesn't test the wire for continuity,if the gauge does move it may be that or the live or earth to it, if you just have a rats nest under the console you'll need to do this first to find the right wires, gauges and senders usually have markings on the terminals, maybe start again and rewire them
Speed is slightly different as there are different ones, some work with a paddle wheel and others work on water pressure, water one first, you're looking for a small plastic tube and it connects to the speedo, the other end is down the back of the drive somewhere, these are as useful as an ashtray on a Motorbyke and I wouldn't bother with it.
Paddle wheel, it's just what it is a paddle wheel, on the transom or under the boat somewhere, the other end plugs into the gauge and you have to put a live and earth on it.
I think I've covered most of it, most of the time they don't work because of loose connections or corrosion both are down to bad installation, if you identify the right wires and they are all black and crispy renew them, use the old wires to pull the new ones through.
If you haven't a clue what I've been talking about, I would get a sparky in to have a look, last thing you want is a loom burn out, now that does make a mess

[biffer]

Tilt and trim should be on the Volvo diagram, have you a trim switch on the dash or on the hand throttle

[wookie]

Tilt trim will be Volvo, problem is, the sender from the out drive ends in a 4 round AMP, the guage is a 14 flat 7x2 molex. I'll figure it out.

I get exactly what you are saying about fuel and the paddle wheel. I will play with them today.

Thanks, you've been a help.

[captnjack]

Pictures wookie!!

Of the hookers or the boat if you have any

[wookie]

Sorry, it's kinda small..... Funny, that's what the hookers said too.