Help! The starters are not the problem - it's the wiring!!!!

[PNM]

When I push the start buttons, my perkins' starters sometimes turn, other times don't.

I used two remote starter buttons to start and stop the engines from the engine room. They both start immediately when I attach the buttons directly to the solenoid terminals, the neutral safety switches, and the end of the wire going from two large engine room terminal blocks to the neutral safety switch.

BUTTTT! When I connect the starter button to the terminal on the OLD wire running through the original wiring harness from this terminal block to the u/l helm start buttons, I get the same results I get when I push the start buttons at the helms.

SO! I cut off the old terminal from the 44 year old wiring, stripped back 1/2" of insulation, and found the wire was not tinned (in 1979) and cupric oxide is on the surface of ALL of the multiple strands of wire, to include those in the middle.

I will have to run 24 new tinned wires from 25-40 feet through places hands surely cannot go to replace all of the start-kill wires from the upper and lower helm.

As an alternative, I am considering de-oxidizing (chemically) the wire where it crimps to the new terminals, then sealing the new terminal connections to avoid future oxidation.

I know this is not "code", but is it a reasonable approach?

I would very much appreciate some wisdom from our knowledgeable members.

(I suspect this same issue is the reason some of my upper helm instruments are un-reliable.

 

[Comodave]

The oxidation will likely still get into the connection from the wire. It certainly would be worth a shot and see what happens. If it doesn’t work then run new wire. But I would not hold my breath as to how long it will last.

 

[Delta Riverat]

I would strip off the wire like you did and then scrape off the green corrosion and then tin the cleaned area. Next crimp on a new terminal and solder it to the wire after crimping.

 

[Lepke]

I have an 81 year old boat. Most of the wiring dates from 1973 and is not tinned. I'm not having wiring problems.
There are terminals that include a shrink tube sleeve. After crimping apply heat and the tube seals to the wire insulation.
But the terminals I use are shrink solder that include solder and shrink tube. When I did use crimp terminals, I also soldered them. That way they never pull out and always maintain contact.

If you know how to use relays, consider relays for the starter and kill circuits so the power doesn't have to run to the upper and lower helms and back to the engineroom.

 

[PhilPB]

Not sure of your motor or year. I have 1983 Perkins T6.354 and had intermittent starter issues. I changed both ignition switches, both shutdown switches, rebuilt the starter and put in new battery but still didn't resolve my.issue(s). My problems started with the starter working most of the time but would also intermittently engage after the motor was running (took a while for mechanic to find out what the high speed whirring sound was). Turned out the harness, where the connector was attached to the block had worn through the insulation on a couple wires, one being for the starter and that caused intermittent short. The mechanic traced the wires and repaired the bad area. Since then the motor is starting and running great and I have lots of new parts.

 

[PhilPB]

I just looked back at my old posts about it and the problem wire was the Ignition Sensing wire.

 

[Turtle Blues]

Most older Taiwan builds had an extra couple of feet of the engine harness looped on the bulkhead. I found mine and replaced the terminal blocks on both ends engine and at the helm. Amazing the difference just clipping the first 2 inches of oxidized wire and old plugs. I ordered blocks and pins to match existing from Terminal Supply. Think that was a little OCD, flat terminal strips and ring connectors in a waterproof box would have been just fine.
Also replaced all the switches and jumper wires at the panels. Well worth the effort for dependability.

 

[SIBERNUT]

Used to use coffee pot "Dip it" on corroded connections. Amazing!
Of course like everything else that really worked, not available anymore