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Author Topic:   Mercury 90 HP FourStroke wiring grommet

SC Joe posted 04-20-2009 02:14 PM ET (US)
Since new, mine has popped out as it isn't clamped on both sides. I have seen other 90 - 115 hp engines do this, as well as having seen a pic of one popped out in the 2006 Whaler sales brochure.
I have even replaced the grommet with a new one at my cost (the original from Whaler had a sloppy hole cut in it for the fuel line), and rewired the wire and hose locations per the owners manual. This didn't functionally help.
Has anyone drilled a hole and put a long screw with a nut on the outside of the grommet (port side of the engine) to hold it in place better? Is there another fix?

Feejer posted 04-20-2009 02:17 PM ET (US)
lol
Makes me feel good I was not the only one screwing around with the dam thing. I ended up putting a little 2 part epoxy on it,
SC Joe posted 04-20-2009 02:24 PM ET (US)
I first thought it was due to weakening of it from the fuel line hole that Whaler cut into it (with what appeared to be a butter knife), but even after replacement, that wasn't it.
I had thought of putting some black RTV on it, but I'm not sure it would hold, and would not be removable if needed.
SC Joe posted 04-20-2009 03:23 PM ET (US)
I called Mercury, and while pleasant, the person I spoke to had no real answers for me.
She said they have heard of the problem before, and on some engines it was caused by rigging that was too tight; i.e. would not allow the engine to turn either direction without pulling the grommet out. Mine doesn't do that--it comes out when tilting the engine up because the cables are pressed against the splash well. Not much I can do about that--it's a predetermined space.
She said that she has heard where some shops have attempted to fix it with glue (like Feejer did) but have not been very successful. She said she knows of no engineering changes in the works.
So basically..good luck with it.
chuck21401 posted 04-20-2009 03:42 PM ET (US)
I was wondering about that grommet. Mine has popped out as well.
Here is a picture:
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/cwillmarth/0418091600-1.jpg
Feejer posted 04-20-2009 03:51 PM ET (US)
Yup, It never came out while turning left or right only when tilting.
SC Joe posted 04-20-2009 04:45 PM ET (US)
Chuck-
it appears Whaler "customized" your grommet for the fuel line as well.
There is room to run it through the inside of the grommet....where it's supposed to be. There are some things I just don't understand that Whaler does.
ktm3ten posted 04-20-2009 09:45 PM ET (US)
Mine did the same, but I have a fix that's lasted 2 weeks: Turn the engine so the cabling is all facing as far to the port side as possible, then, tilt engine up, all cabling lays down in the splash well. This has worked for 2 weeks, we'll see how it holds up? I'm kind of a newbie at this stuff, if there's a reason this won't work or that it'll cause some other problem, please let me know.
Andrewdavis34 posted 04-25-2009 12:31 AM ET (US)
Hi all,
I too have the same setup, and have called Mercury and was given a similar response. I have found a solution for me that has been working for the last six months or so and is as follows.
Cut the black zip ties that hold the grommet together. Once you do this you will notice that the grommet has a formed ridge around the back edge. This edge mates with a female lip that is on the engine. I had to push fairly hard to get the grommet far back enough to fully seat into the groove in the engine. Once this was done I re applied the zip ties and no longer have any problems. I think the problem is a combination speedy rigging and not taking the time to make sure that the grommet is properly installed.
Andrew
sdbr911 posted 04-25-2009 10:12 PM ET (US)
I have the same problem on my 2008 190 Montauk. It's been happening since new whenever I tilt the engine. I have gotten so tired of pushing the grommet back in that lately I just leave it hanging.
The last time I took the boat out, I was just returning to the dock and I looked back to see fuel pouring out of the engine. The grommet had pulled out again and the all the hoses pulled enough on the fuel line to pull it off of the inline fuel filter. I was able to repair it with a new zip tie enough to trailer the boat.
I'm looking for a fix for the grommet and I'm also wondering why Mercury would zip tie the fuel line onto the filter instead of using hose clamps.
SC Joe posted 04-26-2009 12:21 PM ET (US)
This really seems like something Mercury needs to address. Not only will it allow salt water in the engine cowling, it also is a fuel spill hazard.
Andrewdavis34 posted 04-26-2009 01:01 PM ET (US)
Hi all,
I am just replying again to clarify a little bit more.I too initially had the same problem. If you just try to push the grommett back in w/o cutting off the zip ties that hold the grommett in as well as the ones that hold the fuel line in the tension from the cables/fuel line is never releived and the grommett will pull forward again. If you cut all the ties and push the grommett back so the edge of the grommett mates with the engine I think you will be surprised at how well the grommett stays in place. The front edge of the grommett when seated correctly should be frush with the front edge of the lower cowling. Once this is done make sure there is not tension on the fuel line and reapply the zip ties that hold the fuel line and grommett together.
Hope this helps!
Andrew
mojipa posted 04-26-2009 01:15 PM ET (US)
I ended cutting the zip ties as well. Told that they wear out your lines faster anyway. The grommet is a a very poor design. I don't even have mine on any more. Motor still works fine, so I probably won't worry about the cosmetic look of it.
SC Joe posted 04-26-2009 02:59 PM ET (US)
I agree; it'd a poor design. The grommet is necesary thought to keep water and weather from getting under the cowl.
Mine has no zip ties on it; I'm going to look at putting a bolt through the port side of the plate that holds the grommet down. That should clamp the gromet down well enouh to keep it in place. That's the way Mercury should have done it.
johnhenry posted 06-14-2009 08:36 AM ET (US)
I have my 170 in for the 20 hour service and discussed this issue with the Mercury tech. He had no answer what so ever for this problem. No matter what he does to try and keep the grommet in place, it always comes out. Has any of the repairs/mods you guys have made held up? Kind of irritating to deal with.
SC Joe posted 06-15-2009 10:00 PM ET (US)
No..nothing i have tried fixes it. I have toyed with the idea of adding a through bolt to the outside of the plastic retaining fascia to more securely clamp the grommet in place, but I have not done it.
I just keep popping the grommet back in.
Nauti Tauk posted 06-16-2009 05:45 PM ET (US)
I got so pissed off with that grommet I pushed the whole damn thing inside the engine and reinstalled the piece that is suppose to hold it in place, put the hood back on and the SOB hasn't come out of the engine yet. So there!
Feejer posted 06-17-2009 02:51 PM ET (US)
Same thing with my Verado 150. A little tab of clear marine silicone fixed it right up. The problem with the Verado rigging tube is the dam this is just too stiff...............or my engine is mounted a little too low.
chuck21401 posted 06-19-2009 10:30 PM ET (US)
Hi,
I emailed Merc and received a response. I sent a URL to this thread and link to a picture of the grommet on my engine. The pictures are from the Merc installation manual (URLs below message)
* * * *
Hello Mr. Willmarth,
Thank you for your recent rigging grommet question regarding your 90 HP four-stroke engine. If I may, I'd like to borrow "Andrewdavis34's" response from the very chatroom thread you forwarded through your e-mail enquiry. I have "Andrewdavis34's" passage quoted word for word at the bottom of this e-mail.
The picture you sent along with the chat room threads were very helpful to completely understand your specific issue. The rigging grommet needs to be installed in a fashion which allows the raised rib in the grommet to seat completely within the channel of the stationary cowl and the upper removable plate. Once this grommet unseats itself from this position (for whatever reason), the upper removable plate which is held in place by two M6 shoulder screws will need to be removed in order to properly seat the grommet. It is very important to ensure there is enough "slack" on either side of the grommet in regards to the rigging passthrough components when tilting or steering the full range of motion. As Andrew has stated, this may require removing the installed zip ties in order to ensure the correct amount of "slack" is available. Once this is completed, new zip ties would need to be reinstalled to ensure the "slack" you've created remains in tact. Please be careful not to install too tightly which would potentially cause binding or kinking of the passthrough components. I've also enclosed the installation procedure which is integral to your owner's manual. The picture you provided shows a large corrugated cover which appears to be covering the boat's 14-pin keyswitch harness and possibly the engine's battery cables. You can see in the picture below a similar corrugated cover but it stops internally of the engine cowl well before entering the rigging grommet. From your enclosed picture, this corrugated cover appears to be consuming a large amount of real estate within the rigging grommet causing the fuel line to be relocated to the starboard side of the intended fuel line hole.
I hope you will find this information useful. Thank you again for the opportunity.
Mercury Outboard Customer Assistance
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/cwillmarth/merc.gif
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/cwillmarth/merc2.gif
sapple posted 06-25-2009 07:41 AM ET (US)
Thanks to SC Joe for posting this message and all others who have contributed. Because of it I became aware of the issue but had not experienced a problem.
Yesterday while anchored off shore at Caper's inlet in Charleston my engin failed to start. After one or two turns of the steering wheel it started. If it had not been for this web site and everyone's input I may have ended up calling TowBoats U.S.
chuck21401 posted 06-25-2009 02:18 PM ET (US)
>> Yesterday while anchored off shore at Caper's inlet in Charleston my engin failed to start. After one or two turns of the steering wheel it started.
Sapple, could you please explain how the grommet relates to your engine not starting? And then how turning the steering wheel resolved your problem?
sapple posted 06-27-2009 08:07 PM ET (US)
I read a post on this site, about a similar problem with the wiring grommet. In my haste, I posted my message of appreciation on the wrong post. This is the post I meant to post my message.
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/004010.html
Nevertheless, it is a similar problem. The post discusses the problem with the wiring grommet on the Merc 90 fourstroke that can result in starting problems apparently from some wiring comming loose when the steering is turned hard left or right, apparently due to not enough slack in critical wiring. One of the posters noted that if he gave the steering wheel a few turns left and right, a loose contact that is required for starting apparently makes contact again and the engine can be started again. After reading these posts I noticed that the rubber part that the wires, cables and fuel line goes through was loose on my engine. However, other that not looking OK I have never had a problem. The other day I went to start my engine and nothing happened except for a warning beep. I checked to make sure I was in neutral, kill switch on, battery OK, etc., tried a few times with no luck. Then I remembered about giving the steering wheel a few turns left and right and the engine started. I have since started my engine about 3-4 times with no problem. I am worried, however, because if it failed once, it most likely will fail again.

sapple posted 06-28-2009 10:27 AM ET (US)
This is what my wiring grommet currently looks like.
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc264/sapple2/IMG_6578.jpg
Phil T posted 06-28-2009 05:33 PM ET (US)
Sapple-
That looks awful.
I suggest you cut off that rigging hose, and zip tie. Unbolt the bracket on the engine. Unwind the grommet, it is slit.
Install the wires and hoses into the grommet about 5 inches forward of the engine. If the holes are too small, you can trim them with a utility knife.
The grommet should fully close into a circle. If not, adjust the grommet holes. Next, slide the grommet into the slot in the bottom of the upper shroud and then re-install the bracket. When installed, the grommet should not move.
Before you do anything, I recommend you install the 4 inch rigging hose from the engine grommet to the transom grommet. To do this you need to de-rig the throttle/shift cables, battery cables and the 2 or 3 harness connectors. Took me about an hour. It is really worth it. I have before and after photos I will post for you.
Phil T posted 06-28-2009 07:15 PM ET (US)
Sapple:
Before photo: http://picasaweb.google.com/CascoBayOutrage/ 1991Outrage17I?pli=1#5102086471543360594
After photo: http://picasaweb.google.com/CascoBayOutrage/ 1991Outrage17I#5198919750151798898
sapple posted 06-28-2009 07:19 PM ET (US)
Phil T, thanks for the advice. This type of work is totally new to me so what took you an hour would probablly take all weekend for me and not be done as well. Nevertheless, it is work that should be done so I greatly appreciate your taking the time to respond and photos of the work you did on your wiring grommet would be most helpful.
Scott
Phil T posted 06-28-2009 10:46 PM ET (US)
Scott-
Maybe just reinstall the grommet this year and consider the rigging hose in the off season.
Once you pull off the engine cover and visually follow each wire and cable, you will see it is straight forward. There are, as always, a few lessons learned. For a novice, 2 hours.
Email me offline if you want the details on practical steps to de-rig.
GreatBayNH posted 06-29-2009 10:30 AM ET (US)
That looks sweet Phil. What did you do with the primer bulb? Did you simply eliminate it. I think I heard it's not really needed for EFI engines.
Phil T posted 06-30-2009 07:33 AM ET (US)
I re-plumbed the fuel line from the water separator to eliminate a through-splashwell fitting. The primer bulb is under the rear seat, just after the filter. I only use it to re-prime the fuel system after changing filters or draining the line.
GreatBayNH posted 06-30-2009 08:57 AM ET (US)
Thanks Phil. I can do that too.
Mel Wallace posted 07-01-2009 09:24 AM ET (US)
Can someone tell me where you can purchase the black mesh protective wiring/cable sleeve for outboard motors? I like the plastic Yamaha sleeve in the pics above, but was looking for something more flexible like the black mesh. Thanks.
Phil T posted 07-01-2009 06:56 PM ET (US)
My Mercury/Yamaha dealer had both in stock. It was sold by the foot. I went to the Parts counter, it is not in the racks.
SC Joe posted 07-01-2009 10:48 PM ET (US)
I have the engine wiring in some of the flexible mesh wiring (That I actually got from Phil!). While it makes it look much neater, unfortunately, it did not fix the grommet popping out issue.
When I re-rigged it for the mesh rigging hose, I actually had to replace the grommet (it was about $25) because Whaler had cut a hole in the flat part with what appeared to be a dull pocketknife. Rather than run the fuel hose through the grommet as Mercury says in the owners manual (and in the above post), they simply cut a hole in the grommet and run the fuel line through that. I guess they saved 10 minutes doing it that way. Of course it looks horrible though, but I guess that isn't the point.
Here you can see it popping out:
http://home.comcast.net/~joefiat/whaler/grommet.JPG
I am pointing to where a through bolt should be placed to more effectively clamp the grommet in place:
http://home.comcast.net/~joefiat/whaler/grommet1.JPG
number9 posted 07-06-2009 04:28 PM ET (US)
Interesting topic. Looks to me if Mercury had made the cutout in the cowling smaller and used a smaller grommet sized to fit just the rigging they wouldn't have that problem. Obviously they know there is a problem but seem to be unwilling to come up with a good fix. Hopefully it is just a case of sloppy rigging and those who have taken the time to reinstall it correctly will not have future problem.
chuck21401 posted 08-08-2010 10:54 PM ET (US)
Today I was looking at one of the new 2010 170 Super Sport models with the 90 FourStroke. It appears as though the wiring grommet has been redesigned by MERCURY. I too some pictures with my cell phone and will post them. Looks much better! Maybe over the winter I'll get my grommet fixed up (I have a 2008 170 MONTAUK with the 90 FourStroke).
SC Joe posted 08-08-2010 11:38 PM ET (US)
That stupid grommet pulled out until the day I traded that thing, no matter the tie wraps I tried to pull the cables tight. Good riddance to that engine.
My first Mercury = my last mercury.
SC Joe posted 08-08-2010 11:45 PM ET (US)
>>Interesting topic. Looks to me if Mercury had made the cutout in the cowling smaller and used a smaller grommet sized to fit just the rigging they wouldn't have that problem. Obviously they know there is a problem but seem to be unwilling to come up with a good fix. Hopefully it is just a case of sloppy rigging and those who have taken the time to reinstall it correctly will not have future problem<<
The sloppiest rigging, IMO, was what Whaler did. Rather than feed the fuel hose through the CORRECT hole in the grommet..someone at Whaler carved out a hole with what appeared to be a pocket knife and ran the fuel house through that. I have seen that on other new 170's, so I know it wasn't just mine. After I purchased a NEW grommet (for $32.00) I ran the fuel line through the correct hole..although that did nothing for thr grommet indiscriminately popping out of it's intended location.
chuck21401 posted 08-09-2010 05:18 PM ET (US)
This is a 90 FourStroke engine on the back of a new 170 Super Sport.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/cwillmarth/engine/IMAG0876.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/cwillmarth/engine/IMAG0875.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/cwillmarth/engine/IMAG0873.jpg
SC Joe posted 08-09-2010 09:53 PM ET (US)
Well...at least they quit sticking the fuel line through the flat part of the grommet.
number9 posted 08-10-2010 01:34 AM ET (US)
It does appear to be an improvement, rather than having an odd shaped grommet, looks to be round and the remaining space taken up by a hard plastic. Rigging looks sloppy around the cables, controls etc., leaks? Poor/cheap solution.

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Author	Topic: Mercury 90 HP FourStroke wiring grommet
SC Joe	posted 04-20-2009 02:14 PM ET (US) Since new, mine has popped out as it isn't clamped on both sides. I have seen other 90 - 115 hp engines do this, as well as having seen a pic of one popped out in the 2006 Whaler sales brochure. I have even replaced the grommet with a new one at my cost (the original from Whaler had a sloppy hole cut in it for the fuel line), and rewired the wire and hose locations per the owners manual. This didn't functionally help. Has anyone drilled a hole and put a long screw with a nut on the outside of the grommet (port side of the engine) to hold it in place better? Is there another fix?
Feejer	posted 04-20-2009 02:17 PM ET (US) lol Makes me feel good I was not the only one screwing around with the dam thing. I ended up putting a little 2 part epoxy on it,
SC Joe	posted 04-20-2009 02:24 PM ET (US) I first thought it was due to weakening of it from the fuel line hole that Whaler cut into it (with what appeared to be a butter knife), but even after replacement, that wasn't it. I had thought of putting some black RTV on it, but I'm not sure it would hold, and would not be removable if needed.
SC Joe	posted 04-20-2009 03:23 PM ET (US) I called Mercury, and while pleasant, the person I spoke to had no real answers for me. She said they have heard of the problem before, and on some engines it was caused by rigging that was too tight; i.e. would not allow the engine to turn either direction without pulling the grommet out. Mine doesn't do that--it comes out when tilting the engine up because the cables are pressed against the splash well. Not much I can do about that--it's a predetermined space. She said that she has heard where some shops have attempted to fix it with glue (like Feejer did) but have not been very successful. She said she knows of no engineering changes in the works. So basically..good luck with it.
chuck21401	posted 04-20-2009 03:42 PM ET (US) I was wondering about that grommet. Mine has popped out as well. Here is a picture: http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/cwillmarth/0418091600-1.jpg
Feejer	posted 04-20-2009 03:51 PM ET (US) Yup, It never came out while turning left or right only when tilting.
SC Joe	posted 04-20-2009 04:45 PM ET (US) Chuck- it appears Whaler "customized" your grommet for the fuel line as well. There is room to run it through the inside of the grommet....where it's supposed to be. There are some things I just don't understand that Whaler does.
ktm3ten	posted 04-20-2009 09:45 PM ET (US) Mine did the same, but I have a fix that's lasted 2 weeks: Turn the engine so the cabling is all facing as far to the port side as possible, then, tilt engine up, all cabling lays down in the splash well. This has worked for 2 weeks, we'll see how it holds up? I'm kind of a newbie at this stuff, if there's a reason this won't work or that it'll cause some other problem, please let me know.
Andrewdavis34	posted 04-25-2009 12:31 AM ET (US) Hi all, I too have the same setup, and have called Mercury and was given a similar response. I have found a solution for me that has been working for the last six months or so and is as follows. Cut the black zip ties that hold the grommet together. Once you do this you will notice that the grommet has a formed ridge around the back edge. This edge mates with a female lip that is on the engine. I had to push fairly hard to get the grommet far back enough to fully seat into the groove in the engine. Once this was done I re applied the zip ties and no longer have any problems. I think the problem is a combination speedy rigging and not taking the time to make sure that the grommet is properly installed. Andrew
sdbr911	posted 04-25-2009 10:12 PM ET (US) I have the same problem on my 2008 190 Montauk. It's been happening since new whenever I tilt the engine. I have gotten so tired of pushing the grommet back in that lately I just leave it hanging. The last time I took the boat out, I was just returning to the dock and I looked back to see fuel pouring out of the engine. The grommet had pulled out again and the all the hoses pulled enough on the fuel line to pull it off of the inline fuel filter. I was able to repair it with a new zip tie enough to trailer the boat. I'm looking for a fix for the grommet and I'm also wondering why Mercury would zip tie the fuel line onto the filter instead of using hose clamps.
SC Joe	posted 04-26-2009 12:21 PM ET (US) This really seems like something Mercury needs to address. Not only will it allow salt water in the engine cowling, it also is a fuel spill hazard.
Andrewdavis34	posted 04-26-2009 01:01 PM ET (US) Hi all, I am just replying again to clarify a little bit more.I too initially had the same problem. If you just try to push the grommett back in w/o cutting off the zip ties that hold the grommett in as well as the ones that hold the fuel line in the tension from the cables/fuel line is never releived and the grommett will pull forward again. If you cut all the ties and push the grommett back so the edge of the grommett mates with the engine I think you will be surprised at how well the grommett stays in place. The front edge of the grommett when seated correctly should be frush with the front edge of the lower cowling. Once this is done make sure there is not tension on the fuel line and reapply the zip ties that hold the fuel line and grommett together. Hope this helps! Andrew
mojipa	posted 04-26-2009 01:15 PM ET (US) I ended cutting the zip ties as well. Told that they wear out your lines faster anyway. The grommet is a a very poor design. I don't even have mine on any more. Motor still works fine, so I probably won't worry about the cosmetic look of it.
SC Joe	posted 04-26-2009 02:59 PM ET (US) I agree; it'd a poor design. The grommet is necesary thought to keep water and weather from getting under the cowl. Mine has no zip ties on it; I'm going to look at putting a bolt through the port side of the plate that holds the grommet down. That should clamp the gromet down well enouh to keep it in place. That's the way Mercury should have done it.
johnhenry	posted 06-14-2009 08:36 AM ET (US) I have my 170 in for the 20 hour service and discussed this issue with the Mercury tech. He had no answer what so ever for this problem. No matter what he does to try and keep the grommet in place, it always comes out. Has any of the repairs/mods you guys have made held up? Kind of irritating to deal with.
SC Joe	posted 06-15-2009 10:00 PM ET (US) No..nothing i have tried fixes it. I have toyed with the idea of adding a through bolt to the outside of the plastic retaining fascia to more securely clamp the grommet in place, but I have not done it. I just keep popping the grommet back in.
Nauti Tauk	posted 06-16-2009 05:45 PM ET (US) I got so pissed off with that grommet I pushed the whole damn thing inside the engine and reinstalled the piece that is suppose to hold it in place, put the hood back on and the SOB hasn't come out of the engine yet. So there!
Feejer	posted 06-17-2009 02:51 PM ET (US) Same thing with my Verado 150. A little tab of clear marine silicone fixed it right up. The problem with the Verado rigging tube is the dam this is just too stiff...............or my engine is mounted a little too low.
chuck21401	posted 06-19-2009 10:30 PM ET (US) Hi, I emailed Merc and received a response. I sent a URL to this thread and link to a picture of the grommet on my engine. The pictures are from the Merc installation manual (URLs below message) * * * * Hello Mr. Willmarth, Thank you for your recent rigging grommet question regarding your 90 HP four-stroke engine. If I may, I'd like to borrow "Andrewdavis34's" response from the very chatroom thread you forwarded through your e-mail enquiry. I have "Andrewdavis34's" passage quoted word for word at the bottom of this e-mail. The picture you sent along with the chat room threads were very helpful to completely understand your specific issue. The rigging grommet needs to be installed in a fashion which allows the raised rib in the grommet to seat completely within the channel of the stationary cowl and the upper removable plate. Once this grommet unseats itself from this position (for whatever reason), the upper removable plate which is held in place by two M6 shoulder screws will need to be removed in order to properly seat the grommet. It is very important to ensure there is enough "slack" on either side of the grommet in regards to the rigging passthrough components when tilting or steering the full range of motion. As Andrew has stated, this may require removing the installed zip ties in order to ensure the correct amount of "slack" is available. Once this is completed, new zip ties would need to be reinstalled to ensure the "slack" you've created remains in tact. Please be careful not to install too tightly which would potentially cause binding or kinking of the passthrough components. I've also enclosed the installation procedure which is integral to your owner's manual. The picture you provided shows a large corrugated cover which appears to be covering the boat's 14-pin keyswitch harness and possibly the engine's battery cables. You can see in the picture below a similar corrugated cover but it stops internally of the engine cowl well before entering the rigging grommet. From your enclosed picture, this corrugated cover appears to be consuming a large amount of real estate within the rigging grommet causing the fuel line to be relocated to the starboard side of the intended fuel line hole. I hope you will find this information useful. Thank you again for the opportunity. Mercury Outboard Customer Assistance http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/cwillmarth/merc.gif http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/cwillmarth/merc2.gif
sapple	posted 06-25-2009 07:41 AM ET (US) Thanks to SC Joe for posting this message and all others who have contributed. Because of it I became aware of the issue but had not experienced a problem. Yesterday while anchored off shore at Caper's inlet in Charleston my engin failed to start. After one or two turns of the steering wheel it started. If it had not been for this web site and everyone's input I may have ended up calling TowBoats U.S.
chuck21401	posted 06-25-2009 02:18 PM ET (US) >> Yesterday while anchored off shore at Caper's inlet in Charleston my engin failed to start. After one or two turns of the steering wheel it started. Sapple, could you please explain how the grommet relates to your engine not starting? And then how turning the steering wheel resolved your problem?
sapple	posted 06-27-2009 08:07 PM ET (US) I read a post on this site, about a similar problem with the wiring grommet. In my haste, I posted my message of appreciation on the wrong post. This is the post I meant to post my message. http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/004010.html Nevertheless, it is a similar problem. The post discusses the problem with the wiring grommet on the Merc 90 fourstroke that can result in starting problems apparently from some wiring comming loose when the steering is turned hard left or right, apparently due to not enough slack in critical wiring. One of the posters noted that if he gave the steering wheel a few turns left and right, a loose contact that is required for starting apparently makes contact again and the engine can be started again. After reading these posts I noticed that the rubber part that the wires, cables and fuel line goes through was loose on my engine. However, other that not looking OK I have never had a problem. The other day I went to start my engine and nothing happened except for a warning beep. I checked to make sure I was in neutral, kill switch on, battery OK, etc., tried a few times with no luck. Then I remembered about giving the steering wheel a few turns left and right and the engine started. I have since started my engine about 3-4 times with no problem. I am worried, however, because if it failed once, it most likely will fail again.
sapple	posted 06-28-2009 10:27 AM ET (US) This is what my wiring grommet currently looks like. http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc264/sapple2/IMG_6578.jpg
Phil T	posted 06-28-2009 05:33 PM ET (US) Sapple- That looks awful. I suggest you cut off that rigging hose, and zip tie. Unbolt the bracket on the engine. Unwind the grommet, it is slit. Install the wires and hoses into the grommet about 5 inches forward of the engine. If the holes are too small, you can trim them with a utility knife. The grommet should fully close into a circle. If not, adjust the grommet holes. Next, slide the grommet into the slot in the bottom of the upper shroud and then re-install the bracket. When installed, the grommet should not move. Before you do anything, I recommend you install the 4 inch rigging hose from the engine grommet to the transom grommet. To do this you need to de-rig the throttle/shift cables, battery cables and the 2 or 3 harness connectors. Took me about an hour. It is really worth it. I have before and after photos I will post for you.
Phil T	posted 06-28-2009 07:15 PM ET (US) Sapple: Before photo: http://picasaweb.google.com/CascoBayOutrage/ 1991Outrage17I?pli=1#5102086471543360594 After photo: http://picasaweb.google.com/CascoBayOutrage/ 1991Outrage17I#5198919750151798898
sapple	posted 06-28-2009 07:19 PM ET (US) Phil T, thanks for the advice. This type of work is totally new to me so what took you an hour would probablly take all weekend for me and not be done as well. Nevertheless, it is work that should be done so I greatly appreciate your taking the time to respond and photos of the work you did on your wiring grommet would be most helpful. Scott
Phil T	posted 06-28-2009 10:46 PM ET (US) Scott- Maybe just reinstall the grommet this year and consider the rigging hose in the off season. Once you pull off the engine cover and visually follow each wire and cable, you will see it is straight forward. There are, as always, a few lessons learned. For a novice, 2 hours. Email me offline if you want the details on practical steps to de-rig.
GreatBayNH	posted 06-29-2009 10:30 AM ET (US) That looks sweet Phil. What did you do with the primer bulb? Did you simply eliminate it. I think I heard it's not really needed for EFI engines.
Phil T	posted 06-30-2009 07:33 AM ET (US) I re-plumbed the fuel line from the water separator to eliminate a through-splashwell fitting. The primer bulb is under the rear seat, just after the filter. I only use it to re-prime the fuel system after changing filters or draining the line.
GreatBayNH	posted 06-30-2009 08:57 AM ET (US) Thanks Phil. I can do that too.
Mel Wallace	posted 07-01-2009 09:24 AM ET (US) Can someone tell me where you can purchase the black mesh protective wiring/cable sleeve for outboard motors? I like the plastic Yamaha sleeve in the pics above, but was looking for something more flexible like the black mesh. Thanks.
Phil T	posted 07-01-2009 06:56 PM ET (US) My Mercury/Yamaha dealer had both in stock. It was sold by the foot. I went to the Parts counter, it is not in the racks.
SC Joe	posted 07-01-2009 10:48 PM ET (US) I have the engine wiring in some of the flexible mesh wiring (That I actually got from Phil!). While it makes it look much neater, unfortunately, it did not fix the grommet popping out issue. When I re-rigged it for the mesh rigging hose, I actually had to replace the grommet (it was about $25) because Whaler had cut a hole in the flat part with what appeared to be a dull pocketknife. Rather than run the fuel hose through the grommet as Mercury says in the owners manual (and in the above post), they simply cut a hole in the grommet and run the fuel line through that. I guess they saved 10 minutes doing it that way. Of course it looks horrible though, but I guess that isn't the point. Here you can see it popping out: http://home.comcast.net/~joefiat/whaler/grommet.JPG I am pointing to where a through bolt should be placed to more effectively clamp the grommet in place: http://home.comcast.net/~joefiat/whaler/grommet1.JPG
number9	posted 07-06-2009 04:28 PM ET (US) Interesting topic. Looks to me if Mercury had made the cutout in the cowling smaller and used a smaller grommet sized to fit just the rigging they wouldn't have that problem. Obviously they know there is a problem but seem to be unwilling to come up with a good fix. Hopefully it is just a case of sloppy rigging and those who have taken the time to reinstall it correctly will not have future problem.
chuck21401	posted 08-08-2010 10:54 PM ET (US) Today I was looking at one of the new 2010 170 Super Sport models with the 90 FourStroke. It appears as though the wiring grommet has been redesigned by MERCURY. I too some pictures with my cell phone and will post them. Looks much better! Maybe over the winter I'll get my grommet fixed up (I have a 2008 170 MONTAUK with the 90 FourStroke).
SC Joe	posted 08-08-2010 11:38 PM ET (US) That stupid grommet pulled out until the day I traded that thing, no matter the tie wraps I tried to pull the cables tight. Good riddance to that engine. My first Mercury = my last mercury.
SC Joe	posted 08-08-2010 11:45 PM ET (US) >>Interesting topic. Looks to me if Mercury had made the cutout in the cowling smaller and used a smaller grommet sized to fit just the rigging they wouldn't have that problem. Obviously they know there is a problem but seem to be unwilling to come up with a good fix. Hopefully it is just a case of sloppy rigging and those who have taken the time to reinstall it correctly will not have future problem<< The sloppiest rigging, IMO, was what Whaler did. Rather than feed the fuel hose through the CORRECT hole in the grommet..someone at Whaler carved out a hole with what appeared to be a pocket knife and ran the fuel house through that. I have seen that on other new 170's, so I know it wasn't just mine. After I purchased a NEW grommet (for $32.00) I ran the fuel line through the correct hole..although that did nothing for thr grommet indiscriminately popping out of it's intended location.
chuck21401	posted 08-09-2010 05:18 PM ET (US) This is a 90 FourStroke engine on the back of a new 170 Super Sport. http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/cwillmarth/engine/IMAG0876.jpg http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/cwillmarth/engine/IMAG0875.jpg http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t55/cwillmarth/engine/IMAG0873.jpg
SC Joe	posted 08-09-2010 09:53 PM ET (US) Well...at least they quit sticking the fuel line through the flat part of the grommet.
number9	posted 08-10-2010 01:34 AM ET (US) It does appear to be an improvement, rather than having an odd shaped grommet, looks to be round and the remaining space taken up by a hard plastic. Rigging looks sloppy around the cables, controls etc., leaks? Poor/cheap solution.