Freestyle Artic Cat Tigershark integrated start/stop/bilge control - anyone tried this?

I know most people like to have a on/off toggle for their bilge pumps but for people that are OK with the idea of using a momentary switch read on...

Has anyone ever tried this On/Off/Bilge combo that apparently came as an OEM item on older Artic Cat Tigersharks?

Here's a link

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tigershark-..._Watercraft_Parts&hash=item1c0c777be6&vxp=mtr

There's also a slimmer version I've seen floating around the 'Bay.

Also as a side question - anyone ever think of using a Start/Stop/Trim unit and possibly wiring the bilge pumps to the trim switch's in a 1 OR 2 "on" fashion (i.e. press "down trim" for 1 bilge pump to run, or "up trip" for both to run - using a diode of course in between)??

I'll probably still buy the rotary switch that is the standard - but just some food for thought!
 
I like the idea of having a permanent on AND a momentary on as a general vs hard core bilge system. Wish I would have just bout a new on/off switch vs buying the conversion plate for my 550sx otherwise I probably would be doing this.
 
Well I went and got this guy off ebay

Polarisstartstopbilge.jpg


Only cost me $35 shipped so I'm already appx $10 ahead of a "blowsion" one lol. I personally perfer momentary switches because I'm not doing much deep sea jet skiing.

I'll update this if it fails! I'm personally just glad to get rid of another control (only primer left now!) , and really glad I don't have to use the knee-scar-inducing aluminum mount that holds those "military grade membrane switchs" lol.
 

SUPERJET-113

GASKETS FOR CHAMP BRAP!
Site Supporter
That will last a long time, and a good idea.
I have a Tigershark 900 Monte Carlo that I ride my kid around on and let friends use and it has that same part. That is actually a Kawasaki part. Artic Cat used stuff from Kaw and Yam to build Tigersharks. The finger throttles on Tigersharks are Yami too.
 
This model On/Off/Bilge (and it has a choke lever on the bottom which I will remove) was actually not for a tigershark - although they do have a similar model but its about 1.5X as wide as a pure on/off vertical unit - I'm opting for narrow for simplicity's sake - but the tigershark model would still only be as wide or less wider than the OEM yami unit.

This unit was advertised as a 1996-2004 Polaris SLT 780 part.

They are on eBay for around $50 used pretty often it seems - and they can more easily be found for around $100. I guess $130 is about what you'd expect to pay for this type of OEM part - and I won't knock Watcon's pricing on it because they usually have good prices, and it is "brand new" or NOS I guess.
-I was very fortunate and found mine as a part out sale on ebay and it was only $27 - that alone convinced me not to buy a blowhard 3 way rotary switch for $50 (can't foget tha shipping!)

I'm fairly sure it is a momentary switch - if it IS an on/off, well folks we just may have found the answer everyone has been looking for for a long time. Just IMHO - I think OEM parts are awesome as far as reliability goes - most of the time you had a well paid staff of engineers specing out all the parts, and designing them if they didn't meet their specifications (well at least that's how I would hope it would be ;) )

In my never ending search - I STILL have not found the supplier who blowsion/Watcon/A&D-performance/Jamestown/Jet-world/a whole lot of other vendors spec their 3 way rotary switch from - which kinda pisses me off lol. The lowest average price they sell it for is around $30, so it is probably only a $10-$15 part. I do a lot of part procurement for engineering projects, so it's just my nature to try and find the best deal on something... If I had to guess, the rotary switches that we see from all these vendors are probably an IP67 rated sealed rotary switch. The epoxy potting of the switch on the back indicates to me that it is a professionally semi-mass produced item and not a limited run item like the OCD solutions switch. They come in different color and style rotary knobs ranging from red to black as well - so it's most likely not a mil-spec surplus item that was bought up in bulk. One day I may find them (And I'll probably sell them on here for $29 :p ), until then this on/off/bilge is far more convienent in my book! one less hole through the bulkhead!
 
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If they are on/off vs momentary (and that's what your looking for) The Watcon units are similar to that which was spec'd as OEM hardware on the polaris MSX140 model, here's a link to an eBay page of them:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=msx140+start&_sacat=0&_odkw=msx140+stop&_osacat=0

The Watcon page gave it away because their On/Off has the "bilge" switch marked as "Gauge Mode" which was used to switch the display mode on the polaris. Interestingly enough the same switch pod was used on some Hydrospace PWC's and had the "Gauge mode" switch connected to nothing (some used it for changing their ignition timing maps tho!)

So it may be sold from a third party as well - that or polaris had something to do with hydrospace?
 
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SUPERJET-113

GASKETS FOR CHAMP BRAP!
Site Supporter
Oh, i didnt see the choke lever on yours. The one i have looks just like that but no choke lever thing of any kind. Other than that it looks exactly the same. On mine you have to hold the button down to bilge.
 
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BrightE's

Paul
Location
Seattle, WA
Hey Chernobyl, sorry to bring this thread back to life, but I just bought one of the same start/stop switches with a plan to put an on/off switch in place of the momentary bilge switch. Quick question for you - Where you able to fully remove the aluminum insert molded nub that the choke lever sits on without breaking the switch housing, or did you end just just hack-sawing the thing off?
 

BrightE's

Paul
Location
Seattle, WA
Yeah, that's my gripe with it too. All the measurements being right, this switch will fit right into where the stock momentary switch sits with just some minor reinforcing. Should be awesome to save up some space, and have a fully in integrated bilge on/off switch for $30 total, including shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190668712309

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
 

VXSXH20

Sionis Industries
Location
Mid-Atlantic
I ran one i my kawi for a long time, I got it new off ebay as well. I had to hold down the button too. just be careful mine had a stainless stud or cap that stuck out below the stop switch..hell on the knee..
 

BrightE's

Paul
Location
Seattle, WA
Oh, it's stainless. Well that should make it even more fun to hack saw off. The thing looks knarly on the bottom sticking out like that, and I'd like to keep the thing from penetrating my knee. If the hack-saw leaves it even worse, I might try to drill it out and plug the hole.
 

BrightE's

Paul
Location
Seattle, WA
Turns out no project box was needed. It could not have been any tighter of an install, there is no more room in that thing. Replaced momentary switch with waterproof on/off switch, installed parallel run 12v waterproof LED so I know when it's on.

Pumped to get it on the boat.

 
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