My boat came with a W60 which had a pull-cable that was positioned near the right ankle of the helmsman, I assumed that the W58 had a similar arrangement. I’d be surprised to find that Westerbeke changed to a solenoid actuator. A bad ignition switch could cause power to the panel and engine to become intermittent. If this is the case, you could observe the problem by viewing gauges while tapping on the key switch. A squirt of PB-Blaster in the key hole will likely fix the switch.
A stock 424 will not turn-over unless the key is turned on. Most key switches are interlocked so that the first position energizes the panel and the second position engages the starter. There is no reason that it must be wired this way but it makes sense.
As I remember, my boat came with a wiring diagram, but the engine harness didn’t match the diagram. I wired my own panel when I repowered and found what should be a simple task to be quite complicated. Finding the engine sensors and tracing the wires was time consuming. I didn’t use a key switch because they are unreliable if mounted in a wet environment such as an open cockpit. Instead, I used a water resistant pull switch and two water resistant buttons. Pearson mounted the key switch inside the starboard lazarette. Now there’s a convenient place to reach in an emergency!
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Rich Carter
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