Dude, where's my timing?

[wannabe]

So I have to start off with the typical newbie lyrics...I recently bought a boat... 1992 220 Offshore Reinell. I have spent hours on this forum and learned a ton so thanks to you all.
So with that said here is what I got. BTW: I am pretty knowledgable about motors...all land use, built several for my own use with success. Anyway, I got the boat with a messed up motor, and it was tore apart when I got it. So I put a new top end on it, slammed it all together (to get ready for the 4th) and fired it up, went to do the old time by ear and grabbed the distributer and turned...hmmm nothing. Then it dawned on me...I never hooked any wires to the distributer. No wires, no points, no halls shutter...nothing.
So my question is what's going on here? The boat is a 1992 and had an OMC 454, swapped over to Merc...but I think it still has all the OMC ignition. IS timing controlled in the ignition box?
Here's another one, so if I want to swap over to an MSD box, distributer and coil, will this have an effect on the drive? I thought I remember reading that the ignition is tied to the drive control.
Any help is greatly appreciated. BTW: I am mostly interested in the question regarding swapping to an MSD set-up
-Mark
PS: I never thought I would have so much god damn fun in a boat, hauling ass in rough water on the Columbia river :lightsabe

[Dave_N]

You must have some wires connected to the distributor. It can't run without them. What kind of distributor is in it? The old OMC Prestolite or newer Merc Thuderbolt? How the timing is controlled depends on what ignition system you have.
The shift interrupt system ties into the ignition system and you will need to reconnect it somehow. OMC did it with two switchs and a ESA Module and Merc does it with just one switch. Maybe you could post a picture of your engine to help identify what you have.
Dave

[wannabe]

Well, I thought they can't run w/o wires to the distributer but there isn't any...I couldn't find anything on the front on the motor as far as crank/cam position sensor. Maybe a flywheel position sensor? I couldn't really tell with the wires back there. But one thing is for sure, no wires from the distributer...it's just an empty shell.
Hopefully somebody has seen this before!!
If the pics don't work go here and scroll right: http://www.olympicinspection.com/-
http://www.olympicinspection.com/xsi...dedFiles/Boat%
http://www.olympicinspection.com/xsi...dedFiles/Boat%

[bocco]

Wannabe,
It looks like the ignition is OMC. I have an OMC that has a box on the left side like yours does but mine has the coils built into it and no distributor at all. But the connector at the front of the box is the same. And now that you mention it I have never seen a crank sensor on mine. I will try to check this weekend. I also have a manual that covers a couple of different ignition setups I'll try to check that this weekend also and see if it sheds any light.

[bocco]

Is there a rotor?

[wannabe]

Yep there's a rotor. If you have any literature that would be great...I don't have any reference material.

[wannabe]

Has anybody converted the OMC ignition to MSD. I ran my boat on the 4th, ran great..well had a little intermittent miss mid throttle, cleaned up with a pump of the throttle to wide open.
Parked it till yesterday and took it out, ran terrible. The miss was really bad, couldn't get much more than idle. I think it's in the ignition and want to get rid of the OMC stuff, does anybody have experience doing this? I want to swap everything. My ignition has a sensor on the flywheel and the distributer has no guts...just a switch.
Any help is greatly appreciated.