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I have a brand new Yamaha F70 outboard engine. The OEM Yamaha tachometer and wiring harness are on back order and very hard to find.

Q1: will any brand marine tachometer work with a Yamaha F70?

Q2: what are pitfalls to watch out for?

Also: give me your first-hand experience with the Yamaha variable speed trolling switch


Thanks--Joe

Can I presume you have already reached out to other Yamaha dealers in the country?

SIM Yamaha?

SIM YAMAHA is the dealership I have actually ordered from.

I have checked some other online sellers and found the same situation.

I will check with a couple more dealers--a good idea.

I recommend you get an OEM tachometer for the Yamaha F70 engine.

Regarding wiring harnesses, I can't imagine you could find an aftermarket wiring harness.

Yamaha (and other Japanese outboard engine manufacturers) tend to use low-voltage electrical connectors that are rather odd, and they don't seem to be easily sourced.

If you ever take your new Yamaha F70 engine to a Yamaha dealer for service, and the service technician sees some cobbled-up mess of non-OEM wiring and gauges, they won't be happy working on the engine.

Joe--the F70 can be [networked] to a MFD using a Lowrance cable # 120-37 using NMEA 2000 to be able to see the engine speed and much more engine data. The necessary network special drop cable is available most everywhere including Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Lowrance-000-0120-37-Yamaha-Engine-Interface/dp/B0012R2PHG

Joe--Yamaha made both square and round Command Link Multifunction meters which can be used with the F70 outboard.

I have the square model on my 1985 Newport with a Yamaha F70LA outboard, but I think only the round models are not available. I don't know if there is a difference between their functions in regard to trolling speed adjustments.

I have found the square model to be a useful way to control trolling speed when I do not use my trolling motor, but it does not have the same degree of flexibility that a remote-controlled trolling motor has in term of speed control, direction, or your obvious need to be at the console to use it. So, in those respects, using a trolling motor will give you greater control of the boat from any position in it.


The Command Link Multifunction meter gives you additional information about the state of charge in the battery and engine performance data, as well as hours of operation. I find it to be very useful.

Here is a link to the manual for the square model:
http://www.criboats.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CommandLink-Operation-manual-Square.pdf

The literature will describe all features, including instructions on use of the trolling adjustment.

If you install a NMEA-2000 network in your boat, you can get the Yamaha F70LA engine data on a compatible multifunction display. I have a Simrad NSS Evo3, and I can have all of my engine data appear on the MFD at the same time that I have charts displayed. This is the setup I would highly recommend.

I do use both the Command Link multifunction meter and the Simrad MFD at the same time so that I can have just about all engine data available on the two devices at the same time as displaying charts or transducer information.

--Ken