What is it?

[BCinerie]

Back side of 140 evinrude motor still runs great . Was going over for spring splash. Saw it hanging. Turn image on side for better perspective

[Rubberhead]

Looks like a ground strap

[Gerry Zagorski]

Yep - My guess would be a ground wire as well. Looks to me like the terminal lug at the end has corroded away.. There should be a circle at the end were a bolt goes through and the bolt screws into a metal part of the engine to provide a ground.

Looks like you have a hole with nothing in it and that is perhaps where the terminal lug is supposed to be bolted to and the bolt is missing as well...

If that is the case you will need to crimp a new terminal lug on, find a screw to fit that empty hole and mistery solved.

If it turns out that the empty hole I'm reffering to is not a bolt hole, that wire had to lead somewhere so I would simply see where you can stretch that wire to, to find out what it was attached to.

[shrimpman steve]

I don't know how to attach it. But you can put your tongue on it to see if it's live

[BCinerie]

Going to try to attach this weekend, if no luck will take somewhere and have the spot weld it on! Strange part , never had a problem. Would that cause a problem? What are the tall tale signs ?