Engine Issue

millz90

New Member
Oct 1, 2009
175
North Carolina
Boat Info
1995 Sea Ray 175
Engines
3.0 Mercruiser Alpha I
Ok....so i have been having trouble with my starter so i replaced it. Then i tried to start it and the starter just clicked and wouldnt turn over the engine.
I then took the key and kept turning it over a few times then it out of know where turn over?

Now when it will turn the engine (well it sounds like it) but it just sounds like the fly wheel or something is just turning in the engine but not turning the engine over?

Any ideas what that could be? Is the engine ruiened?
I did notice that the stern drive oil tank is low but the engine oil is good.

Please helppppp!
 
Yes i used the volt meter and got 12.61 at the battery and i tested the solenoid on the start and have 12 there as well.

Its weird when i turn the key it will just click a few times and then out of know were it will turn over but just sounds like its winding...?

It really sounds like its coming out of the bottom of the engine? Maybe the sound is coming from the pan on the bottom of the engine?
 
Ok, how do the teeth look on the starter itself, are they worn at all? It sounds like it may not be engaging properly…
 
Ok so i took the starter off and here are a few pictures of the fly wheel and the starter teeth.
The fly wheel is a little rusted and there are fresh makers on it like were the starter was hitting it.

The marks are like between the grooves really like the starter isnt laying in them correct?

Is that what you mean by the starter is not engaging right?
 
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Pull your sparkplugs to eliminate engine compression and then try to turn the motor over by hand using a 1/2" drive socket wrench on the bolt on the front of your lower belt pulley (crankshaft). Check to see if you have any water in any of your cylinders. Do this test before changing any more starting circuit components and do not continue to "grind" your starter until you know for sure the engine turns over freely - you will break teeth off that rusted flywheel.
 
Send your starter back. Looking at the pic of the starter, it looks as though the bendix is not fully engaging. Notice the ring on the bendix shaft, thats as far as its travelling and the reason its chewing on a few teeth of the flywheel.

After returning it, buy a new starter from a reputable supplier and not some junk off ebay. That thing will cost you 5x a merc starter if you keep trying it, it will shred your flywheel.
 
Or is it hitting the flywheel which is stopping it and making the ring?

If it was going out all the way would the 2 gears eventually line up or do you have to get the starter perfectly alined with the grooves?

Is the starter really bad, or do you just no agree with this seller? If it is bad i will get my money back but they are not going to give me my money back just beecuase.
 
The only way the flywheel can stop the bendix from fully engaging is because the tooth count on the starter is not correct for the flywheel (or the engine is seized) Thats what I'm guessing is going on here?? Still have the old starter to match tooth count? If OK, bench test the starter to be sure the bendix is engaging fully.

Was the engine running OK before this other than starting?

I have nothing against the ebay seller, never used them. I did at one point in my life rebuild transmissions and replaced many ring gears that were chewed up by the cheapest available replacement starter....
 
Well i used a screw driver and i could push the fly wheel down (counter clockwise) and it turned, not very fast but it did turn so i would assume the engine is not frozen.

How do i know what the tooth count should be if i dont have the original starter, since i thru it in the trash?

Yes, the engine ran fine. I really only seen it started a couple times before but i had the boat out on the water before and ran it for about an hour so no there werent any major problems that i know of.


Does autozone do bench test? I wont know if the gears poping out far enough will i?
 
Millz - It very well could be a faulty starter, but I would check that engine to make sure it turns over and is dry. If there is resistence in the engine due to some water ingestion or a minor internal exhaust manifold leak then that resistence can cause the bendix gear to "kick out" of the flywheel while it continues to spin for as long as you keep the key in the start position. That spinning starter will eat into the edge of the flywheel ring gear, which would look exactly like your pictures. I have seen this before. You can quickly bend valves and have other destruction if there is any water in any of your cylinders - even a small amount. Water just does not compress and then something has to give.
 
Ok so i just need to take out the spark plugs and look in the holes? Will i see water in them if there is any? Im just thinking i wont be able to tell if there is water or not.

The engine does turn over though because i can turn it by the fly wheel with a little pressure. I cant get to the front (crankshaft) with a 1/2" socket becuase its right behind the engine mount!
 
If you pull all of the plugs then you should be able to easily turn the engine over by grasping the pulley and the belt and spinning it by hand. First check each plug to see if it looks wet. Then, when you are hand spinning the engine, water could come out of one or more spark plug holes if there is enough in there. After you do this, then try to spin the motor with the starter and see if it turns it over that way.
 
If you pull all of the plugs then you should be able to easily turn the engine over by grasping the pulley and the belt and spinning it by hand. First check each plug to see if it looks wet. Then, when you are hand spinning the engine, water could come out of one or more spark plug holes if there is enough in there. After you do this, then try to spin the motor with the starter and see if it turns it over that way.

Ok so turn the ignition switch with the spark plugs out?
 
I'll bet you had a shim in there that was stuck to the old starter when you pulled it, and is now in the trash.

http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...604&bnbr=0&bdesc=STARTER+MOTOR+AND+ALTERNATOR

Part # 2 in the diagram

Check for water in the cyl's like said above but I doubt thats your problem. I still would not put that starter back on even if you find no water and the engine spins freely, something is wrong and you WILL end up shredding your ring gear if you keep trying that starter.
 
Yes, but pull the coil wire from the distributor cap first. Just turn on ignition long enough to verify that engine turns over freely.
 
Had similar problem got starters rebuilt with new solinoids. All is fine now. Got my starters rebuilt because delivery on new ones was a week or so and I was 200 miles away from home. Rebuilding took a day to turn around.
 

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