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you need to backtrack the usual…red cable on the starter post …the other being a ground.
whatever system you have….. high current starter loads are normally handled by a relay (selenoid) vs a simple key switch contact whose contact surfaces ar to small for high amperage loads.
you should see 12v on the starter post when activated ….. maybe a few volts less while it spins. make certain the battery is top shape.
3-4 volts at the starter means the inbound voltage is weak due to a resistive path… or the starter is defective and drags the voltage down…..if so I suspect smoke should appear 🙂 anytime. seems you had some
in conclusion backtrace from the +12v starter post …the wires are there just follow them back to the battery which should have clean post contacts … you could also have corrosion inside a crimp somewhere between battery and motor… both gound wire and battery wire play a role so clean everything up… or replace them
if you do see 3-4 V again.. .twist , poke bend all the power wires you can access…. one may have a bad crimp or has oxydized internally at the crimp point.
Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂
3-4 volts at the starter indicates it isn’t getting full battery power. Something in the circuit is causing this and if it isn’t loose or corroded connections, it’s highly probable it’s the starter switch itself. Since these starting systems don’t use a solenoid, the push button starter switch has to handle all the current going to the starter. It’s also mounted outside the front of the motor and exposed to water and salt which isn’t good for anything electrical.
The starting current also goes thru the neutral safety switch mounted on the starboard side of the motor and if either it or the starter switch are faulty, it wont crank over. The neutral safety switch also has to be adjusted so it will allow continuity only with the shift lever in neutral.
To test the system, a heavy wire can be used by connecting one end to the positive post of the battery and touching the battery side of the safety switch while in neutral. The motor should crank over. If it doesn’t, suspect the safety switch and then touch the other side of the switch or the terminal on the starter. If it doesn’t crank over, suspect the starter or ground connection on the motor. If it won’t crank over with the starter button pushed in but it will by bypassing the starter switch, it’s probably the starter switch at fault.
The starters are quite simple on these motors and can easily be taken apart for inspection. Dry and dirty bearings, a dirty or worn commutator, worn or hung brushes can all contribute to lazy cranking.
Mumbles did a nice job on that. Electrically, if your marine dealer doesn’t know how to figure this out in about five minutes, you need another marine dealer.
A couple of other thoughts: If you pulled the flywheel, was that because you thought the power head was mechanically binding up? Does the manual, recoil starter turn the engine over okay?
Also, when you replace the flywheel, make sure you use a torque wrench to tighten the nut to the proper specification. Otherwise, the flywheel, key and/or the crankshaft could be damaged, causing you a whole bunch of bigger, more expensive problems.
Long live American manufacturing!
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