35 hp 1978 Bendix gear not dropping back down......

[Ricky B]

1). Went thru 8 pages and eleven years of Search but couldn't find any open & relative threads to ask this question.

2). Starter motor works perfect, bench tests well. All ground and battery connections cleaned and properly re-installed.

3). Battery in great shape and holding charge.

4). Great spark to both plugs.

5). Compression seems excellent (Can barely turn her over with a rope)

5). With the starter motor installed and hitting Start, the Bendix gear won't drop back down on it's own and the flywheel will only turn a 1/4 turn or so before things bog down and nothing moves----just the noise of the starter motor tying to turn the flywheel from a dead stop. Have to turn/jiggle the flywheel after turning key off to get her to fall. HOWEVER, with the plugs REMOVED everything works as it should and the gear drops as soon as I turn the key to OFF.

6). I've lightly PB Blasted the shaft then put a few drops of light oil on it, checked for rough spots and/or burrs (on what I could see without removing the gear completely, just the shaft nut), stretched out the spring a 1/4" (to get a bit more downward pressure, took a brass wire wheel to all of the flywheel and gear teeth to remove crud and have checked the clearance/engagement/meshing of everything to see if there's any binding going on-------there's not, as I can rotate the Bendix gear a degree or two while it's still 'stuck' on the flywheel teeth. Nothing is sticking----but the gear refuses to drop on it's own accord.

7). To summarize, spark plus installed, Bendix stays up. Plugs removed, flywheel spins like a demon.

8). I'm missing something really stupid here, isn't I?......

 

[racerone]

I would get the battery load tested , a free service in many shops that sell batteries.----Inspect your starter / battery cables, easy to do.-----Take starter apart for inspection and do an ohm test on armature, easy to do and no money spent.-----Something is wrong with the starting system.

 

[oldboat1]

Like a lot of posts, every item and system is “perfect”, “great”, or “excellent”. No offense, but that can’t be right or you would be out boating!

You can shortcut starter troubleshooting a little by jumping from your truck directly to the outboard starter — not the solenoid, the starter. Plus to the stud on the starter, negative to the starter mounting bracket. If the motor cranks rapidly like it should (plugs in), the starter is likely OK.

If that’s your finding, get the battery load tested as mentioned. Go through all connections, starting at the battery (sandpaper until shiny). It also wouldn’t hurt to do a compression test to see what you have — post numbers. Also take the opportunity to test spark with an adjustable tester (should see around 7/16 or so) — but need to be spinning at a good rate to get maximum spark, so would make that test after the cranking issue is resolved.

 

[Ricky B]

I think you guys are on to something----pulled the starter motor back enough to pull the starter gear, cleaned the dog crap out of everything, 1500 w & d on the shaft, four drops of light oil and put everything back together. Hooked up my 2/10/50 charger again and gave her 30 minutes. Finally the engine fired right up (for the first time since I've been trying to help one of my local Mexican guys on it) and sounds killer. That's a good thing. Then I unplugged the charger, waited a few minutes and started right up again. But not on the next four tries. So it's either the battery (Interstate 24 600/750 of indeterminate age) or the starter motor is just getting worn out and tired. Now I'm 99% sure it's an electrical issue and NOT a mechanical one. Owner just left with the battery to get it load tested and is under strict instructions that if it's showing any loss in cranking power at all, then get a new & bigger name brand starting battery. Problem being however is that down year in Northern Baja, our choices are quite limited.

If the battery is good though then I'm going with 'tired starter motor'. Which is a bit more problematic, given my location. Will update as things progress.....and thanx for taking the time to respond....


Cheers,

RB

 

[racerone]

Opinions vary.----I think those starters are easy to inspect and test.----Do you have a digital ohmmeter in your work shop ?

 

[Ricky B]

Yups, just gonna wait until the owner gets back with a battery and a bucket. If the battery is not the culprit then it's starter autopsy time......

 

[Ricky B]

Just got the word that the battery is near new and load tests great. So it looks like I'm going to pull the starter again and find the magic ohms number et al to give to his auto electric guy. Things to look for? Brush wear, windings, rotor/stator, burn marks, shaft play?....

 

[Ricky B]

Anyone have a good link to the starter motor specs that I can forward to our local auto electric guy? I'd greatly appreciate it.....

 

[Ricky B]

Finally found it, Folks......:lol:


http://www.outboardignition.com/page37.asp

 

[Ricky B]

One more quick tourist question, Folks------with the battery installed, connected and with the key either in the OFF position or removed, should I still be seeing twelve volts at the aft solenoid large stud? All the time? Something tells me that this isn't quite right....nor do I like it that way.

Thoughts?.....

 

[racerone]

Yes the red cable from the battery goes there and it will show 12 volts all the time.----If you do not like that there is a big switch that can be installed to turn the battery OFF.

 

[Ricky B]

Thanx, Racer, just installed a quick disconnect blade switch on the negative battery terminal. It'll work for now.......

 

[Bosunsmate]

Sometimes those big cables corrode internally. How many CCA is that battery?

 

[Ricky B]

Alright, got everything finally sorted out, engine fires up every time and sounds good. Good exhaust and pee hole stream strong. A bit smoky but I think 'cuz I got a bit too much oil in the fuel....but that's not what's going now. I just noticed water leaking out of the inspection port plate (for the shaft adjustment bolts) while the engine was running. Removed the two screws (and with the motor running the exhaust noise gets much louder) and made a new gasket for it----leaks no more. But now more of that water is coming out of this lower hole on the front edge of the shaft, just below the lower motor pivot bracket. Something tells me that water is getting into this 'exhaust housing' area via a bad o-ring or seal on one end of the water tube going up to the engine block? Sound about right? Or is exhaust AND water supposed to be coming out of this lower port as well?......

 

[racerone]

There is no adjustment feature at that oval plate.-----Shift rod notches line up with the bolt holes and then the bolts go in.-----No adjustment there.

 

[Ricky B]

There is no adjustment feature at that oval plate.-----Shift rod notches line up with the bolt holes and then the bolts go in.-----No adjustment there.

I just said that to let y'all know that water was leaking out of it, due to an old cork gasket. Now I still have water in that area, but it's coming out of the lower of the two holes that are on the forward edge of the shaft housing, just below the lower pivot bracket.

Is that normal? Or shouldn't it just have exhaust gases coming out of it?.....

 

[oldboat1]

Leg is full of exhaust water and gases -- will leak out of various places, intended or not (no harm). If testing on muffs, you will obviously see more leaks than if it's in the water.

 

[Ricky B]

Thanx O/B. So those two holes I mentioned that are just above the lower motor pivot arm on the 'leg' should/will always expel both cooling water AND exhaust? Just curious 'cuz there seems to be a bit of oil now floating atop the 40 gallons of water in my big test barrel. And I'm hoping it's not gear oil, but just the oil from the fuel mixture......

 

[oldboat1]

sounds normal (unburned fuel).

 

[Ricky B]

Just checked and drained and replaced the gear oil. Seemed to be maybe 2-3 ounces low and it's kinda a military-ish green and gray color, but absolutely zero water in it. So I'm thinking that that's a good thing----though I'm still wondering about the little bit of oil floating in the barrel. Or do y'all think that's normal and the result of the 40 x 1 fuel mixture I intentionally mixed for the first start up of this motor in several years?......