'80 Mercury starter: in Line Six

[halmc]

The starter on my friend's '80 Mercury (Serial #5725760, 1980-'81 inline six cylinder two stroke 115hp Mercury.) according to my favorite starter shop is "too eat up to fix".

I have thus turned to eBay to get my bud back in the water. I have encountered at least one starter that looks correct and reasonably priced, but it is identified as having eight (8) teeth on its drive gear. The starter that I have (the ruined one) has ten (10) teeth on its drive gear. So I have two questions, please:

1) Assuming I get an 8 tooth starter, can the drives (bendix?) be swapped over? (the ruined starter's drive gear is good)

2) If some starters were 8 tooth and others 10, when did it change; which is to say, in sifting through eBays often incomplete descriptions what should I look for.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Chris1956]

Re: '80 Mercury starter: in Line Six

I cannot answer the question on swapping the bendix. Arco and other companies make aftermarket replacement starters for that motor for less <$200. In addition, Mercury sells brush sets and brush holders for that starter. That starter has a permanent magnet field, and so if the commutator and armature are good, the rest is replaceable.