'81 115 Starter and charge coil

[TBarCYa]

Hello,<br /><br />I have a 1981 Evinrude 115hp outboard that I believe has a bad starter because it draws over 100amps from my battery charger and spins the engine very slowly. I ran the charge coil output test with this starter and it registered very low (65volts max) and I'm wondering if this reading is reliable since the engine was perhaps not turning fast enough to generate the 160volts specified in the manual. The charge coil resistance IS a little high (650 vs 635 spec) which is a cause for concern however I'm more concerned with the output test at this time. I do have spark at all cylinders however it is a little weak which is why I suspect the charge coil output as being the issue.<br /><br />Also, I tried to remove the flywheel yesterday to access the charge coil and broke 3 bolts on my puller while the flywheel didn't budge. Is there a trick to removing the flywheel other than removing the big nut and using the puller??<br /><br />Regarding the starter, I have disassembled the starter and cleaned the brushes and commutator with 1200grit paper and lubed the bushings and output shaft to try to resolve the starter issues without any success. I have even bench tested the starter and got similar results. Is there a way (perhaps armature and/or brush resistance) to test the starter to see if perhaps I need to change the brushes and not necessarily the entire starter??<br /><br />Any help that you can provide is greatly appreciated. Once I get the engine running, I can continue working on the floor and interior and hopefully have the boat in the water by the end of the month.<br /><br />Thank you.

 

[TBarCYa]

Re: '81 115 Starter and charge coil

Update... I replaced the starter and still it does not turn the engine any faster. I tried removing the plugs and running the starter to get it to spin faster and it does and I still only get 84vac on the coil output test so I'm assuming that the charge coil is bad and needs to be replaced.<br /><br />Now my question goes back to the starter. I can turn the engine by hand with the plugs in but the starter is having a hard time. I've tried using both batteries in my truck (over 1600CCA) connected directly to the starter motor terminals via jumper cables and still no change. I've got the 10 tooth gear on the starter and can't imagine that a 9 tooth gear (if it's even available) would reach the flywheel since I had to shim the new starter to get it's gear to mesh properly. Any suggestions on why this might be??<br /><br />I'm also still looking for suggestions on removing the flywheel so that I can get to the coil to replace it.<br /><br />Thanks.

 

[JB]

Re: '81 115 Starter and charge coil

Howdy, TBarCYa.<br /><br />Welcome to iboats. <br /><br />I'm confused. Are you trying to start the engine with a battery charger? Even a heavy duty booster has too much internal impedance to do that alone. You need a fully charged battery.<br /><br />100 Amps is not extraordinary for starter draw. I have seen them draw up to 300 amps on initial application.<br /><br />Put a fully charged starting or dual purpose battery on it and measure the voltage from the starter hot post to the engine block and engage the starter. You should read between 10 and 11 volts with the starter turning.<br /><br />I suspect that the charge coil voltage is low because of the slow turning.<br /><br />Let us know what you find, and good luck.

 

[TBarCYa]

Re: '81 115 Starter and charge coil

I have tried starting from one battery in the truck, then the other battery, then both in parallel, as well as the charger on it's 100amp start setting. Both of the batteries from the truck are brand new and fully charged but they are still in the truck so I will take one out and put it in the boat as a test.<br /><br />When I removed the plugs and ran the starter, it spun much faster and only gave 84vac. Other than resistance, which is high at 650ohms whereas spec tops out at 635ohms, is there another way to test the charge coil?? I don't want to buy another part only to find out that there's nothing wrong with mine. I'm assuming that it's spinning fast enough without the plugs to generate sufficient voltage with a good coil.<br /><br />I was able to finally get the flywheel off. It took penetrating oil, grade 8 bolts, and air impact gun, and a rubber mallet.

 

[TBarCYa]

Re: '81 115 Starter and charge coil

Update... again.<br /><br />I tried using a fully charged battery (Optima yellow) AND the charger at the same time and the starter spun MUCH better than before. I measured the voltage at the positive terminal of the starter and got 8.30vdc while cranking. I checked the voltage at the ends of the battery cables (at the solenoid and engine block) and got 13.24vdc. My input voltage is good and now I'm spinning good, but still have low voltage at the starter while cranking. <br /><br />I retested the charge coil and am still getting only 92vac at the brown/brown-yellow wires. According to the clymer manual, it should be 160v.

 

[JB]

Re: '81 115 Starter and charge coil

Well, I see two probable suspects now, TBar (a really interesting handle. How did you come up with it?).<br /><br />There may be some resistance in your high current cables or the connections. Try removing, cleaning and reconnecting all of the high current cables, with particular attention to the battery ground cable connection at the engine block.<br /><br />The other, less likely suspect is the starter motor itself having shorted windings or field.<br /><br />You might also try measuring the voltage drop across the big posts on the solenoid when the starter is engaged. It should not drop more than about .8 volts. If it is dropping more than that try jumping the battery directly to the starter without going through the solenoid. If the starter takes off well replace the solenoid.<br /><br />Good luck, and let us know what you find.

 

[TBarCYa]

Re: '81 115 Starter and charge coil

My real name is Tom Barcia and since most people pronounce my last name incorrectly, changing the I to a Y makes it easier to pronounce.<br /><br />I cleaned up all of the cable connections and reinstalled the stator and gave it another try with the battery and the charger and it eventually fired up and ran quite nicely. I did have to use the choke to get it started initially and once it tried to fire, I opened the choke and it started up with no problems. I did notice that there was fuel coming from the carbs with the choke on which concerns me a little but I'll pull the carbs back out to take a look tomorrow. <br /><br />There's a choke option on my ignition switch and it is wired, but I cannot see how it could possibly do anything since there's nothing connected to the choke plates except a lever. <br /><br />Thank you for all of your help. I only have one last question for now... Is there a temperature sensor on the engine and if so, can I use it to display on a guage on the dash?? <br /><br />Thanks again!!

 

[JB]

Re: '81 115 Starter and charge coil

There should be a solenoid connected to your choke linkage and operated by the ignition switch, Tom.<br /><br />Don't know about the temp sensor.<br /><br />Either question should be answered by a Service Manual, which I strongly recommend. You can get an aftermarket Manual here http://www.boatmotors.com/manuals.html <br />But we usually recommend the OEM Manual. One place to get it is at Ken Cook.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[TBarCYa]

Re: '81 115 Starter and charge coil

I actually have a Clymers manual which was a huge help in troubleshooting the problems I had earlier. I'll check the book for a coke solenoid.<br /><br />Thanks.