Are the Mercrusier starters on E-bay to good to be true?

[BugsBunnyBoater]

The starter on my 5.7 seems to be dragging a bit so as I searched I saw them on e-bay for 60.00.
I really wonder if thats a bit to good to be true?

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Are the Mercrusier starters on E-bay to good to be true?

I would be suspect of something (new) at that price. Electrical stuff in the engine compartment is not something you want to mess around with. Make sure it is the right stuff - SAE certified and all that stuff.

Do you have a specific link you can post?

Update: I checked out a couple on eBay myself . . . and found some in the $60 range. They are from DB Electrical, which sells a fair amount of components made by Arrowhead Electric. I bought an alternator from DB Electrical a few years ago and it did not have the SAE sticker on it. Out of curiosity I emailed Arrowhead and inquired about the SAE J1171 compliance of their alternator. They sent me all the documentation (test results) showing that it was SAE J1171 compliant. For some reason, they do not put those stickers on them, etc.

I ordered a new starter myself a few days ago and made sure to get one that is compliant & labeled as such. I would rather not play a guessing game or have to chase down the manufacturer to find out about compliance.

I also have a starter that I replaced as I could not find the compliance label nor could I cross-reference it to anything that is compliant. I believe it to be an automotive starter, even though it was installed by a marine shop.

 

[90stingray]

Re: Are the Mercrusier starters on E-bay to good to be true?

I bought a ebay alternator on the cheap. Everything was as it should be... stickers and such. Except it had an extra sticker... "made in china" Worked just fine all the time i had that boat. Next time, I might check around locally to see if my original could be rebuilt. But if I needed it now, I would give it a go.

 

[natsgrampy]

Re: Are the Mercrusier starters on E-bay to good to be true?

OK, I just bought a new one from DB Electric, it had all the stickers and such, and the made in china one! I installed it and after 3 starts it stopped working, just whirred. I contacted DB's warrantee department online and they emailed me a new Fedex mailing lable to return the broken one and they sent another one had it in the boat all within a total of 4 days.
Although, I was disappointed with the results of the first starter, I was pleased with the prompt response by them and they stood by the product.

I would also like to add that when it comes to electrical parts nothing is a sure bet. I recently changed the alternater in my truck, purchased locally from Advance Auto, and within the course of three weeks had to return a faulty one three times.

So far all is well with both now.