Engine won't crank

[redgoat]

On my last boat outing, the 2 bolts on my mechanical fuel pump came lose and the pump came out its engine housing with the result of the engine stopping. I shut off the ignition and discovered oil splashed about on one side of the engine and the unfastened fuel pump somewhat hanging down but barely attached. Unfortunately, I forgot to disconnect the battery immediately and we had to be towed to shore as our boating outing ended. I have since reattached the fuel pump and checked all hoses and oil level. After reconnecting the battery I discovered that there is no crank. The battery is good as all accessories work and it cranked fine before. My question is could the fuel pump housing have come in contact with the starter or solenoid connectors and shorted it out. They are both in close proximity. I thought someone might have some thoughts on this before I begin the 2 hour job of removing my starter for testing. Or are there any fuses that I could check first? My engine is a Mercruiser IO 153 cu in 120 hp 4 cyl. engine built in 1967 on a Sea Ray.[/SIZE]

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Engine won't crank

You dont remove anything before you do some testing.
Battery cable connections both pos and neg. test the slave for power and to see if it will trip the starter solenoid

 

[redgoat]

Re: Engine won't crank

Thanks for your quick reply. Unfortunately, I am not a mechanic although I have done a ton of maintenance by myself on this 43-year-old vessel.
What exactly is the "slave" that I should test? Is that the solinoid? Also, how do I test it. The battery is fully charged and the battery terminals are tight.

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine won't crank

It would sure make your post easier to read if you left it at the default font size and type.

Before you remove the starter, or anything else, read this thread on checking the starting system.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=167035

 

[redgoat]

Re: Engine won't crank

UPDATE, Problem solved! ! ! !Thanks to the replies I received, I figured out my problem. When my motor stopped when my fuel pump became unattached it was still in gear. I never put it back into neutral. Obviously it won't start if the gear shift is in gear. I just now discovered my gearshift was indeed in gear and promptly put into neutral. The motor cranked and started right up. Thanks again to all responders. Your suggestions corrected my problem. FYI this was not the dumbest thing I did after my fuel pump problem. In the process of removing the two bolts from the motor housing one of the bolts fell through the fuel pump hole into the motor oil sump. I worked for perhaps 7 hours with a long pick up tool to try to retrieve it through the fuel pump hole. I was determined to find it and I DID! Don't know if running the boat with a bolt rattleling around in the oil pan would do any damage but I was not about to find out.

 

[Doernuth]

Re: Engine won't crank

Good job on finding that bolt. Yes a piece of steel rattling around in your oil pan is a real bad thing. Can cause all kinds of engine problems.

Yea that neutral safety switch is a b&%$h.