got a bass boat where to start

[daytripper62]

hello just got a bass boat free from my buddy who moved away and had no way to take it so he dropped it off at my house boat needs some interior work no biggie think I can get that the motor hasent been run in a few years and he said thinks it needs a starter solenoid he got boat from a relative that passed away so anyway I ended up with it don't know anything about outboards more of a atv guy lol it is a mercury outboard 115 hp serial number is 5415771 what would be my best bet to start checking this motor out and any info on this motor would be appreciated. I am planning on using this for fishing in small lakes around home and don't think I need a huge motor like this also the boat is a 16 ft bass cat. thank you

 

[Spillman1979]

I would check for compression and spark followed by a carb cleaning and new fuel.

 

[daytripper62]

Think a 25 go motor would work

 

[daytripper62]

Well got around to checking on motor pulled cowl where the wiring plug wires on the inside one looks to be the ground other runs to i think the starter solenoid and then there is a bundle of smaller wires running upwards toward engine these smaller wires were burnt what would have caused this

 

[daytripper62]

No Title

Burnt here

 

[frobotz]

I wish I could enlarge the picture more to try to identify the specific wires

 

[mav6759]

At this point I would start by trying to turn the motor over. If the motor have not been started in over a year, I would take out each spark plug and shoot a little oil in each of the cylinders. That way you won't try to start the motor with dry cylinder/ Then you have to determine if you have a starter or starter solenoid issue. Here you are going to need a voltage meter, and see if you are getting voltage to start solenoid. The way I check my starter's, I remove them and connect them right to a battery of my car with jumper cables, I would start with the starter and then the starter solenoid.