I installed a new starter and have questions

[bman72]

My boat did not have a starter on it because the previous owner had removed it for repair. I purchased a new starter and received it today so I took it out and installed it on the mot which is a 1973 Johnson 65HP 65ESLR73R. The bolts were already in the block of the motor so I just had to take them out and attach the starter. The bolts all had flat and locking washers on them so I use the flat washers to shim out the starter a little that was the teeth would meet nicely with the flywheel when you rotated the starter gear up. <br />Is there anything special I need to do with all of this? I have the starter gear rotated up right now to where it is actually in contact with the flywheel - the reason why I did this is so it would all be aligned just right. I didn't want the starter to spin up and it not be aligned with the flywheel and break something. So will it be ok to start the engine for the first time with the gear all the way up like this or is there another proper way do to all of this?<br /><br />Thanks<br /><br />Bman

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: I installed a new starter and have questions

shake your flywheel back and forth with a wrench on the nut. to free up the starter. the starter has to get revs up to throw the gear in place.

 

[bman72]

Re: I installed a new starter and have questions

I can back trhe gear up or down just by turning the flywheel by hand. I was just worried that if the gear was down that when I cranked it, it would throw the gear up and the gear woudn't be aligned with the flywheel and break somewhting.<br /><br />So what your saying is that the gear shold be down? How will it be aligned with the flywheel this way?<br /><br />Thanks for the response.

 

[solidwaste]

Re: I installed a new starter and have questions

Yes the gear on youre starter should be down..It will align itself..Dont if you dont have the gear down when you try to start the starter will not be up to power and I guess you could burn out youre new starter..Dont worry as soon as you start the motor or hit the starter when the starter stops it will automatically drop down..Just like on a car starter the starter gear is not always in contact with youre flywheel if soo a starter wouldnt last 1 hour..

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: I installed a new starter and have questions

It's a little hard to figure out what you have going on .... BUT the washers are NOT shims.<br /><br />They go on the bolts,after the lock washers,then thru the starter,then into the block.Do you have the correct new starter ?<br /><br />DHP

 

[bman72]

Re: I installed a new starter and have questions

Yeah I have the correct new starter. It looked like the starter needed to be shimmed out a little but maybe it doesn't - I don't know. I do know that each bolt had 2 flat washers and one locking washer so I assumed that the extra washer on each bolt was being used as a shim. <br />It appeared to me that without the extra flat washer between the starter bracket and block, the starter gear would be to far in toward the flywheel. But this was just from looking at it before I tightened anything down. <br />So are you saying that I should remove the two washers that I used as shims?

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: I installed a new starter and have questions

Yes,and put them on the bolts,after the lock washers,then thru the starter,then into the block.<br /><br />DHP <br /><br />just realized I'm cranky,must be my sore throat.<br /><br />Sorry,

 

[bman72]

Re: I installed a new starter and have questions

Thanks DHP for the info, I will change trhem out before I head to the lake in the morning. Don't worry about being cranky, we all get that way sometimes.<br /><br />Bman