Keep Burning Up Starters

[inyourwake]

Okay guys he a weird problem we are having. We put a cheaper starter on the boat starts fine in the driveway. We took it to the lake started the boat drove it for about a hour pulled into the marina for lunch,went back to the boat and the started just spun,it did not engage.So we went home and spent 500 on a volvo penta starter worked great in the driveway.Took the boat out to the lake drove the boat around for a couple hours.Turned the boat off,tried to restart it after about ten minutes same thing the starter just spun.I checked the starter and it was hot like I kept cranking on it. So the starters work at home but once in the water they burn up.

Any suggestions?

 

[jtybt]

Re: Keep Burning Up Starters

Gm have shims to position starters. If you're is too tight, you may be getting the bendix gear stuck in the flywheel and burning out the bendix.

Also, some starters just don't throw out the bendix out as far as others . There's an arm that can be bent so the gear is pushed out further.

There are a lot of little quirks from different MFG that can be used to remedy certain idiosyncracies. You may have a quirky block/mounting holes.

 

[Grant Brown]

Re: Keep Burning Up Starters

The ignition switch on my 4.3l Mercruiser kept getting stuck in the start position, cranking the starter constantly even when the motor was running. I noticed it because of a strange metallic sound coming from the motor. I noticed it before my starter died but I'm sure it took a bunch of life off it.
I tested it by disconnecting the keyswitch output terminals and hooking a test light to them one at a time and then to a ground. The ignition output should be on all the time when key is in on position, and the start circuit should only be on momentarily and should go off as soon as you stop turning the key.
Hope this helps,
Grant

 

[jtybt]

Re: Keep Burning Up Starters

The hi-amp electrical connection in a starter is made by the same electromagnet that extends the bendix gear. That high amp connection sometimes welds itself which also keeps the bendix gear in the extended position and the starter electrically engaged.

It would be unusual for that to happen here unless it'e the bendix gear being wedged in the flywheel thereby keeping the electromagnets high amp contact, in contact.

These possibilities don't apply to all starters so knowing what you're dealing with is important.

 

[inyourwake]

Re: Keep Burning Up Starters

The engine is a 3.0 Volvo Penta. The starter is hot not from me cranking on it it gets hot on its own.We have had the boat out 4x this year and have had to be towed 4x this year, it is getting embarassing lol.

 

[Powelling]

Re: Keep Burning Up Starters

When putting grease on electrical connections be sure to use a electrolyte grease.
Regular grease will work for a time, but will build up a film that acts like a insulator.

 

[ramster]

Re: Keep Burning Up Starters

If the starter gear stays engaged after the engine starts, it will become a generator and create a lot of extra voltage and get very hot, especially when running at high rpm. Make sure that the gear is releasing from the flywheel after the engine starts, if not, it likely needs to be shimmed down a bit.