Mercruiser 4.3 L with Alpha One - Noisy Starter Problems

[Trooper583]

Hello all, I am sure one of you guys are going to have a definitive answer for me on this one. I have a 03 Rinker 212 OB with the Mercruiser 4.3L / alpha one drive. I have had the boat probably 5 years now. I have had some starter noise issues for about three of those years. I am finally getting around to posting on here for some help. After taking the boat out of winter storage in 2011, the starter was frozen up so I replaced. It started fine for the two years but was also very noisy compared to other boats. When I say noisy what I mean is a grinding noise. The grinding noise is always moderately present while the engine is turning over. To be honest I've tinkered and worked on cars and trucks all of my life and I've never heard an engine make this noise while starting. The past summer, we were out on the boat and had some issues. This boat had never left me sitting on account of starter issues and it nearly did. When I went to turn it over to leave the bay, it had a made a very loud grinding sound and it seemed like it wasnt even attempting to engage anything and turn the engine over. it almost sounds like trying to start a car thats already running. Thinking it might be a flywheel issue, I manually rotated the crank and half turn and it started with more grinding that usual. About two weeks later, when leaving a marina, the same thing happened except it wouldn't start at all and i had to be towed. I went home, pulled the starter and found no wear on the starter gear and what appeared to be no wear on the fly wheel. The only thing i found was that the solenoid on the starter appeared to be slightly loose. I put another starter on that was identical to the first one i put on (Wilson) and it started just fine with nearly no noise at all and quiet! However I noticed that as the summer wound down, it started to steadily make more and more noise. When i started it to winterize, it gave off a big grind before it turned over.

sorry for the book guys!!! Any ideas? flywheel? starter? Obviously, I got time to figure this one out being as its 20 degrees here today!

thanks in advance

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mercruiser 4.3 L with Alpha One - Noisy Starter Problems

Hello all, I am sure one of you guys are going to have a definitive answer for me on this one. I have a 03 Rinker 212 OB with the Mercruiser 4.3L / alpha one drive. I have had the boat probably 5 years now. I have had some starter noise issues for about three of those years. I am finally getting around to posting on here for some help. After taking the boat out of winter storage in 2011, the starter was frozen up so I replaced. It started fine for the two years but was also very noisy compared to other boats. When I say noisy what I mean is a grinding noise. The grinding noise is always moderately present while the engine is turning over. To be honest I've tinkered and worked on cars and trucks all of my life and I've never heard an engine make this noise while starting. The past summer, we were out on the boat and had some issues. This boat had never left me sitting on account of starter issues and it nearly did. When I went to turn it over to leave the bay, it had a made a very loud grinding sound and it seemed like it wasnt even attempting to engage anything and turn the engine over. it almost sounds like trying to start a car thats already running. Thinking it might be a flywheel issue, I manually rotated the crank and half turn and it started with more grinding that usual. About two weeks later, when leaving a marina, the same thing happened except it wouldn't start at all and i had to be towed. I went home, pulled the starter and found no wear on the starter gear and what appeared to be no wear on the fly wheel. The only thing i found was that the solenoid on the starter appeared to be slightly loose. I put another starter on that was identical to the first one i put on (Wilson) and it started just fine with nearly no noise at all and quiet! However I noticed that as the summer wound down, it started to steadily make more and more noise. When i started it to winterize, it gave off a big grind before it turned over.

sorry for the book guys!!! Any ideas? flywheel? starter? Obviously, I got time to figure this one out being as its 20 degrees here today!

thanks in advance

Ayuh,.... Seein's ya already had an issue with Loose fasteners,...

I'd look in that direction,....

Any loose bolts means things can't move in the amounts needed, because of the slop,...

 

[Capt Ken]

Re: Mercruiser 4.3 L with Alpha One - Noisy Starter Problems

Your ring gear is worn and is taking out the starter gear. Time to pull the engine and replace the ring gear and starter.

 

[Trooper583]

Re: Mercruiser 4.3 L with Alpha One - Noisy Starter Problems

thanks for the reply Ken, I had read that suggestion somewhere else but I wanted to see what popped up on here. From what I understand, that is problem with these engine correct?

 

[Volphin]

Re: Mercruiser 4.3 L with Alpha One - Noisy Starter Problems

I've had a 4.3L for decades and never run into this. If this is starter number 2, then its time to check out that ring gear. You may be able to inspect it by removing the manifold and starter, then have a buddy slowly rotate the engine clockwise with the crank bolt. Look for the wear pattern and or missing teeth.

 

[alldodge]

Re: Mercruiser 4.3 L with Alpha One - Noisy Starter Problems

With each starter you removed there was no mention of ring gear or starter teeth being damaged. You went further to say that all the teeth looked fine. Only issue that could contribute was the loose fastners as Bondo also noted. If the fastners are loose I would agree to start there. Next, are there any shims being used between the starter and engine housing?

 

[Volphin]

Re: Mercruiser 4.3 L with Alpha One - Noisy Starter Problems

Forgot to post this tidbit, and thought it may help someone in the future...
If you ever find that your starter is locked up out on the lake, give it a few light taps with a hammer or heavy wrench.
Oftentimes the solenoid & gear just get in a bit of a bind, and this frees them up internally.

 

[Walt T]

Re: Mercruiser 4.3 L with Alpha One - Noisy Starter Problems

Reminds me of a story, Once I was out on Lake Powell late fall up near Hite Marina. Hardly any boats out at all. I saw a few people on a small rental boat with an outboard waving us down. The outboard, a big ol Merc, wouldn't start. Just clicked. No rope to pull start, not that we would have been able to anyway. I towed them a short distance to the rental dock where they got another boat. Then the mechanic comes out with a hammer and whacks the starter and it started right up after that. He says "Yeah it's been doing that all summer"
I asked him why he didn't fix it, he says "Eh it's fine for awhile now"

 

[Gator1996]

Re: Mercruiser 4.3 L with Alpha One - Noisy Starter Problems

I had a similar situation with a replacement starter. In fact, all the same symptoms.

I forget the details as to why now but I had not replaced the mounting bolts with ones specific to the starter application and they were not the exact length, close, but not exact.

In any case a millimeter makes all the difference. Make 100% sure, beyond a doubt that your bolts are the correct ones.