No start..

[Renny_D]

Just bought a new (to me) 86 bayliner capri cuddy with an 85 hp force outboard. Ran great on the test ride. Had one slow cranking issue back near the dock. Got it home and was getting the slow cranking again. Charged up the battery but it was still doing it. The cranking got slower only a couple of inches of rotation before stopping. Now it will not crank at all. The battery is fully charged and I even went as far as to put the charger into start mode - puts out an additional 125 amps for starting - and still nothing now. The starter will not even turn. I can hear the solenoid click and I can even bridge the solinoid and still no start not even a movement. I took another fully charged battery and jumper cables and tried going directly to the starter but still nothing. I'm guessing that this is a dead starter. Engine turns just fine - even attempted to pull start it using a rope with a knot. Could this be anything but a dead starter. I don't want to pull the starter out and pay the 200+ if it could be anything else.

Thanks
Renny

 

[john from md]

Re: No start..

It sounds like your starter is cooked. There are quite a few on ebay for less than $200.

That slow turning usually means that the windings have been shorted out and you are not getting the torque you need. Once it passes a certain point, it stops turning.

I would watch flashing jumper leads next to three carburetors. I saw a guy do that once and it started a fire on his engine. Burned away all of his wiring insullation in about 15 minutes.

Regards,

John

Just bought a new (to me) 86 bayliner capri cuddy with an 85 hp force outboard. Ran great on the test ride. Had one slow cranking issue back near the dock. Got it home and was getting the slow cranking again. Charged up the battery but it was still doing it. The cranking got slower only a couple of inches of rotation before stopping. Now it will not crank at all. The battery is fully charged and I even went as far as to put the charger into start mode - puts out an additional 125 amps for starting - and still nothing now. The starter will not even turn. I can hear the solenoid click and I can even bridge the solinoid and still no start not even a movement. I took another fully charged battery and jumper cables and tried going directly to the starter but still nothing. I'm guessing that this is a dead starter. Engine turns just fine - even attempted to pull start it using a rope with a knot. Could this be anything but a dead starter. I don't want to pull the starter out and pay the 200+ if it could be anything else.

Thanks
Renny

 

[JB]

Re: No start..

Probably connections in the battery cables. Go to Engine FAQs and do "Outboard won't start".

Let us know what you find.

 

[chitownborn]

Re: No start..

had the exact problem with my 1987, 85 hp the brushes in the starter were toast, bought a rebuild kit for about twenty bucks on ebay, cleaned out all the dust and stuff in the bottom cap put the new brushes in and now it works like its brand new, its not hard to do, takes about 45 mins good luck don

 

[Renny_D]

Re: No start..

Probably connections in the battery cables. Go to Engine FAQs and do "Outboard won't start".

Let us know what you find.

Definately not the connections. That was my first thought after the battery charge but I'm getting good voltage to the starter.

had the exact problem with my 1987, 85 hp the brushes in the starter were toast, bought a rebuild kit for about twenty bucks on ebay, cleaned out all the dust and stuff in the bottom cap put the new brushes in and now it works like its brand new, its not hard to do, takes about 45 mins good luck don

Wow, that sounds alot better than 200 bucks. If I pulled the starter off and pulled off that lower cap. What would I see that would say that it was brushes versus a dead starter?

It sounds like your starter is cooked. There are quite a few on ebay for less than $200.

That slow turning usually means that the windings have been shorted out and you are not getting the torque you need. Once it passes a certain point, it stops turning.

I would watch flashing jumper leads next to three carburetors. I saw a guy do that once and it started a fire on his engine. Burned away all of his wiring insullation in about 15 minutes.

Regards,

John

Thanks I had my fire extinquisher handy but thats a good point - been playing with fuel injection so long now that I forget that additional danger that carbs present.

I hope it is brushes versus the starter.

Thanks
Renny

 

[chitownborn]

Re: No start..

the brushes are about a half inch thick, mine were worn down to under a quarter inch and the insulator on the positive brushes was really hard and brittle from heat trying to crank starter with definetly worn brushes, in the bottom cap you should find it full of souty type residue, as a matter of fact, the insulator on the pos brushes was all deteariated and causing a short in the bottom cap