Problem starting 1995 90HP Evinrude Outboard

[fourtwenty]

So for the last few months our 1995 90HP Evinrude has been giving us intermittent trouble starting. It's like the starter won't engage. At first I thought maybe the flywheel was missing some teeth and so when it would happen to line up with the starter it wouldn't spin, but after reading a bit it seems more like the starter gear isn't moving up to engage the flywheel.

I took the cover off hoping to get a look at the flywheel but after removing the first cover (3 screws) nothing is exposed and it looks like I have to take the second cover off that is held on by 10+ bolts. Any suggestions?

TIA for your help!

 

[boobie]

Re: Problem starting 1995 90HP Evinrude Outboard

Before you go through that work, have your battery load tested, check the battery cable connections on both the battery and the mtr for being good, clean and tight.

 

[fourtwenty]

Re: Problem starting 1995 90HP Evinrude Outboard

Before you go through that work, have your battery load tested, check the battery cable connections on both the battery and the mtr for being good, clean and tight.

The battery is brand new so that should not be an issue. I'll check the connections to make sure they are good and tight. I guess I should check the resistance of the cables too while I'm at it, and the voltage to the starter through the solenoid.

Do you know, is there a gasket or anything under that 2nd cover? If I remember, it looked like I might have to disconnect some other stuff that may have to do with the timing or something. I know there were a few things there which made decide not to take off those 10+ bolts without making sure I couldn't screw something else up.

 

[bob johnson]

Re: Problem starting 1995 90HP Evinrude Outboard

dont take any of those covers off.....if you dont know what you are doing you can mess things up pretty good... you probably have an ocean runner or ocean pro, if you cant see the flywheel..

if need be you can drop the lower cowlings...( a medium job) and take the starter out...three bolts hold it in...

the starter doesnt have the bendix that jumps out.... it just has a gear on the ned of the shaft...the gear that jumps and engages the flywheel is mounted seperate in that boss the starter inserts into....it is a set of gears and a spring....

if you pull the starter out and it spins fine... and all your electrical battery and starter connections and good and clean....

THEN you might have to start pulling those covers....but you will need the factory manual for sure....

and even then....you migth have issues...i just went throuigh my 1997 manual and NO WHERE does it describe serviceing those parts.

it shows the parts in several pictures describing the flywheel and the starter....but it says nothing about removing or servicing those gears and bendix assembly that sit between the starter and the flywheel and are mounted on the block.

although it seems straightfoward...

i just went through the prioceedure for removing the flywheel.....not a novice job on this motor....

good luck


hopefully it is just the starter and or electrical connections

 

[fourtwenty]

Re: Problem starting 1995 90HP Evinrude Outboard

dont take any of those covers off.....if you dont know what you are doing you can mess things up pretty good... you probably have an ocean runner or ocean pro, if you cant see the flywheel..

if need be you can drop the lower cowlings...( a medium job) and take the starter out...three bolts hold it in...

the starter doesnt have the bendix that jumps out.... it just has a gear on the ned of the shaft...the gear that jumps and engages the flywheel is mounted seperate in that boss the starter inserts into....it is a set of gears and a spring....

if you pull the starter out and it spins fine... and all your electrical battery and starter connections and good and clean....

THEN you might have to start pulling those covers....but you will need the factory manual for sure....

and even then....you migth have issues...i just went throuigh my 1997 manual and NO WHERE does it describe serviceing those parts.

it shows the parts in several pictures describing the flywheel and the starter....but it says nothing about removing or servicing those gears and bendix assembly that sit between the starter and the flywheel and are mounted on the block.

although it seems straightfoward...

i just went through the prioceedure for removing the flywheel.....not a novice job on this motor....

good luck


hopefully it is just the starter and or electrical connections

Thanks for the tips. I am pretty mechanically inclined when it comes to automotive stuff but haven't done much beyond plugs and oil changes to outboards. I do have the service manual but it's at the cottage and I can't remember the exact model # off the top of my head. I was just hoping to get a head start on things and get ideas for eliminating simple problems before I take it to a shop and get hosed on labour rates and "dealer prices" for parts.

 

[bob johnson]

Re: Problem starting 1995 90HP Evinrude Outboard

I think I have had the same issue as you are having on my ocean runner... usually only in ther winter , when my battery is weaker... and it takes more juice to crank the motor fast enough to make spark...I think what is happening....and some other have explained in other threads, and I concur...is that the starter tries to turn the flywheel and the motor almost starts and when the starter feels this it retracks quickly out of the way.. and spins( whines) but there motor wasnt turning fast enough to actually start....so this happens over and over, and maybe once in a while the flywheel was going fast enough, and the motor fires over....

if you prime correctly....the motor might just fire on that first good chance....

id check all elecrrical connections...clean and solid....charge that battery real good....prime the motor correctly..and then try to start.

good luck

 

[fourtwenty]

Re: Problem starting 1995 90HP Evinrude Outboard

I think I have had the same issue as you are having on my ocean runner... usually only in ther winter , when my battery is weaker... and it takes more juice to crank the motor fast enough to make spark...I think what is happening....and some other have explained in other threads, and I concur...is that the starter tries to turn the flywheel and the motor almost starts and when the starter feels this it retracks quickly out of the way.. and spins( whines) but there motor wasnt turning fast enough to actually start....so this happens over and over, and maybe once in a while the flywheel was going fast enough, and the motor fires over....

if you prime correctly....the motor might just fire on that first good chance....

id check all elecrrical connections...clean and solid....charge that battery real good....prime the motor correctly..and then try to start.

good luck

When it's acting up the engine doesn't turn over at all. The starter never engages the flywheel and the crankshaft doesn't move. All you hear is a spinning noise typical of a small electric motor (I'm sure it's the starter unless there is another little electric motor in there that I don't know about?). I managed to get someone to look at it and the model # is E90ELEDC.

 

[fourtwenty]

Re: Problem starting 1995 90HP Evinrude Outboard

When it's acting up the engine doesn't turn over at all. The starter never engages the flywheel and the crankshaft doesn't move. All you hear is a spinning noise typical of a small electric motor (I'm sure it's the starter unless there is another little electric motor in there that I don't know about?). I managed to get someone to look at it and the model # is E90ELEDC.

The D in there may be a 0. It's more like a square than a D or 0.

 

[bob johnson]

Re: Problem starting 1995 90HP Evinrude Outboard

The D in there may be a 0. It's more like a square than a D or 0.

a 1995 the model # would be E90ELEOC ..( O not a zero!)

a 1996 the model would be E90ELEDR

if the starter uis spinnig but the crank isnt turning....you might have broken that gear assembly that holds the bendix...( not part pf the starter!!!) the starter on your motor does not have a bendix that jumps out and turns like normal.....it is just a starter and a gear.

hard to say what is broke if the starter is in fact spinning
maybe th reatiner came off and the gear on the starer slid up above the larger idler gear it engages

bob

 

[fourtwenty]

Re: Problem starting 1995 90HP Evinrude Outboard

a 1995 the model # would be E90ELEOC ..( O not a zero!)

a 1996 the model would be E90ELEDR

if the starter uis spinnig but the crank isnt turning....you might have broken that gear assembly that holds the bendix...( not part pf the starter!!!) the starter on your motor does not have a bendix that jumps out and turns like normal.....it is just a starter and a gear.

hard to say what is broke if the starter is in fact spinning
maybe th reatiner came off and the gear on the starer slid up above the larger idler gear it engages

bob

The thing is that sometimes it does start it up. It's very random as to when it won't work. I read somewhere else about lubricating the shaft but since the bendix isn't part of the starter, would that apply here?

 

[whisky]

Re: Problem starting 1995 90HP Evinrude Outboard

Have the same issue on my 115 hp 96 evinrude, e115sledr, looks like the same bendix/starter assembly. Paid a mechanic one month pay to replace the part with the gear and spring, helped a bit, but still occationally it won't engage the flywheel. Let me know if you figure out your issue, I will do the same