The other day the starter on my 1982 25HP Johnson outboard ( Model # J25TELCNB) simply became week! I got it started, but after it stalled, it wouldn't start again. At times the "drive pinion" won't rise, but when it does it is having trouble turning the crank. I have a strong battery, so could it be the starter going bad? If so, could I just replace the "brushes?" Those starters cost as much as I paid for the motor, so I would like to see if it can be repaired/rebuilt first. Any helpful ideas?
First clean all battery connections both on battery and engine side. Remove grounding screw from engine and clean off all corrosion if any.
Check voltage into the solenoid and after the solenoid when cranking.
i just had these same issues, rebuilt starter, cleaned connections, charged battery, now it works like a champ, only cost 50 bucks to redo the starter. good luck