Starter won't engage flywheel

[96sla50]

Old starter occasionally started just spinning when turned on, and would not engage the flywheel to start the motor. Eventually got to where it would just spin. Solenoid clicks when turned to start, just once, but still would not extend the shaft to engage the flywheel. Thinking it was the starter,put a new one on. First time it cranked the motor right up. Second time, it cranked it up. Third time, just spins like the old one. Got to engage the flywheel a couple of times, but now all it does is spin.
Charged the battery, and no change. Lubed the shaft. No change. Jumped the poles on the solenoid, still just spins. Cleaned all the connections, no change. Checked voltage to solenoid from battery and it is good. Voltage at starter with switch turned to start is 16.
I am thinking starter is bad. Any other ideas?

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

Try another meter. No way you have 16 volts from a battery.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

I responded to a similar question above. Read it and save the typing.

 

[96sla50]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

Typo. 10.6 not 16. I'll try what you said in the other post.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

Start off by cleaning ever connection point no matter how good it looks. Then see what it dose.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

Typo. 10.6 not 16.

Meter between the battery posts. Not to any of the wires, right to the posts. 10.6 is considered dead.

 

[96sla50]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

Checked between the posts, and it showed 10.6. Put it on the charger until it showed it fully charged. Checked it and it only showed 11.2 on the meter. Going to hook up a known good battery and see if that's the problem. Battery is only 5 months old, and barely used and kept charged on a regular basis, so I didn't think that would be the problem.

 

[schematic]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

Checked between the posts, and it showed 10.6. Put it on the charger until it showed it fully charged. Checked it and it only showed 11.2 on the meter. Going to hook up a known good battery and see if that's the problem. Battery is only 5 months old, and barely used and kept charged on a regular basis, so I didn't think that would be the problem.

Should be 12.8 - 13.0 when fully charged. You might also want to check your charging system once you replace your battery....

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

A fully charged battery will show 12.6 to 12.7 volts.

 

[schematic]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

A fully charged battery will show 12.6 to 12.7 volts.

All depends on the climate you are in. In Canada 12.8 is the norm with up to 13 with Interstate Batteries. The colder the climate, the higher the acid content....

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

Either your battery or charger are not working. No matter where you are, the battery is not showing fully charged.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

Take the "fully charged" battery to WW and have them load test it at 200 amperes. If not holding 11v in that test get another.

Mark

 

[96sla50]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

Take the "fully charged" battery to WW and have them load test it at 200 amperes. If not holding 11v in that test get another.

Mark

Took the battery and had it tested. It was shot. Got a new one. Same result. Had starter tested at a starter shop and they said it works fine. Still just spins when on the motor. Voltmeter shows 12+v at solenoid and at the starter. Used jumper cables from battery to terminal on starter and still just spins. Cleaned all the connections again and same result. What am I missing?

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

Sounds like something hooked up backwards. Thats the only other thing and the starter is spinning the wrong direction

 

[James R]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

Jumper cables generally do not pass enough current to spin a starter motor fast enough to engage. Try wiring the starter motor positive direct to the battery using the battery cable. Use the negative cable at the battery to switch the starter. If this doesn't work you have a bad starter.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

All depends on the climate you are in. In Canada 12.8 is the norm with up to 13 with Interstate Batteries. The colder the climate, the higher the acid content....

12.78 is the number I look for here in N. TX.

Mark

 

[James R]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

A fully charge new battery will produce 13.2 volts. This is the technical standard for lead acid batteries.

 

[96sla50]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

Well, good news is the engine starts. Don't know exactly what fixed it but it starts. Before it started, I tried hooking the battery cable to the starter( the new replacement one) like you said, and when I hooked the neg cable up, it still just spun but did not engage the flywheel. Put the old starter back on, that was checked by the starter shop, and it started right up several times. Guess the dead battery was the problem, but don't understand why the second starter would not crank it unless it was bad too.

 

[James R]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

I don't recall any mention of the negative motor terminal having a ground wire to the starter motor frame. This is common on Mercury's. If there is no ground wire link then fit one.

 

[96sla50]

Re: Starter won't engage flywheel

There is a ground from the starter casing to one of the bolts.