What do you make of this?

[FillupD]

Hi,
This motor, a 1977 85 HP Starflite is a great running motor, sometimes. I am going to replace a couple of cracked coils and I was looking at them today and just to see if everything was OK, I checked the spark but there was none.

I removed the black/yellow wire from power pack and it sparked once, and then nothing. That's just one spark at the beginning of the crank. I hooked the wire back up and the spark lit up the neighborhood.

This has happened before, now it runs OK. I bet after it sits for a day, it will be the same scenario.

I was thinking maybe something in the key switch but with the black/yellow unhooked it should take the key out of it, right? or is there something in the switch that could be bad.

This is just weird. Any ideas?

It looks like I may just unhook the wire, crank it, hook it back up and off I go.
(just kidding but it would probably work)

 

[jriegle04]

Re: What do you make of this?

i would start at the battery wiring and work my way to the motor and then to the key. or other way around. if battery connections are bad the whole system pays.

 

[FillupD]

Re: What do you make of this?

I did make sure the battery was OK and those connections are making good contact. Good Idea! I'll follow a little further.

It even ran through my mind about using a deep cycle for starting, this surely wouldn't be the culprit would it? I have a marine starting battery charging up right now just in case.

 

[jriegle04]

Re: What do you make of this?

that is all i use. marine for everything in the water.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: What do you make of this?

unplug the wiring harness big red plug, this takes the controller completely out of the picture. now jump the solenoid. from incoming postive post, to the small post with the yellow/red wire. this replaces the ignition switch. you will have to choke the motor to shut it down if it starts.

if you have no problems like that, then you have to trouble shoot the switch, harness and controls.