What would cause this??

[moparmatt]

Last night I put the cylinder head back on the boat for a head gasket change. I bumped the starter while setting valves and set one cylinder. All of the other valves are loose and there is no plugs in the motor. When i tried to bump it again i just get a click starter wont kick on. I tried jumping the starter soleniod but that didnt work either?? Man this is really frustrating. It is a 1988 sea sprite with a 3.0 liter merc.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: What would cause this??

Unless you adjusted them down so tight that the valve has hit the piston, one thing doesn't have anything to do with the other.

At the top of the page there is a sticky with a good step by step method for diagnosis the no start problem.

 

[Anchor Management 1]

Re: What would cause this??

If you loosen all of them does it turn over?

 

[Bondo]

Re: What would cause this??

Ayuh,.... Dead battery,..?? Bad Ground,..??

 

[Danny Mc]

Re: What would cause this??

If you have all the plugs out, put wrench on crank bolt and turn eng, bumping starter with no plugs eng will be hard to stop on cyl you want to adjust. BTW don't forget to remove wrench when through.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: What would cause this??

BTW don't forget to remove wrench when through.

Important safety tip.

Sounds like a voice of experience.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: What would cause this??

If you have all the plugs out, put wrench on crank bolt and turn eng, bumping starter with no plugs eng will be hard to stop on cyl you want to adjust. BTW don't forget to remove wrench when through.

I never did like bumping the starter for setting valves. Too much playing around, always got it exactly where I wanted it wrenching it by hand.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: What would cause this??

Ayuh,.... Dead battery,..?? Bad Ground,..??

2nd that.
When I was young and just learning about engines I goofed up an adjustable solid liftered cam engine and torqued all the rockers down as if they were positive stop...bent all 16 pushrods lol!, the starter didn't even flinch.

 

[moparmatt]

Re: What would cause this??

I checked all connections and they looked good. I changed the positive battery cable and ground cable just to be sure. Battery is fully charged.Come to find out it was the starter going out on me. If i tap it it will crank. if i bump it a couple times it wont crank. Then i tap it again and it cranks. I guess time to change it out also.