My first experience with hydrolock

[BugsyK]

Thank you. I'll take a look at the wiring diagrams. I disconnected the coil so there wouldn't be any spark since I'm not trying to start it now and wanted to minimize the possibility of fire.

 

[BugsyK]

Alright, cleaned the battery terminals and cables. Also, realized the oil can pump I was using was only working intermittently so I bought a new one and lubricated the cylinder walls again. Success! It's spinning strong with the plugs out. About the purple wire with the yellow stripe. The old starter only had a terminal to the hot wire, the ground and the yellow/red wire attached to the small terminal. So, are you saying the purple wire should be attached to the same small terminal the yellow/red wire is attached to as shown in the photo in post #38. I have a pic of the starters side by side but I'm having trouble uploading. I'll try in a separate post.

 

[alldodge]

This is how the wires should be connected, and note normally the orange wire is connected to the 90 amp fuse instead of the starter terminal to protect it

 

[BugsyK]

No Title

 

[alldodge]

Those appear to be for mechanical fuel pumps

What is the part number of the starter?

 

[BugsyK]

Number on the box is 50 863007A1. My engine serial number and other information can be seen in post #39. Engine Serial Number OM628618.

 

[alldodge]

The starter is the correct part number but the pic is so small I am unable to make out if it has the 2 small terminals

 

[BugsyK]

No Title

Sorry about that. I had to reduce the pic size to post. Does this photo help? By the way, I drew a sketch of the starter wiring before I removed it and I didn't have the purple wire in the sketch. From my memory and what I sketched it wasn't attached or it was attached to the same terminal as the yellow/red wire and I simply didn't see it. On the old starter the ground is on top, the hot wire is on the bottom and small terminal in the center. On the new one the ground is on the bottom, the hot wire in the center and the small terminal on top.

 

[Fun Times]

That old starter looks like it was aftermarket and the new? black starter on the left looks more OEM from Mercruiser.

Still a little hard to tell but the old starter looks like it has two small terminals "side by side" while the black starter terminals are more spread out between the main big stud.

If the black starter is installed then the yellow wire needs to go closes to the engine block and the purple wire more towards the outside/starboard side of the boat when facing the bow of the boat...You may have to reorganize your main battery cable to get a little more room to install the purple wire.

 

[BugsyK]

Yes, the old starter is aftermarket and the new one is a Mercruiser part. I apologize for the photo I had to reduce the size to upload. Both starters only have a total of 3 terminals they are just in different places. On the new Mercruiser starter the black wire that comes out of the starter housing is attached to the bottom terminal from the factory. The middle wire is the hot wire and the top wire is the small terminal I connected the yellow/red wire to. If it looks like there is a 4th terminal on the top right that is just the nut/bolt holding the starter housing together. I guess my question now is what's the worst thing that can happen if I don't connect the purple/yellow wire and crank it? No fuel so it won't start?

 

[BugsyK]

I reckon the purple wire is not needed on my boat. I just dropped it in the water and it fired right up and I let run for about 15 seconds. So far it sounds fine. It was suggested I run the boat a few times out of the water with no muffs for no more than 20 seconds at this point. I just want to verify that is correct, Couldn't that damage the impeller? Also, when I fog, I drop it in the water crank it up and shoot engine stor into the carb until it stalls?

 

[alldodge]

Never run the motor without water going to it for even 2 seconds.

 

[BugsyK]

Kinda what I thought. So keep it in the water, fire it up and fog until it stalls now?

 

[Fun Times]

The purple/yellow wire is designed to help turn on the fuel pump immediately during the engine cranking cycle in order to help reduce the time it takes the fuel pump to get fuel to the carburetor. Technically speaking, If the fuel in the carburetor's float bowl becomes empty then the engine will be harder/take longer to start because the fuel pump will not be able to turn on until the oil pressure switch detects a minimum of 4 PSI before turning on the fuel pump via the purple ignition wire which ultimately takes over the 12v power circuit to run the pump.

 

[BugsyK]

Thanks Fun times, I appreciate you taking the time to post the wiring diagram and photo. As I said before and as shown in the photo there are only 3 terminals on the starter. The only place to install the purple wire is on the same terminal as the yellow/red wire. Can anyone confirm that would be correct? At any rate the boat fires up almost immediately.

 

[alldodge]

No, you cannot install the Pur/Yel where the Yel/Red is. Doing this will apply power to the starter solenoid once the oil pressure builds up. The starter for you boat would be one normally for one with a mechanical fuel pump. Even the solenoid I'm seeing for the starter shows 2 nuts of the small ones, yet only one terminal.

It should still start, just have to crank it long enough to get the oil pressure switch to close.

Ya know you can find the same starter and has the two terminals, very puzzling

http://www.amazon.com/Starter-Mercuiser-Scorpion-50-863007A1-3860566/dp/B001PHBBLE

 

[BugsyK]

Huh, that's interesting and a lot cheaper than the OEM Mercruiser starter. I'm 99% sure it wasn't connected when I removed the old starter as I drew a sketch of the wiring and it starts almost immediately.
After going thru this I figured it was time for me to start going over things and make a list of what that should be done. After researching on this site it appears the water may have gotten in through the exhaust manifold/riser. When I started it up I noticed the exhaust hoses got hot almost immediately. If there is sufficient water flow should these heat up that quickly? Should I start a new thread for that topic?