I have 20HP Merc been told it's a '79 but when I look at sites advertised on here to figure out the year it looks to me like it may be '80 or '81 but haven't been able to find anything matching my serial number. The problem is when the boat's running fast there's a ticking noise. I was told that the starter gear is hitting the flywheel gear. I always thought there was a little spring on top of the starting gear but mechanic told me there was never a spring on this year motor. Is this something that needs to be addressed? Any info would be appreciated.
