Mercury 1400 inline 6- starter won't engage (solenoid will tick)

[davidraneypt]

I have an early '70s Mercury 1400 inline six that won't start. The starter will turn if I hook jumper cables directly to it. If I try to start it with the key, the solenoid will "tick" but will not engage the starter. The battery has a good charge. What could the problem be?

 

[Laddies]

Re: Mercury 1400 inline 6- starter won't engage (solenoid will tick)

The solenoid is bad if it clicks but the starter don't work and the starter works with a jumper hook to it directly

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Mercury 1400 inline 6- starter won't engage (solenoid will tick)

Check the starter cables from battery to solenoid. They can get corrosion under the insulation, which causes high resistance.

Jumper the starter solenoid from the small yellow wire to the large red cable. The solenoid should close and the starter should spin. If it does, maybe the ign key is not providing enough current to operate the solenoid.