Boat wont start

[1983tempest]

Hello, I bought a boat a few weeks ago. I have had it on the water 3 times and it's been amazing. My dad went to change the oil on the motor and he didn't put it in neutral, just cranked it over and over again. I came home from work, put it in neutral and got it to start 3 times on land. I went to put it in the water and just cranked and cranked again. We came home and tried to figure out the problem. I then decided to hook up a battery charger to the one battery and it started right away. My papa owns a battery shop so he lent us to 2 battery's, I got done work today and it just cranks over and over. I don't think it's the starter because it fired up 4 times on Saturday until we went to put it in the water. Hope someone can help, thanks !

 

[Scott Danforth]

And what are we working on? None of us are Carnac the Magnificent

 

[Watermann]

Welcome aboard tempest :wave:

The starter shouldn't engage without the throttle lever being in neutral if it does then it's got a problem with the neutral safety switch. When it doesn't start and just turns over try checking the kill lanyard switch it could have a bad connection going on inside the switch.

 

[s.hadley81]

As Scott said engine make and model is the only way you will get help and hopefully your putting water to it when your trying to start it on land or you will need an impeller

 

[1983tempest]

Hello, the boat is a 1983 tempest, it's got a 3.8 liter omg gmc motor I/o. The boat doesn't have a lanyard kill switch, and the started never engaged when he was cranking it. Yes we had water hooked up every time

 

[1983tempest]

Omc* 

 

[Newbie@boats]

Like stated if the boat cranks while the gear selector is in gear then I would start there

 

[southkogs]

Check and make sure the shift cable is adjusted correctly - I'm not sure how to do it on that model.

Take the stern drive off - be careful of your shift cable - and then see if the motor will start. I'm wondering if you caught the gears in the stern drive. You've got a mechanical shift Stringer (800), and I wouldn't think it would crank with the remote in gear but if it did I'd be more suspect of the sterndrive than the engine.

 

[southkogs]

1983tempest I moved your topic over to the OMC forum. Let's see if we can't get some more traction that way.

 

[1983tempest]

Thank you everyone, I just got done working on it for the night, we connected the batteries and nothing happened, after that my dad gave the starter a little tap with a rubber mallet and it started up 5 times. So I guess after all it is the starter. Any suggestions ? Just replace it or ?

 

[Watermann]

Yeah replace it, be sure it's a good quality marine starter J1171 certified.

 

[southkogs]

You can look at having it rebuilt ... I've got a shop near home that does fantastic work on electric motors like that.

 

[Silvertip]

Again, the term "cranked" is apparently being used incorrectly which tends to send people off in the wrong direction. Cranking means the starter is spinning the engine. Running means the engine is actually running. Turning the key and the starter does not spin is not "cranking". When you struck the starter and it began to spin, then and only then can the term "cranking" be meaningful. Otherwise you are just turning the key to START.

 

[Watermann]

The title of the post kind of clues a guy in on the OPs mechanical knowledge. Just glad that his dad is imparting some of his knowledge and hopefully gets him back on the water.

 

[1983tempest]

Thank you everyone. We had it rebuilt and it's all set. Would anyone happen to know what oil to put in the engine ?

 

[Watermann]

Thank you everyone. We had it rebuilt and it's all set. Would anyone happen to know what oil to put in the engine ?

Oh boy now that's a real can of worms... I suggest using what Mercury recommends, their Quicksilver 25-40 even though it's an OMG. "lol"

 

[MRS]

Not sure what year it is but mine 86 I run 30wt.

 

[MRS]

Not sure what year it is but mine 86 I run 30wt.

 

[1983tempest]

Thank you, and yes my phones auto correct is dumb sometimes haha

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

straight 30 wt oil, or 20W50, or 25W40. Canadian Tire has all those grades if you're in Canada. (I assume so with a Tempest)