[sloopy]

Welcome to Iboats Dynalap, could you please supply us your year and horsepower of the engine?

Happy Fourth

[Dynalap]

Originally Posted by dynalap

Starter engages fine and turns engine over but even the smallest sputter throws the pinion down off the flywheel.Then you have to wait for the starter moter to stop spinning and try again The pinion wont stay engaged while the engine sputters to life.

I don't know the year but it is an 85 HP.

[ezeke]

If you haven't cleaned the shaft on the starter, get some WD40 and clean it really well. Move the pinion up and down until it moves very freely, then try it again.

[Silvertip]

The battery must be in good condition and fully charged as well. The fact that it moves the bendix into engagement does not prove its good. A good battery provides the starting power to hold the bendix in engagement and resist any tendency for the engine start a tad prematurely. In other words the starter must spin fast enough to make sure it "drives" the engine until it can no longer keep up with engine rotation. If that happens too soon, the bendix is forced down by engine rotation which is not quite fast enough to keep running.

[tashasdaddy]

look on the transom mount and get model number.

[Solittle]

Bad cables or bad/corroded connections will do the same thing.