Boat Electrical issues

I purchased a 1964 Arkansas Traveler boat about a year ago as my initial test with boating. The engine is a 1960 Evinrude Starflite 2 75HP with magneto. I have replaced the starter, voltage regulator, points, magneto, ignition switch, solenoid, battery, plugs, and various other parts. The boat started earlier this year but I had to have the lower unit rebuilt. During that time I installed new lights, horn, radio, GPS, and a trolling motor. Now the boat will not start by turning the key I can only start the boat by pulling the pull start. It worked using the key but while on the lake when I turned the key there was a wire that overheated and started melting which led me to believe there was a wiring issue. When I try and jump start the engine by bypassing the solenoid and using jumper cables and a battery it turns over really slow and it sparks really bad and the jumper cables get hot and every place I touch the block it heats up and almost welds the jumper cable to the spot that I touch. This leads me to believe that there is an issue with a ground. I dont know why the boat runs fine by using the pull start but when I try and use the key or jump start the boat it will not work. Any suggestions?

Re: Boat Electrical issues

you are only suppose the touch the post on the starter that the red wire goes to. anywhere else on the block is a dead ground. is your battery fully charged. the key must be turned on when you try to start with the jumper cables. check all you connections, and cables. a little nick in the battery + - cables can cause this problem. they corride form the inside when there i s nick, and moisture.

Re: Boat Electrical issues

Try the jumper cables again like tashadaddy said except this time put a jumper cable from the neg side of the battery to bare metal on the motor first. It sounds like a bad ground.

Re: Boat Electrical issues

tashasdaddy said:

you are only suppose the touch the post on the starter that the red wire goes to. anywhere else on the block is a dead ground. is your battery fully charged. the key must be turned on when you try to start with the jumper cables. check all you connections, and cables. a little nick in the battery + - cables can cause this problem. they corride form the inside when there i s nick, and moisture.

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I touch the post and then I touch the block to ground it and it actually turns but it turns really slow. I have 2 brand new batteries fully charged and I still get the same result. I thought the starter may have been rebuilt incorrectly but I took the starter off and took it in to have it tested and it worked like a champ. I am going to remove all of the electrical components that I installed and start from scratch but I am really stuck as to why the boat runs when you pull the rope start but will not start by turning the key. Thanks for you input.