[nenegoose]

I have a 1996 Sea Rayder Jetboat with a Mercury 120XR. It barely turns over, the starter overheats, and it looks like some sort of fluid, possibly water, is dripping out of the lower carb. I pulled all the plugs and the engine turns over better but still not as freely as it should. Apparently I've got a blown gasket, crack or something that's allowing water into one or more cylinders. The bottom one seems the worse as I can still crank the engine with the other three plugs installed. Any ideas? Please help!

[JB]

Ahoy, nenegoose.

Welcome to iboats.

Your most likely problem is in the wiring for the starter circuit, nene.

Take all big wires from the battery to the engine block and the solenoid off. Clean the connections thoroughly and check them for internal corrosion. . . a bulge in the insulation or a weak spot.

I am assuming that you have made sure that the battery is fully charged.

Let us know what result you get.

[nenegoose]

I was thinking more of an engine mechanical problem because the starter is drawing over 400 amps, whcih seems way high for a 4 cyl. so it's not like the current isn't getting through. Also had previoulsy cleaned all connections, tried a different battery, and even replaced the starter. None of this makes any difference. The engine itself just seems tight.