starter motor not engaging

I

inlgmouth

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 16, 2007
Messages
37
I have an 86 Merc xr2 150hp. The starter motor is not engaging the teeth with the teeth on the flywheel to crank motor. The teeth on the starter motor just spins. The starter motor was replaced last year. Could it be a low battery. I'm going to try a different battery. What else may be the problem. Thanks for any help.
 
Faztbullet

Faztbullet

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 2, 2008
Messages
15,616
Re: starter motor not engaging

Acme threads are dry. roll bendix up into flywheel and dab a little oil on threads. :)
 
Silvertip

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,762
Re: starter motor not engaging

Oiling the spiral grooves in the starter shaft only allows dirt and debris to gather making the situation worse. Use a spritz of carb cleaner to clean those grooves and then just light hit with a spray silicone lub will do. But also know that you need a fully charged battery to allow the starter to spin fast enough to force the bendix up the shaft. If you have a battery with a weak or dead cell, or the battery is simply discharged, that will prevent proper starter operation. If you don't have a voltmeter on the console, use a handheld voltmeter to check the charging system to make sure its working.
 
I

inlgmouth

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 16, 2007
Messages
37
Re: starter motor not engaging

Thanks for the response. I used a different battery and it started first crank and no problems since. 1st battery is new and supposedly fully charged. Should have tried that before posting. Have another problem now. New thread.
 
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