[Cox]

I put my boat in the water for the first time this year yesterday. Motor fired up great, no problem. Used the electric motor most of the day but the three or so times that I used the O/B, it was great. Towards the end of the day, I hit the starter to fire it up one last time and I got a weird clack-clack-clack noise...and no start.

After reading some other posts here this morning, I thought maybe my battery connections weren't the best and decided to give it another try on the driveway. Same thing. I took off the cover and gave it one more try. That's when I noticed a broken-off bolt bouncing around the inside

Turns out, it's the bolt that holds the part in place (this is where I need some help, I'll try to describe best I can) that pops up and engages the fly wheel when the starter is placed. So basically, this cylindrical-looking piece isn't standing in its upright position fully so that when the part pops up that's supposed to engage the flywheel, it just spins and doesn't make contact with anything. Fair enough, seemed like a problem that wasn't the end of the world, until I realized that the other end of the severed bolt was still firmly in place and I have no way of getting it out and thus no way of putting a new bolt in there.

Any suggestions

[Cox]

So I just read another post and I'm assuming it's the starter shaft that I'm having issues with?

[jhebert]

From your narrative it sounds like the electrical starter motor ("cylindrical-looking piece") has broken off, and the remains of a steel threaded fastener used to retain it are still threaded into the boss or threaded hole on the aluminum engine block.

It may be difficult to remove the remains of the steel fastener from the aluminum engine block, as there may be some corrosion due to the dissimilar metals. Based on your narrative I get a sense that you are not particularly inclined as a mechanic, so I suggest you hire one to remove the broken fastener and restore the starter motor. This ought to be able to be accomplished with only an hour of labor cost, unless there are complications.

[Rick.]

http://shop2.evinrude.com/ext/index....cfd8a6471c0f7f

Have a look here and you can tell us the exact part name and number. Best of luck. Rick.

[Mas]

You've got to drill out the broken end...but as mentioned, it's a little difficult to drill stainless steel surrounded by aluminum. The drill bit will tend to "walk" around and easily damage the surrounding aluminum. If you try it yourself, expect some cussing and possibly a worse situation.

Shoot some PB blaster in there before you start and let sit a couple of days with daily applications. Use smaller drill bits and work your way up. You may also want to buy "left hand" bits to aid in removal.

You must get a "pilot hole" drilled in the exact center. Use a punch to create a dimple for the drill bit to seek. Be careful not to break the bit once it gets started.

Any chance of removing the part that the broken bolt is in so it can be mounted in a drill press?

MAS

[Cox]

Great link Rick, thanks! It's definitely the Electric Starter that jhebert mentioned above. I don't see the actual bolt that broke off in the diagram but it seems exactly the way jhebert describes.

Again, thanks for that link. I'll definitely use it again in the future!

[Cox]

Mas, I don't know...it seems like there would be an awful lot of disassembly required to be able to mount it in a drill press. The way you're explaining the process of drilling it out is kind of what I had in mind. The problems that I foresee are A.) the "walking" around of the bit, B.) not knowing how deep to go, and C.) how to ensure that I'll be able to put a new bolt back in there and have a secure fit.