Hello and thanks for checking my post out. (sorry for the length) I am a newbie and I am in need of some help. Here is the background:
1994 OMC 3.0- Recently bought boat with existing starter problem (starter hanging and not disengaging and blowing ignition fuses). I then replaced the starter with an aftermarket brand marine starter and everthing worked fine. Before and after the starter replacement I had blown a few ignition fuses intermittently so I upgraded to a 20 amp from a 5 amp (sounded more reasaonable for an ignition fuse according to some people that I have talked to). Thought I had all my issues solved. Just spend 3 days on the lake and made it through all three days and only blew 1 ignition fuse (figured I either had a short somewhere or a bad ignition switch- no big deal). I did also occasionally have an issue with the new starter again not disengaging (kinda pointed back to ignition switch again). Feeling pretty good about my first trip out and having a good idea of how to track down the few things I still need to tinker on, I then proceeded to start the boat to go load it and the starter is now not engaging to the flywheel, a completely new issue. It spins and you can barely hear a small "click" of the starter making very light contact with the flywheel. I tried turning the motor to find a better place on the flywheel and either it is not the flywheel or I did not turn it enough. Here are my questions:
1- would an ignition switch possibly cause all these issues (or at least most of them?
2- Is it more likely that I got a defective starter?
3- Is it more likely that I am dealing with several different issues (defective ign switch, short, bad flywheel, and/or defective starter)? Which of these would be more likely to be related and be caused by the same part?
I really need someone to point me in the right direction. I really don't want to take it to the local highway robbery boat mechanic if I can avoid it. I will probably be starting with a new ignition switch (like $15). It can't hurt. Then what? Please help.
1994 OMC 3.0- Recently bought boat with existing starter problem (starter hanging and not disengaging and blowing ignition fuses). I then replaced the starter with an aftermarket brand marine starter and everthing worked fine. Before and after the starter replacement I had blown a few ignition fuses intermittently so I upgraded to a 20 amp from a 5 amp (sounded more reasaonable for an ignition fuse according to some people that I have talked to). Thought I had all my issues solved. Just spend 3 days on the lake and made it through all three days and only blew 1 ignition fuse (figured I either had a short somewhere or a bad ignition switch- no big deal). I did also occasionally have an issue with the new starter again not disengaging (kinda pointed back to ignition switch again). Feeling pretty good about my first trip out and having a good idea of how to track down the few things I still need to tinker on, I then proceeded to start the boat to go load it and the starter is now not engaging to the flywheel, a completely new issue. It spins and you can barely hear a small "click" of the starter making very light contact with the flywheel. I tried turning the motor to find a better place on the flywheel and either it is not the flywheel or I did not turn it enough. Here are my questions:
1- would an ignition switch possibly cause all these issues (or at least most of them?
2- Is it more likely that I got a defective starter?
3- Is it more likely that I am dealing with several different issues (defective ign switch, short, bad flywheel, and/or defective starter)? Which of these would be more likely to be related and be caused by the same part?
I really need someone to point me in the right direction. I really don't want to take it to the local highway robbery boat mechanic if I can avoid it. I will probably be starting with a new ignition switch (like $15). It can't hurt. Then what? Please help.