Quick history of my 2-3 week ownership.
Test drive night: boat was hard starting, but turning over. Seller was flooding it while explaining it hadn't been run but once last season, and right about when it seemed it would stop turning over due to running the battery down, it fired up. Cruised the lake for 20-30 minutes, seemed okay outside of smelling some hot oil. Seller explained he had just changed the oil and had overfilled it a bit, and may have spilled some, which I had noticed when looking at dipstick. Ended up buying it for 'great deal.'
Next night: took my two daughters and father out to the lake, boat fired up immediately. We cruised almost the length of the resorvoir (6 miles) when I slowed to let the girls get in the water for some tubing. Motor cut out and wouldn't restart, drained battery. Awesome members of the boating family stopped and towed us all the way back to the dock, refusing payment. Suspecting alternator, charged the battery after getting home and grabbed the meter and headed to local lake to test voltage. (Have the flushing muffs now). It was getting an extra 2, 2.5 volts when running, so then thought maybe the battery had been too dead after a few years of little use to take a charge. yes, grasping. Bought a new battery, charged the old, and took the little auto booster we carry in the truck.
Next night: daughters, father, wife and I head back up to the lake, spend another $14 while crossing fingers. Starts right up, yeah! girls just tubing when it starts making a fairly loud knocking sound. I start to slow down and it cuts out like the first night, and again won't restart. Seems really hard for the motor to turn, like it's almost seizing up. Fiddle around with it and get it started again, still making the knocking sound, but are able to get almost back to the dock. Again ends up just making a clicking sound, but not turning over. Will always have paddles
Have since replaced starter (Arco 50143), separate solenoid/switch, plugs, water pump housing and impeller, and cleaned all connections, tightening them. Cap and rotor look new. Tried starting again in driveway (using muffs), and just get the click. You can see the starter turn the flywheel a few teeth each time, but that's it. On occassion after a fresh battery charge, and when I had my suburban hooked up to it with jumper cables, it would do a bit more and seem to budge the motor a bit, but we're only talking like 1/4", so barely at all. Seems like not enough power to turn or too much internal resistance to being turned. Pulled all the plugs and not able to turn manually. *%&$%^#
What the heck happened? I've got some mechanical aptitude, my dad who's living with me quite a bit more, but neither of us are boat guys. Well, we're quickly becoming boat guys, I guess, with our new nightly hobby of working on the boat, but are hoping you can offer some suggestion. Thanks much in advance,
Dusty
1976 Marlin (Leo, I think) 18'
Merc 470 I4 170hp 224ci SN 4875505
MC1/pre Alpha 1.84R 4680002
Test drive night: boat was hard starting, but turning over. Seller was flooding it while explaining it hadn't been run but once last season, and right about when it seemed it would stop turning over due to running the battery down, it fired up. Cruised the lake for 20-30 minutes, seemed okay outside of smelling some hot oil. Seller explained he had just changed the oil and had overfilled it a bit, and may have spilled some, which I had noticed when looking at dipstick. Ended up buying it for 'great deal.'
Next night: took my two daughters and father out to the lake, boat fired up immediately. We cruised almost the length of the resorvoir (6 miles) when I slowed to let the girls get in the water for some tubing. Motor cut out and wouldn't restart, drained battery. Awesome members of the boating family stopped and towed us all the way back to the dock, refusing payment. Suspecting alternator, charged the battery after getting home and grabbed the meter and headed to local lake to test voltage. (Have the flushing muffs now). It was getting an extra 2, 2.5 volts when running, so then thought maybe the battery had been too dead after a few years of little use to take a charge. yes, grasping. Bought a new battery, charged the old, and took the little auto booster we carry in the truck.
Next night: daughters, father, wife and I head back up to the lake, spend another $14 while crossing fingers. Starts right up, yeah! girls just tubing when it starts making a fairly loud knocking sound. I start to slow down and it cuts out like the first night, and again won't restart. Seems really hard for the motor to turn, like it's almost seizing up. Fiddle around with it and get it started again, still making the knocking sound, but are able to get almost back to the dock. Again ends up just making a clicking sound, but not turning over. Will always have paddles
Have since replaced starter (Arco 50143), separate solenoid/switch, plugs, water pump housing and impeller, and cleaned all connections, tightening them. Cap and rotor look new. Tried starting again in driveway (using muffs), and just get the click. You can see the starter turn the flywheel a few teeth each time, but that's it. On occassion after a fresh battery charge, and when I had my suburban hooked up to it with jumper cables, it would do a bit more and seem to budge the motor a bit, but we're only talking like 1/4", so barely at all. Seems like not enough power to turn or too much internal resistance to being turned. Pulled all the plugs and not able to turn manually. *%&$%^#
What the heck happened? I've got some mechanical aptitude, my dad who's living with me quite a bit more, but neither of us are boat guys. Well, we're quickly becoming boat guys, I guess, with our new nightly hobby of working on the boat, but are hoping you can offer some suggestion. Thanks much in advance,
Dusty
1976 Marlin (Leo, I think) 18'
Merc 470 I4 170hp 224ci SN 4875505
MC1/pre Alpha 1.84R 4680002
