starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

[adam1psu]

seems one thing keeps happening after another! i was returning from fishing back to the dock at about 4500rpm when i heard a super fast clicking/grinding noise instantly my outboard shut down. i took off the cover to discover that my starter gear had somehow popped up in starting postion. i tapped it back in place and tried to start it. it almost started then the gear stuck in its up postion again. so i gave up and ran my kicker motor the 4 miles back to the dock in the dark. i didnt get to look at it in the day light but it looks to me like the top spring on the shaft is weak. could this have damaged my engine?? or the starter. just wondering what i am getting into before i tear into it after work tomorow. any info will be much appreciated!-adam

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

The centrifugal force of the flywheel spinning (engine starting) is what kicks the starter bendix out of the flywheel teeth.

If viberation is causing the bendix to engage the flywheel, then yes, I'd assume you have a faulty return spring.

However, if electrical power is causing the starter to engage and have that bendix slam into the flywheel teeth, then you have either a short in the wiring harness somewhere, a intermitent shorting out igntiion switch, or a faulty starter solenoid.

 

[adam1psu]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

thanks for your advice i am sure it is the first situation. the engine does not want to crank smoothly so my guess without looking at it in detail is that the gear is mangled out of shape or the starter shaft is bent. what do you guys think? thanks- adam

 

[Silvertip]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

It's been said. Find the cause for starter engagement. The bendix does not go up the shaft on its own. I also doubt rough water or vibration caused it to "bounce" up. You apparently have an electrical problem, especially since you have an intermittent cranking problem. Disconnect the start wire (the small gauge wire) on the starter solenoid. Hook a voltmeter to that terminal. Now repeatedly operate the ignition switch to the START position. Each time its activated you should measure 12V. When released it should drop to zero. With the key ON, tap the switch and the controller while watching the meter. Any jump in voltage indicates a bad ignition switch. If that tests ok, I'd replace the solenoid if its wiring looks ok. At least you know that part of the system is good. You obviously need a new starter if the shaft is bent.

 

[ray estep]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

seems one thing keeps happening after another! i was returning from fishing back to the dock at about 4500rpm when i heard a super fast clicking/grinding noise instantly my outboard shut down. i took off the cover to discover that my starter gear had somehow popped up in starting postion. i tapped it back in place and tried to start it. it almost started then the gear stuck in its up postion again. so i gave up and ran my kicker motor the 4 miles back to the dock in the dark. i didnt get to look at it in the day light but it looks to me like the top spring on the shaft is weak. could this have damaged my engine?? or the starter. just wondering what i am getting into before i tear into it after work tomorow. any info will be much appreciated!-adam

 

[ray estep]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

seems one thing keeps happening after another! i was returning from fishing back to the dock at about 4500rpm when i heard a super fast clicking/grinding noise instantly my outboard shut down. i took off the cover to discover that my starter gear had somehow popped up in starting postion. i tapped it back in place and tried to start it. it almost started then the gear stuck in its up postion again. so i gave up and ran my kicker motor the 4 miles back to the dock in the dark. i didnt get to look at it in the day light but it looks to me like the top spring on the shaft is weak. could this have damaged my engine?? or the starter. just wondering what i am getting into before i tear into it after work tomorow. any info will be much appreciated!-adam

 

[adam1psu]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

i will try the test and see what happens-thanks

 

[adam1psu]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

the bendex seems fine now. it is going up and down with out any problems. the shaft is not bent well at least above the starter it isnt. the battery reads 13.0 -12-7 volts before and after 4 start attempts. it started on the second try.On the third and forth attempt the starter seemed too weak to spin the motor fast enough to start. Thinking the volt reading was false, i then hooked a battery booster up to the battery at 6 amps and it still was not enough to turn it over. after checking the volts once more it read 12.7 volts on the battery. the starter was also hot to the touch. between start attempts i made sure i wasnt burning the starter up by waiting a few minutes before the next try. I am guessing that the starter is shot. is this a result of it engageing while running or was this part of the problem?
any help or thoughts at all is appreciated!

 

[KYHunter2]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

Did you perform the test silvertip indicated?

You still haven't found the reason the starter engaged itself.

It can still be a faulty key switch or solenoid.

Not allowing proper voltage to reach starter, or intermittant voltage.

The hot starter , can indicate a short , bad connection, etc.

KYHunter

 

[adam1psu]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

here are the test results,

starter switch to solenoid, all four tries read 12v, this included banging on the controls with a rubber mallet-the meter did not spike or drop

the battery reads 13v

the heavy gauge wire from the solenoid to the starter reads only 5v when attempting to turn over.

the same small gauge wire that i removed to test the starter switch reads 5v when connected to the solenoid during a start attempt.

i am assumeing that the starter requires at least 12v to turn over properly, does this mean the solenoid is faulty?
also on the bottom of the solenoid where there is a plastic plate rivited on i noticed that it was contacting the block slightly. upon removal i noticed that there is a small hole where it has metal showing through it. in that exact spot it was touching the bare block. there is a small black burnt looking mark on the block where it was making contact. Could this be the cause of engagement from grounding out if the engine was running? i tried to ground it out with the engine not running with a wire but the starter did not activate. i will post some pics if i can figure out how.

again any help is greatly appreciated!!-thanks

 

[adam1psu]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

.......edited due to pic tags not working.......

 

[adam1psu]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

just above the center is a bare metal spot

the small black mark is where i think it shorted on the block if possible

hope those pics worked this time

 

[adam1psu]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

one more thing-so my battery checks out, my ignition switch checks out, solenoid is most likely fried. is there a way to safely test the starter before i buy parts?

 

[fireman57]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

Very possible. Bend it away from the block and redo your tests. Make sure that all your connections are removed and cleaned from the battery all the way to the starter. This includes grounds.

 

[adam1psu]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

allready did that and it was away from the block during the tests.

 

[ezeke]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

Don't know if it will help, but I just tested my spare solenoid and found no continuity between any of the four posts and any part of the case. That includes the spot under the OMC "M" on the plastic bottom. I would have to assume that your solenoid has a short, but you can test for that. with your ohmmeter.

http://www.iboats.com/mall/index.cg...633039857&session_id=236900960&view_id=172055

 

[adam1psu]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

will do-thanks

 

[fireman57]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

Did you remove and clean all the connections from the battery all the way to the starter. A bad or loose connection can pose the problem that you are having. The solenoid is really just a ford starter solenoid. You can pick one up from autozoner or your regional equivalent. It may not be marine grade but mine has worked well for over two years.

 

[adam1psu]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

i was wondering about it. perhaps i will get one after comparing costs. the boat is a money pit. i have too many projects that need tlc, i have a sport bike, project car, 2 atvs and my wifes street bike that all need something. but if it is just a few extra bucks i will get the marine grade to eliminate headaches in the future.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: starter gear stuck on flywheel-1975 johnson stinger 75hp

You can test the starter by using a jumper cable from the POS battery terminal directly to the starter. Be prepared for a spark as that connection is made. If the starter spins normally, you have a bad solenoid or some bad cable connections. If the starter doesn't spin or spins slowly, the starter needs help. Make sure the ground cable is good on both ends when doing this test. If in doubt, use the second jumper cable and connect between the NEG battery terminal and the engine block.