73 Evinrude 50 hp Lark question...

[MTboatguy]

Well have my new to me boat re-rigged and was going to test the engine in the barrel, install battery turn key over........nothing pure quiet, I know the engine has power cause I can activate the choke from the remote control and I can jump the starter with cables and it will spin, but it won't engage the fly wheel to turn the engine over.. I am thinking I either have a bad solenoid or a bad neutral switch in the control unit. Is there a way to bypass the neutral switch just to check if it is the bad part? I know these solenoids look like an old Ford one, but are built differently for use with a boat engine. Also, I looked by I don't see a fuse in the hot line, is there one somewhere that I am not seeing that can prevent the starter from engaging?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[oldboat1]

jumping the starter directly won't engage the flywheel and crank the engine?

 

[racerone]

Fuse on the motor is good since choke works.

 

[MTboatguy]

jumping the starter directly won't engage the flywheel and crank the engine?

Nope, the starter was spinning as I expected, but it did not engage. I am just trying to track down why it won't turn over with key, I can rebuild the starter if I need to. They are not difficult to rebuild, but it is odd that the key is not activating the start sequence.

 

[F_R]

First things first. Make sure the battery is good, Have it load tested. Starter spinning but not engaging flywheel indicates low voltage. If battery confirms good, CLEAN the cable connections. Don't just look at them and wiggle them, take them apart and clean them shiny bright.

If the above doesn't fix it, time to quit guessing and get out the voltmeter and check the voltages. If you don't know how to do that, this is a good time to learn. Or get somebody that does know.

 

[MTboatguy]

First things first. Make sure the battery is good, Have it load tested. Starter spinning but not engaging flywheel indicates low voltage. If battery confirms good, CLEAN the cable connections. Don't just look at them and wiggle them, take them apart and clean them shiny bright.

If the above doesn't fix it, time to quit guessing and get out the voltmeter and check the voltages. If you don't know how to do that, this is a good time to learn. Or get somebody that does know.

Well I have never worked on this particular system, but I am a well versed mechanic so I figured that someone that has been through the same thing I am experiencing could provide a shortcut to the particular part of the system I should be looking at.

Battery is up to snuff, it has been load tested and I am also real familiar with using a meter. I have spent quite a few years working on RV's for a buddy that manufactures them, so troubleshooting is not a foreign concept to me.

 

[oldboat1]

If your battery is known to be good but you could not successfully jump directly from it, the starter needs work. Disassembly and cleaning might do it, or maybe light lube on the shaft at the Bendix gear. If it were mine, think I would get the starter working, then work backwards from there. I like to spin them by jumping from my truck, just so there is no question.

 

[MTboatguy]

If your battery is known to be good but you could not successfully jump directly from it, the starter needs work. Disassembly and cleaning might do it, or maybe light lube on the shaft at the Bendix gear. If it were mine, think I would get the starter working, then work backwards from there. I like to spin them by jumping from my truck, just so there is no question.

I have jumped the starter from both my diesel truck as well as my boost starter battery charger and the starter spins, however the gear does not raise and engage the flywheel. I have voltage to the solenoid, no fuses blown, so I am leaning to the neutral safety switch is bad.

 

[oldboat1]

And the starter Bendix, sounds like, or the starter itself.

 

[oldboat1]

Power Pilot box has the safety switch in front of the control lever. Not sure what you have, but might try moving the lever a little back and forth in the neutral detent while turning the start switch.

 

[MTboatguy]

I have the older power pilot control, so I am going to pick up a safety switch to change out in the AM to see if that fixes it.

 

[oldboat1]

sounds good -- Looks good!

 

[MTboatguy]

I just did some more checks on it with the wife helping and am pretty sure the solenoid is bad and pretty sure the bendix on the starter is bad as well, I can spin the engage gear up to mesh with the flywheel, but when I jump it, it barely turns the motor over and I believe the contact points are froze in the solenoid, I have 12v across both of the larger terminals, but nothing on the smaller terminals when the key is moved to the start position, so I will replace all three items and should be good to go.

 

[racerone]

Let us know how the parts changing works out.

 

[MTboatguy]

Let us know how the parts changing works out.

You have a better suggestion?

 

[F_R]

You have a better suggestion?

I do. Use that voltmeter and common sense. Seriously, no voltage across the two small solenoid terminals when ypu turn the key to start means the safety switch is not grounding the white solenoid wire----OR there is no voltage coming from the control when you turn the key.

Easy diagnosis.

 

[racerone]

Some folks have issues with 12 volts and simple wiring.------I now refrain from trying to teach.

 

[MTboatguy]

I do. Use that voltmeter and common sense. Seriously, no voltage across the two small solenoid terminals when ypu turn the key to start means the safety switch is not grounding the white solenoid wire----OR there is no voltage coming from the control when you turn the key.

Easy diagnosis.

I have no problem with 12 volt wiring, as I stated I believe it is the safety switch, I am going to replace the other items because they are the originals to the engine and replacing them after 45 years is preventative in nature.

I have worked on other marine systems, just not this system before, all of my OMC products up to now have been manual start, the electric start systems I have had were Mercury and one little Tohatsu 18hp that I had.

F_R I do appreciate the help and have found another thread that you were involved in back in 2016 and been reading through it where another member had the same problem on the 74 model of this engine.

https://forums.iboats.com/forum/engi...enoid-problems

In that thread I did notice one thing he had a picture of his engine in that thread showing the throttle/shifter control on the engine and there is no switch behind it, on this one, I have a switch with two terminals with one wire hooked to it and it looks like the pictures I have seen of neutral safety switches. I have included a picture of the switch as well as the solenoid that is on this motor.

racerone, by posting the original message I was asking for help and in doing so shows, I don't have the experience with this particular system, it does not however indicate that I have trouble with 12v wiring. One thing that is irritating is how some think that sarcasm improves teaching abilities.

Thank you

ETA: thank you for the full wiring diagram, I had not found that one yet.

 

[racerone]

That switch prevents cranking if throttle is advanced too far.-----That switch only needs one wire to it , white I believe.-----I usually clean those switches as that is easy to do.----Or it needs to be adjusted.----After staring at the pictures it looks like the switch might be upside down.----I am not near my workshop to have a look some motors with that switch installed.

 

[MTboatguy]

That switch prevents cranking if throttle is advanced too far.-----That switch only needs one wire to it , white I believe.-----I usually clean those switches as that is easy to do.----Or it needs to be adjusted.----After staring at the pictures it looks like the switch might be upside down.----I am not near my workshop to have a look some motors with that switch installed.

Thank you racerone,

So I am to presume, there is two neutral safety switches in this particular system, because I am being told there is a switch in the remote control as well and looking at the diagram it also shows two, one on the engine and one in the control? With the diagram that was posted it makes it much more clear on testing and tracing the wiring.