73 Evinrude 50 hp Lark question...

racerone

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No one is a neutral switch and one prevents cranking with too much throttle.
 

MTboatguy

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No one is a neutral switch and one prevents cranking with too much throttle.

Okay, thank you, now after spending the day testing switches and am leaning to the solenoid being bad, I have cleaned both switches, the one in the remote control as well as the one on the engine and based on using the meter, they have to both be depressed for 12v to get to the solenoid, which I am now getting power on the small terminal on the solenoid, but still no starter action. Which like I said would lead me to believe the solenoid is bad because I have no click out of the solenoid.

I used to work on a lot of old Fords, so I have dealt with these 4 terminal solenoids before and normally when I find one that does not click, it is normally because the contact points in it are either dirty or froze.

Thanks again.
 

racerone

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You say you are well versed.----Test the solenoid before rushing out to buy new parts.
 

MTboatguy

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Okay, first all I would like to thank each person that responded in my thread and if I sounded stand offish, I apologize and believe me, I don't know everything and am sorry if I sounded like that.

Now that said, I have used my meter to check all switches as well as the solenoid check, and what I have found.

Both switches test as being good, the one out of place thing I have found on this solenoid, in the off state both of the small screws test out as being grounded and in an energized state they both have 12.7 volts on them and of course there is 12.7 volts on the large lug from the battery, but in no position do I get 12.7 volts to the large lug to the starter. Now I can jump the starter from my battery and it spins, but does not engage the flywheel. I did clean both switches and they pass continuity tests.

Am I correct in thinking the solenoid has failed? I am pulling the starter to have it checked at a shop as well so I can figure out if the bendix has gone bad. I have rebuilt starters in cars before, but I have never rebuilt a marine starter, but in reading it would seem to be the same procedure,

Does this sound like a reasonable conclusion?

Thanks in advance.
 

F_R

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#1 question for you and requires an answer---Are you sure that is an OMC solenoid? You mentioned Ford. Ford solenoids are different inside. So don't be fooled. We are all spinning our wheels if you are using a car solenoid.

#2 Normal condition is when you turn the key to start, you should get 12V (+/-) on one small solenoid stud and 0V on the other one. The 0V is because that one is grounded by the safety switch.

If you have 12V on both, the safety switch is not grounded. Pull the wire off of the safety switch and ground the wire. If it cranks now, the safety switch is shot, or out of adjustment, or controls are not set to start position.

There is no voo-doo in electricity. God created it at the beginning.
 

MTboatguy

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#1 question for you and requires an answer---Are you sure that is an OMC solenoid? You mentioned Ford. Ford solenoids are different inside. So don't be fooled. We are all spinning our wheels if you are using a car solenoid.

#2 Normal condition is when you turn the key to start, you should get 12V (+/-) on one small solenoid stud and 0V on the other one. The 0V is because that one is grounded by the safety switch.

If you have 12V on both, the safety switch is not grounded. Pull the wire off of the safety switch and ground the wire. If it cranks now, the safety switch is shot, or out of adjustment, or controls are not set to start position.

There is no voo-doo in electricity. God created it at the beginning.

Thank you, I will double check it again, I thought I had another good OMC solenoid around here but have not been able to locate it yet and I went and pulled the hood off of a 40 horse I have had for a few years and found out the squirrels were raising their new offspring under the hood, so that engine just became a parts motor!
 

MTboatguy

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Okay based on the number on the bottom plate of the solenoid it is an OMC solenoid the part number on it is

3217124, which when I Google that number returns a lot of websites for OMC starter Solenoid.
 

F_R

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Thanks for clearing that up. It helps with the diagnosing.
 

MTboatguy

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Thanks for clearing that up. It helps with the diagnosing.

Okay, thank you.

Now we are moving forward, I pulled the wire off of the neutral safety switch on the engine, made a jumper up for it and grounded it to a bolt on the engine and the engine turned over, so I guess I was wrong when I stated it tested okay, I will take it off again and clean again to see if I can get it back to working order.

The next question, is there anyway to eliminate this switch?

Thank you for your help.
 

F_R

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You can just continue to use it with the wire grounded. There are a couple of arguments concerning that. One is that you lose the safety function. Other is that newer motors did not have the safety switch and just grounded the wire, relying on the switch in the remote control. For my opinion, I don't eliminate safety items. I'd replace the safety switch and go boating.
 

MTboatguy

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You can just continue to use it with the wire grounded. There are a couple of arguments concerning that. One is that you lose the safety function. Other is that newer motors did not have the safety switch and just grounded the wire, relying on the switch in the remote control. For my opinion, I don't eliminate safety items. I'd replace the safety switch and go boating.

Thank you,

I will probably just order a new switch for it and be done with it.

Thanks again for the help.
 

MTboatguy

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Well I spent about an hour cleaning the switch completely and check the screw boss on the engine and found the problem, someone along the way applied paint over the switch screw holes, so I cleaned that off and found rust under that!. So I cleaned it up, cleaned the back of the metal plate on the switch and applied a small dab of dielectric grease to hopefully prevent the corrosion in the future, put it back together and all is good now. I helped this PO put a new floor in this boat about a year ago and the boat was running then, then he put it up for sale for a good price and now I am thinking he could not figure out why it would not crank, told his wife I need a new boat this one don't work. So he bought a couple of year old Crestliner for several thousands of dollars and sold this one cheap.

Thanks again for the help guys.
 
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