Evinrude starter won't engage flywheel

FunWithPaul

Recruit
Joined
Mar 1, 2019
Messages
2
I have a 2001 Evinrude 115hp FICT V4 engine with a reduction gear starter.
It has been having problems starting on the port battery.
I cleaned and reset all of the connections, made sure the battery was fully charged (even swapped batteries), but the starter drive (bendix) won't engage into the flywheel, and it just spins. It works fine on the starboard battery...
I have read that the bendix may need to be lubricated, some other publications say it doesn't.

It does.

I could explain the WHOLE process I went through, here, but a video does a better job (pictures AND words...what a novel idea).

If you want to see it, it is here:
https://youtu.be/-06GZZuLeFg
 

FunWithPaul

Recruit
Joined
Mar 1, 2019
Messages
2
That is what the video is about. I WAS going to remove the starter, instead, it only needed the bendix lubricated. On this engine they are separate.
 

racerone

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
36,044
??----Well, if there is something wrong with the starter it will not spin up properly and the Bendix will not jump up into the flywheel.-----Might as well inspect it all I would say !!
 

oldboat1

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Apr 3, 2002
Messages
9,598
If the starter isn’t spinning the flywheel quite fast enough, the engine might try to start and push the starter gear back down without starting and running. Could be a weak or dirty starter, weak battery or dirty/loose connections, or motor ignition or timing issues. It can be hard to diagnose.

Now that you have it starting on the port battery, it might be a good idea to have both batteries load tested to see if replacement is warranted. If one is weak and they are the same age, consider replacing both.

I’m not sure how hard it is to get a ficht repair manual, but it would be a good idea to find out how to remove the starter, then open and at least clean it up — maybe replace brushes. (Maybe there is a hidden mounting bolt coming in through the front.)
 
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