Restoring a boat/engine. Here is where I am at and stuck...<br /><br />This is a MerCruiser 260 original engine in 1979 boat. V8.<br /><br />Engine was frozen, pulled plugs and poured diesel in cylinders and let sit. Then took off the pulley on the front of engine that connects crank shaft to water pump and alternator via belts. bolted a bracket/lever on instead and broke the engine loose. turned it by hand several times until it got easy to do with 1 bare hand.<br /><br />Put the pulley/belts back on the front of the engine. Brought a new deep cycle fully charged battery over and put it in and took the 15 year old batteries out of the circuit. Crossed my fingers and turned the ignition. Nice big click from soleniod and the starter turns VERY slow and starts smoking if you hold it on more than a few seconds. <br /><br />So...it is certainly getting enough current (smoking). The engine can be turned by hand, so the starter shouldn't have trouble spinning it I would think. (Plugs still out of course).<br /><br />It is a pain in the you know what to get in next to the engine, let alone get under the rear end of it to pull the starter...but i am afraid that is where this is going.<br /><br />Is it possible the starter wants 24 volts? What else could it be other than a bad starter? Just trying to explore all easy options before I drop it.<br /><br />Any tips for the best way to pull it so that it isn't really hard to get back on?<br /><br />THANKS!