1985 mercury 175hp starter sticking sometimes

[azrealrock]

I have a 85 mercury 175 hp that the starter just started sticking sometimes.it happened to me twice this weekend and i had to open the cover up and hit the starter with a dead blow sledgehammer to get it to disengage. should i be putting any kind of grease down on the shaft where the gear goes up and down or is this a sign that its ready for a new one?

 

[Chris1956]

There is no way to know from your description. First remove the nut on the Bendix drive (above the gear that engages the flywheel). Remove the Bendix gear and clean the shaft with a mild solvent. Do not use acetone, toluene or other strong stuff as it will cause the starter windings to short.

Now oil the Bendix drive and reinstall the gear and nut. If she won't engage, you have dirty starter cables or a bad battery or starter.