bad starter?

[paulhofius]

I have a 1980 Citation with a 120 mercruiser and an alpha one drive. I just recently acquired it. The first couple of times we took it out the boat cranked no prblem but the next day i tried to start it and turned over once without starting but then it started to not even turn over. I presumed that it was a bad battery charged mine while i hooked up another charged one. Same thing happened. The trim and everything else worked so it figured it was in the starter. i touched a wrench between the big terminal and both of the small ones on the starter,all it would do was spark, it wouldn't even turn over. So does this mean i have a bad starter?

 

[vipzach]

Re: bad starter?

Try pulling the plugs out and then try it. Will the motor turn over by hand?

 

[paulhofius]

Re: bad starter?

i cannot get the boat to turn over any way, even directly through the starter<br /><br />--have also cleaned and tightened all connections to the starter and the battery.

 

[vipzach]

Re: bad starter?

If you can't put a wrench on the crank and turn it over you have bigger problems than just a starter. Does it have oil in it? Any funny sounds before it happened. Have you checked the outdrive oil?

 

[paulhofius]

Re: bad starter?

no sounds, have checked all of the oil, and checked w/wrench(engine is not frozen)

 

[jeff13601]

Re: bad starter?

You should clean all of your connections, including the battery terminals. You may have been across the wrong terminals to hotwire it. If that doesnt help take it to a napa or autozone and get it tested. It is free

 

[vipzach]

Re: bad starter?

Originally posted by oldbrokeboat:<br /> checked w/wrench(engine is not frozen)

That is what I was asking when I said can you turn it over by hand. Have you checked to make sure the starter is getting planty of juice? IF so pull it off and get it tested, most auto parts place will check them for free.

 

[paulhofius]

Re: bad starter?

thanks for the help, i have taken it off( by the hardest) and will most likely get it tested tommorrow