engine wont start

[stratcat88]

have a 260hp mercruiser/alphaone stern drive. starting up one day and saw a spark across the ignition coil while it was cranking. then it tripped breaker. pushed to reset and it would do the same thing. ive been reading the forum for the past week and i saw that a lot of guys were changing a lot of parts and their engines still wouldnt start so i didnt want to go that route. getting 12 volts at battery. key in run position getting 8 volts at ign. coil. i think i should be getting 12 volts right. now when i turn the key i hear a buzzing comming from slave solenoid. i will try to get ser#s but their behind the riser above starter. will try with a mirror. thankyou tim

 

[agallant80]

Re: engine wont start

Is it cranking over at all or are you just getting a buzz noise?

 

[stratcat88]

Re: engine wont start

Is it cranking over at all or are you just getting a buzz noise?

was getting buzz so i pulled both batteries and charged them up. now when i turn the key the 40 amp breaker trips.

 

[Don S]

Re: engine wont start

Does your 260 Mercruiser have a serial number, even a year would help a little.

 

[stratcat88]

Re: engine wont start

Does your 260 Mercruiser have a serial number, even a year would help a little.

the serial # is gone. old small block chevy. with alpha one drive. i cleaned all the terminals. i tried jumping across slave solenoid. just sparked. no cranking at all.

 

[agallant80]

Re: engine wont start

You may want to check the starter. Give it a few wacks with a broom handel. When they start to go they will blow fuses etc. Can you jump the starter from the battery to see if it works?

 

[stratcat88]

Re: engine wont start

You may want to check the starter. Give it a few wacks with a broom handel. When they start to go they will blow fuses etc. Can you jump the starter from the battery to see if it works?

its in a really bad spot.the manifold is in the way.

 

[agallant80]

Re: engine wont start

That is where the broom handle comes in.

 

[Don S]

Re: engine wont start

1. Since you won't post a year, what ignition system do you have, when you say old, do you mean old style block or what?
2. Did this problem suddenly start or develop over time? Is the boat new to you and first time you tried it.
3. Any electrical work been done on it prior to this problem?
4. Does the engine turn over by hand?

Have a read of this thread on checking the cranking system,
HOW TO: Troubleshooting your engines starting system

 

[stratcat88]

Re: engine wont start

1. Since you won't post a year, what ignition system do you have, when you say old, do you mean old style block or what?
2. Did this problem suddenly start or develop over time? Is the boat new to you and first time you tried it.
3. Any electrical work been done on it prior to this problem?
4. Does the engine turn over by hand?

Have a read of this thread on checking the cranking system,
HOW TO: Troubleshooting your engines starting system

its not that i wont give a ser.#. its just not there. red your thread printed it out heading for boat now. the motor ran great. it was after i cleaned the outdrive with barnaclebuster is when all my problems started. drive was stuck up. and now the engine issues. oh and the sink pump problem. dont know if the problems were caused by the cleaning or not. gonna start at the switch. thanks mr.S

 

[rickryder]

Re: engine wont start

sink pump

 

[Don S]

Re: engine wont start

1. Since you won't post a year, what ignition system do you have, when you say old, do you mean old style block or what?

You must have misread by reply, I need the year or ignition system.

Cleaning is not going to cause your problem, unless you dumped the stuff down the carb.

 

[Bondo]

Re: engine wont start

its not that i wont give a ser.#. its just not there. red your thread printed it out heading for boat now. the motor ran great. it was after i cleaned the outdrive with barnaclebuster is when all my problems started. drive was stuck up. and now the engine issues. oh and the sink pump problem. dont know if the problems were caused by the cleaning or not. gonna start at the switch. thanks mr.S

Ayuh,.... You've got Corroded Rotten Wirin'....

I'd start with cleannin to shiney metal clean, ALL the wirin' Connections, from the Battery, to each problem appliance...

'n take a Picture of yer motor, 'n drive,...
We might be able to narrow down it's Vintage...

 

[stratcat88]

Re: engine wont start

You must have misread by reply, I need the year or ignition system.

Cleaning is not going to cause your problem, unless you dumped the stuff down the carb.

the boat is a 1985 chris-craft. the cover on the carb says mercruiser alphaone 260/v8 thunderbolt ignition/power steering. i have the seloc manual 1964-1991.

 

[stratcat88]

Re: engine wont start

Ayuh,.... You've got Corroded Rotten Wirin'....

I'd start with cleannin to shiney metal clean, ALL the wirin' Connections, from the Battery, to each problem appliance...

'n take a Picture of yer motor, 'n drive,...
We might be able to narrow down it's Vintage...

ok.i'll do that tonite. thanks

 

[Don S]

Re: engine wont start

Just clean ends on the cable doesn't do it all. If that crimped end on the cable is loose on the cable or corroded on the cable, it doesn't matter one little bit how clean it is where it attaches to the battery.
Also look at the cable. Spots in the cable that are swelled up indicates a junk cable.
Have had customers bring boats in with clean tight connections, but only a few strands of the cable still attached to the cable end. That will never work.

Also, when you go to take pictures, get the drive serial number. That might help.
It's not uncommon for boats to have an engine and drive that are a year older (or even newer) than the boat.

Another trick, use a digital camera to take pictures of places you can't see.

 

[stratcat88]

Re: engine wont start

Just clean ends on the cable doesn't do it all. If that crimped end on the cable is loose on the cable or corroded on the cable, it doesn't matter one little bit how clean it is where it attaches to the battery.
Also look at the cable. Spots in the cable that are swelled up indicates a junk cable.
Have had customers bring boats in with clean tight connections, but only a few strands of the cable still attached to the cable end. That will never work.

Also, when you go to take pictures, get the drive serial number. That might help.
It's not uncommon for boats to have an engine and drive that are a year older (or even newer) than the boat.

Another trick, use a digital camera to take pictures of places you can't see.

 

[Don S]

Re: engine wont start

From the looks of things, you have an automotive engine in there. Your distributor for sure, fuel pump, carb, starter, alternator are all suspect at this point of making the engine compartment a big BOOM due to possible gas fumes and open sparks.
Not a good position to be in.

 

[stratcat88]

Re: engine wont start

From the looks of things, you have an automotive engine in there. Your distributor for sure, fuel pump, carb, starter, alternator are all suspect at this point of making the engine compartment a big BOOM due to possible gas fumes and open sparks.
Not a good position to be in.

well got a mech. to check it out and he found the problem in 5 minutes. the yellow and red wire on the starter was grounding on the engine block. he repaired and the boat fired right up. he told me of some other things he would like to do to the engine so go head and take it out and see how she runs. while in the icw, in no wake zone she starting sputtering and died. after a little while it fired up and we were off. got outside and gave itsome gas and it would not get up on plane. went out about a mile and drifted fish instead of trolling. the whole time i was out ther i was thinking about the bomb that i just spent 6.000 dollars on. thank you.