Inboard Engine question

[Yarofaliyar]

Hi everyone, I am very new to this boat thing. I am very excited and can't wait to get out on the water and have fun. I bought my first boat the other day it is a used 1979 Marlin Runabout and the engine does won't start to safe my life. I bought a brand-new battery and still it is turning over but just won't start.
I have no idea what is going on and that is why I am here to seek any help from the group. The picture of the engine is posted.

Thank you guys so much for reading my post.

 

[tpenfield]

A Mercruiser 470 . . . You'll get some comments on the engine itself.

3 things . . .
Fuel
Spark
Compression

You'll want to figure out which of those 3 you don't have. Spark is fairly easy to test, and compression is not so bad either. If you have those 2, then fuel may be the issue, and usually is with a boat that has been sitting for a while (years)

I'd also make sure you have oil pressure and maybe a little fogging oil in the cylinders

What do you know about the boat's history?

 

[Scott Danforth]

moving this from OMC to Mercruiser.

you have points ignition. you have to service the points and properly set the dwell if they have been sitting for any length of time.

 

[Yarofaliyar]

A Mercruiser 470 . . . You'll get some comments on the engine itself.

3 things . . .
Fuel
Spark
Compression

You'll want to figure out which of those 3 you don't have. Spark is fairly easy to test, and compression is not so bad either. If you have those 2, then fuel may be the issue, and usually is with a boat that has been sitting for a while (years)

I'd also make sure you have oil pressure and maybe a little fogging oil in the cylinders

What do you know about the boat's history?

Thank you so much for the recommendations.
Don't know much of the history for this boat. The gentleman I bought from said he was using it just fine on the water then took a break and when he was ready to go again the boat won't start. It just cranking like it wanted to start but won't start. He thought it was just a lose wire/cable somewhere.

 

[Scott Danforth]

the only downside to points is if they sit, the point faces oxidize and need to have a points file run thru them. this is normal spring time tune-up. takes less than 5 minutes to file points, set dwell and set timing and that includes finding the dwell meter, timing light, screw driver, wrench, and a can of beer.