Mercury Optimax 115 2 stroke flywheel grinding

[GDeKoker]

I'm working on the Optimax 115 2 stroke starter was grinding the teeth so put brand new starter and flywheel tried starting and it grinds starter teeth barely touch flywheel teeth ? very strange there is no adjustments? What am I missing? Any help would be great thinking about grinding to move closer?

 

[racerone]

New factory parts or something else ?

 

[GDeKoker]

Yes original parts and new parts have very little tooth contact? If I try starting flywheel will lose teeth? So need direction? Is this a known problem? Flywheel used but mint same part number starter brand new.

 

[w2much]

weak battery or connections. flywheel not torqued into proper position. doa new starter.

 

[GDeKoker]

The teeth barley touch the flywheel? Original factory starter same was barley touching flywheel teeth mainly one side of flywheel until just grinds and removes teeth? Changed parts fully seated grinds right away? I'm a mechanic 30 years never seen such problem there is no adjustment ? What changed to cause this?

 

[brodmann]

Post a picture. You're saying that the teeth are too far apart from the flywheel? I'm guessing the flywheel has been replaced, or the information used (year or model number) to order the starter is wrong.

 

[brodmann]

How many teeth are on the starter gear? I found a post on another site where there were two different sizes of gears on a started that fit a wide variety of applications, but somtimes the starter was shipped with the wrong size gear on it. You can probably just replace the gear on top of the starter.

 

[QBhoy]

I'm working on the Optimax 115 2 stroke starter was grinding the teeth so put brand new starter and flywheel tried starting and it grinds starter teeth barely touch flywheel teeth ? very strange there is no adjustments? What am I missing? Any help would be great thinking about grinding to move closer?

Does it do the same with the spark plugs removed? Check the voltage drop too.
Has the engine been lifted recently, as in, thoughts around a lifting eye on the flywheel

 

[GDeKoker]

Some pictures that's old flywheel with damage starter gear is new parts.

 

[QBhoy]

Some pictures that's old flywheel with damage starter gear is new parts.

Hi. Could be seeing things…but the new starter there in the pics. Is that brand new and came complete and assembled? No one has had that in bits ?
It looks to me like the starter gear wheel might be on there upside down ? Surely I’m wrong ? The gear teeth don’t look terribly tapered directionally there…compared to normal.
I must be wrong though.
Anyway. Other thing is. How did the starter gear wheel get above the flywheel teeth in the picture there ? Shouldn’t be able to do that when installed and in place.

 

[GDeKoker]

I had a guy pull up on starter gear to show how close gear is. The starter is new never touched. I have original starter will compare the gear drive see if wrong thanks. The flywheel that's chewed up has mostly damage on one side but that could be from trying after teeth ground down.

 

[GDeKoker]

This is original starter the gear can free spool so not good. Do other optimax 115 have big gap when teeth engaged? Battery full charge.

 

[GDeKoker]

The engine ran fine did a cleaning of fuel system & injectors much better air Injectors where dirty. Starting it had a bit of a grind would kick in almost? Tried start again then noticed teeth so replaced same part, new starter not original same problem starts grinding. So I stopped. Changed fuel line had leak motor was run dry before this. I'm just thinking how did this grinding start? Maybe larger gear? This motor is the saltwater model 2 stroke

 

[QBhoy]

The earlier picture of it..when in place…just doesn’t look right. Almost not aligned and offset. Are the mounting brackets assembly as they should be ?

 

[GDeKoker]

Yes properly mounted I'm starting to think starter gear too small?

 

[GDeKoker]

New factory parts or something else ?

Flywheel new used starter new

 

[GDeKoker]

Does it do the same with the spark plugs removed? Check the voltage drop too.
Has the engine been lifted recently, as in, thoughts around a lifting eye on the flywheel

Maybe flywheel not seated properly? I'm going to test everything. Today.

 

[GDeKoker]

Starter new flywheel 2nd hand same part number.

 

[GDeKoker]

Turns out original starter was installed wrong. Was grinding for 14 years boat used very little. I removed starter then turned to put corner in pocket where it belongs. That's why I was confused kept putting back the way it was. I also noticed starter bolts too tight telling me has been removed before.

 

[QBhoy]

Turns out original starter was installed wrong. Was grinding for 14 years boat used very little. I removed starter then turned to put corner in pocket where it belongs. That's why I was confused kept putting back the way it was. I also noticed starter bolts too tight telling me has been removed before.

Excellent. Knew something didn’t look right. Nice find !