Salt Water on Bendix:

[Rebouche]

I recently took my here-to-fore fresh water 85 Cobalt I/O to the Gulf. After 2 trips and over a 6 month pewriod the bendix refused to engage the fly wheel. I pulled the starter and the armature shaft had corroded. How would salt water have gotten to the starter drive? After rebuild, have I got a problem that avoiding salt water from now on won't fix? Thanks! Rich

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Salt Water on Bendix:

If that motor is a v- engine, salt water can drip from the mainfold to riser joint. It can also splash up from the bilge or leak from a cooling hose. Check these sources of leaks, keep the bilge pumped out, hose down the motor after use and spray the starter bendix with some good penetrating oil.

 

[AaronG]

Re: Salt Water on Bendix:

I found that on my boat, the bilge pump is on a platform near the front of the motor. It leaves about 5 gallons of water in the bilge. That water gets splashed around in rough seas. My original starter only lasted 120 hours (8 years). It was pretty ugly when I removed it. Good thing they aren't too expensive. Luckily, the oil pan, and everything else looks new. I guess Mercruiser used pretty good paint.

 

[Capt Ken]

Re: Salt Water on Bendix:

Actually the water only has to reach the bottom of the flywheel. The teeth on the flywheel takes care of slinging it all over the bellhousing and into the starter.