Shredding Starter Gears / Hydralock?

[DestinyEscape]

Hey Guys,<br /><br />Here's what I've got:<br /><br />1997 4.3LX Gen+ Mercruiser (Carbeureted) w/ Alpha One Stern Drive on a Marada 18' Fish/Ski Boat.<br /><br />The problem I'm having is this:<br /><br />Had the boat out on Memorial Day, and the starter stopped working. One of the girls that was on the boat with me went to shut-off the engine and turned the key the wrong way causing the starter to grind. When I went to restart the engine it made a clunk and then the starter just starting whining like it wasn't touching the flywheel anymore. I took the starter to a shop to have it re-built and it turns out there is a plastic gear inside the starter that was stripped. They said that this could be caused by what she did (engaging the starter with the engine running) or if the engine was seized. I put the starter back on and it did the same thing as before (clunk... and then just the motor whining). I turned the engine over by hand (with the spark plugs in), and it seemed to have normal resistance. I checked the flywheel to make sure that the outer gear ring had not seperated from the center and everything seems fine there.<br /><br />Currently, they are again rebuilding the starter for me, and tonight I am planning to pull the plugs and turn the engine over by hand to see if there is any water in the cylinders. I believe that this would be hydralock?<br /><br />Anyway, I was hoping someone might have run into this problem before. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance guys.<br /><br />CP

 

[McKenzie]

Re: Shredding Starter Gears / Hydralock?

If it was hydrolocked, I don't think you'd be able to turn the engine over by hand like you did. Unless the water evaporated in the time you took the starter out and tryed turning it over by hand, I don't think hydrolocking is your problem. I would lean more towards the starter being the culprit, its possible the person that rebuilt the starter overlooked something. Are they charging you for the second rebuild?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Shredding Starter Gears / Hydralock?

When you put it back in...... Clean,+ Inspect All the Conections... Including All the Grounds....<br />I'm Betting on the Starter....

 

[DestinyEscape]

Re: Shredding Starter Gears / Hydralock?

Thanks for the help guys. I got it working this weekend. The engine was hydrolocked. What we think happended was this:<br /><br />The starter went out when it she turned the key the wrong way and grinded (GM starters use a cheap plastic gear inside that shears easily). Then, when I was towed back in, I did not think to raise the stern-drive unit causing water to be forced up into the engine. When I reinstalled the starter, the water in the cylinders caused that gear to be destroyed again. When I pulled the spark plugs the starboard bank of cylinders all had water in them. After draining the water, installing new plugs and the rebuilt (again) starter, I ran it for about fifteen minutes and everything seemed normal. I used it both days this weekend without a problem. I have trouble buying into coincidences like this, so I'll be keeping an eye on the manifold to make sure it is not cracked.<br /><br />Oh yeah, he did not charge me for the second re-build as a favor.<br /><br />CP