starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

[Novice...boater]

i bought a used 1988 Four Winns Freedom 160 boat and took it out the next day to the river. it sounded good when i first turned it on and warmed it up. throughout that day, I docked the boat for about 30 minutes with the motor off. when i tried to star it up, it sounded like the battery was dead, but did start. i never turned it off until i was ready to trailer the boat.

the next day, i took out down to the river again, but all i herd a was a single click coming from what i think was the battery getting a current when turning the boat on. the next week i un-hooked the connections to the starter solenoid, there were three wires connected to the main bigger bold and another small one connected to a different bolt. took a wire brush to the connectors and connected them back into place.. i turned the key real quick and herd the starter spinning so i took the boat down tho the boat ramp and tried to fire it up, but still just herd the starter spinning and not making the motor turn.

i am very new to inboard/outboard motors and electric wiring. any ideas?

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

Charge the battery up and check it again. If it is still doing that you may have a bad bendix.

 

[Novice...boater]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

It was fully charged when I had it tested. I herd even if the battery is a good, it still can be a bad battery. It's i believe 6-10 years old. I was going to buy a new one to see if it was just a bad battery.

 

[Don S]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

Put a battery in it.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

It was fully charged when I had it tested. I herd even if the battery is a good, it still can be a bad battery. It's i believe 6-10 years old. I was going to buy a new one to see if it was just a bad battery.

Before I went out and bought a new battery, I would try another battery of a known state. Either that or I would stop by your local Portland Harbor freight and buy a battery load tester. It is an inexpensive tool and one that is handy to have on hand.

100 Amp 6 Volt/12 Volt Battery Load Tester

What I would not do is spend $80+ on a new battery and have it turn out that it is your starter.

 

[Novice...boater]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

I took the starter out and had it tested, it doesnt spin as strong as a new starter. kneckts said it was bad, but poor customer service. Then i took it to oriellys and have great customer service and he said the starter was "ok" and that its weak, but wasnt sure if it would start a motor or not.

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

I would replace that battery before I went any further. 6-10 years for a battery, especially a marine, is a very long time.

 

[Novice...boater]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

I hooked my truck up to the boat battery as well. Still the same thing.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

Boomyal said it. A load tester from Harbor Freight I paid $20 a couple of years ago and it's one of the better purchases i've made.
Any one that tells me I have "weak" starter i tend to believe he's an IDIOT and I go someplace different.
Good or bad no questions.
Take it apart and clean/check the brushes.
Boats float, that means they can hold water too.
If it's ever had enough water in it to get the starter wet then it's not gonna last that long.
Remember it a very humid thing"boating" moisture is a big problem.

 

[Novice...boater]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

It turned out to be the stater, got it replaced and it starts up! Thanks guys

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

It turned out to be the stater, got it replaced and it starts up! Thanks guys

You didn't get happen to get that starter at O'Reillys, did you?

 

[Novice...boater]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

No I got a marine starter.

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

No I got a marine starter.

Good man! :thumb:

 

[Novice...boater]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

It turned out to be a bad starter. Replaced it started right up. My exhaust manifold needs to be replaced and I have low compressions on 2 of the four cylinders. Also a little bit go moister the mechanic said. SE said about 2,000 to get everything running if there is no further damage. He would replace exhaust manifold and do a valve job. Or do I buy a rebuilt engine and a new exhaust manifold?

 

[Novice...boater]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

He would put a one year warranty on the service.

Another shot will put a two year warranty on a rebuilt engine.

 

[alldodge]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

When your talking about rebuilding an engine comes down to how good your mechanic is and can he be trusted. With it being a 1988 this has some years on it and were talking about just head work. The head could be removed and more trouble be found as previously mentioned. What was the compression readings?

Edit: may want to start a new thread to get more input

 

[Novice...boater]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

I did start a new thread. I don't remember the numbers off the top of my head. I have them in my filing cabinet but one was just BAD the other was getting bad and the other two are normal. This guy is one of the biggest boat engine supplier in Portland and I have called a lot of boat shops and they all have referred him. I just figure if I get a new rebuilt engine and do my yearly maintenance, I'll save money in the long run with issues. Is this a valid point?

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: starter turns, but motor doesn't turn

What motor?
If the 2 cylinders with low comp are next to each other, it just might be a bad head gasket.
It might be just siezed rings? Some people use tranny fluid or Marvel Mystery Oil to soak the rings.
I've brought a lot of dead motors back to life with the MMO