starter motor question

oldbluesplayer · #1 06-30-2006, 12:49 PM

Folks - having a problem with my starter motor - 1983 Johnson 115 V4 Crossflow - the starter motor spins, but the bendix won't come up all the way and engage the flywheel. I've been thru the wiring, cleaning up all the connections, I replaced the solenoid, still no success on self engagement.

If I pull up the bendix into engagement manually, the starter will turn the motor over - very slowly at first, and then quicker and quicker as the starter warms up, if I hold the key over, till after 15 - 20 seconds it's spinning pretty normally and the engine fires up - or if it didn't catch, but now the starter is pretty warmed up, it spins much better the second try -

what is this - more circuit problem somewhere - or a starter gone south ???

appreciate any help

Bill

Bryan A. · #2 07-01-2006, 11:46 PM

You probably have done this but, is the battery fresh? It sounds like the starter is not getting enough juice. If you have been through the obvious, the starter is probably going bad internally like a brush or winding. You could try taking the starter off and letting it spin to re-seat the brush. That might work but will probably only prolong a dying starter. Good luck and let us know what you find.

RS · #3 07-02-2006, 08:17 AM

Try oiling the bendix shaft and use an fully charged battery as Bryan suggested.

Lenny · #4 07-02-2006, 09:05 AM

If I were you I would take a battery cable and go from the negative on the battery to the motor. I have seen this more than 1x where the motor was getting a crappy ground and would turn the starter slowly and not engage the bendix

Blue197320 · #5 07-02-2006, 12:49 PM

Bluesplayer,
on my 1985 150 evinrude mine started acting similar. mine wouldnt come up to the flywheel and if we put it up manually it wouldnt turn the motor with no plugs in it. battery had the boos charger on it and all. sadly paid 180 for new starter and problem solved.

RODMAN · #6 07-02-2006, 02:57 PM

If it is possible check the starter draw in amps.High amps ,slow crank = bad starter,normal amps slow crank = battery voltage under 9.5 volts =bad battery.Make sure battery is fully charge and connection are good. Good luck.

oldbluesplayer · #7 07-03-2006, 12:16 PM

Guys - thanks for the info -

while swapping out the solenoid, I took the starter off, and pulled the bendix - the motor shaft seemed pretty warn in spots, and the bendix nose bushing seemed pretty well worn, alot of slop between it and the motor shaft. Anyways, I cleaned the helix, and shaft, and regreased it, cleaned all the connections, and put it back together. The battery was new last year, fully charged, and I had the charger on it while trying it out.

No improvement, so I have a new starter on order. Motor is an 83, still running strong, so I probably just ran out of life on that starter, I guess.

Thanks

Bill

oldbluesplayer · #8 07-06-2006, 11:46 PM

Update - installed the new starter motor tonight - success!!

I was truly hoping it wasn't something in the wiring, and it wasn't - the new starter grabs and spins that motor like nobody's business - after a 5 minute warm up on the muffs, I shut down, and restarted, and it was like instant!

glad that's dealt with - thanks for the tips

Bill