Non starting motor

[Bigperm]

So out on the water & one motor keeps dying at around 5k would restart & do it again & again till no start at all ... I would listen for my starter to click & nothing so I switched my ignition switch’s & both switch’s would start the running motor but no change on the non running motor so planing to swop my electronic boxes and see if it will fire up ??? But thought I would check and see if anyone had gone down this road

 

[tdonoughue]

Hi, @Bigperm. Sorry to hear of the issues.

I don't know that I would go to swapping boxes yet. First, that is not likely to be it. But also, if one of your boxes is dead, it may be that another component on your dead engine killed it. If you swap, you may wind up killing the other good one. So I like to reserve that for last.

First thing I would recommend is pulling the plugs and changing them on the bad engine. Examine the plugs when you get them out. Look for fouling or goopiness on the plugs, or missing electrodes or anything like that. Be sure to let us know about that. Then change them all and try it again. I think at least 25% of the time, that fixes all ills on these engines (though yours is a bit older than the norm for that).

Where are you located? Is it hotter than Hades by you? There have been issues with suspected vapor lock in very hot temperatures, where the fuel may be evaporating in the supply lines. I have had that issue where an engine won't start before (now, not cut out at 5k, but wouldn't start). Something to consider.

Let us know what you find.

 

[Bigperm]

I will change plugs for sure but I am getting nothing no click the motor won’t turn over nothing . Here’s what found I have some brunt insulation around the power wire at the starter motor I put in new solenoid nothing changed and stilll no click I pulled the starter motor and it is fried ... locked up tight and the smell of burnt electrical fire . So new starter on the way but I still wonder what else might have burnt up I am concerned that I don’t here my solenoid click. Before I pulled the starter I put a jumper wire to the starter on the positive side & nothing no sparks no nothing so I put a negative wire from starter to battery and touched the positive to the battery and still nothing no sparks no nothing? So hoping that the burnt start was not letting me complete the circuit?

 

[Gym]

Sounds like your starter motor is a symptom not the cause. Check all your wiring for loose or corrosion connections from the battery to the starter. Also check the connections at the ignition modular connector behind the dash. You may have a loose connection there.

My other thought is your starter motor IS the issue. When it locked up it drew maximum current from the battery causing the starter wire insulation to burn and may have welded the contacts on your new solenoid. That may be why it's no longer clicking.

 

[tdonoughue]

I have had situations (in cars) where the starter has gotten stuck on the flywheel, leading to a similar result. I would check to see what the teeth on the old starter and the flywheel look like. If they are too chewed up on the flywheel side, you may have gotten the starter stuck in the engaged position and fried it. Not likely...

My bet is that the new starter/solenoid fixes it for you.