25 hp won't crank, just clicks, even after I cleaned connections

[renelson]

I've got a 98 model 25 hp. My top starter bolt hole (where it bolts to the block) cracked and so I had a welder fill the old cracked hole and drill and tap a new hole - all went well.

Problem: When I bolted the starter back on, and reconnected the electrical lines, nothing happened when I hit the starter switch. So, thinking it was a bad connection and/or a dead battery. I cleaned the battery connections including the wire ends, and put my charger on the 50 amp boost setting and just got a clicking sound when I hit the starter switch. So, I then pulled my truck up close and tried to jump the boat's battery off my truck - still got the same clicking. So....thinking that I must have a bad connection between my battery and my starter, I unhooked the positive jumper cable from my boat's battery and directly touched the starter bolt. All I got then was some sparks, but no crank, not even clicking --- WHY??? Shouldn't touching the positive end of the jumper cable (coming from my truck's battery) directly to my starter make it crank???

Oh yea, when it clicked, the sound was coming from the starter solenoid.

Any help would be appreciated.

-Ryan

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: 25 hp won't crank, just clicks, even after I cleaned connections

If you ran jumpers from a known good battery directly to the starter and nothing happened, then the starter would be bad. This assumes you had a good ground to the outboard engine block and a good connection to the starter "Hot" terminal...

 

[JB]

Re: 25 hp won't crank, just clicks, even after I cleaned connections

Might be a starter problem or bad connection between the starter and the block. Try jumping the + to the starter lug and the - to the block. If still get the same put the - jumper on the starter frame.

Let us know what you find.

 

[R.Johnson]

Re: 25 hp won't crank, just clicks, even after I cleaned connections

When the welding was done, is the starter now in correct alignment, or is the starter bendix jamming into the flywheel?

 

[renelson]

Re: 25 hp won't crank, just clicks, even after I cleaned connections

Thanks guys, I'll try the suggestions tonight.

Good question...No, the new hole lines up perfectly where the old one was. Also, the starter gear never even starts to "rise" to mesh up with the flywheel.

 

[renelson]

Re: 25 hp won't crank, just clicks, even after I cleaned connections

Also, I removed the positive cable to the battery and the graound cable...maybe I didn't get a good connection when I reinstalled them...

 

[godfather318]

Re: 25 hp won't crank, just clicks, even after I cleaned connections

Bad starter get a new one!

 

[renelson]

Re: 25 hp won't crank, just clicks, even after I cleaned connections

Gents,
I took my starter apart and used my wife's emery board to sand the steel on the commutator (as my service manual prescribed). I put everything back together and the starter runs fine. That service manual has paid for itself multiple times. Anyway, thanks for the help...as usual, this site is awesome!