'92 120hp Starter problems

[Rope Goat]

Help needed!
I replace the starter (2nd time in 3 years!) this winter, new battery also.
1st 2 months of summer, glorious boating. Then the dreaded clicking sound....

Went out this weekend, seems like the starter is shot yet again...sluggish performance while trying to start and then no starting at all, just clicks. Bought another battery, not the problem.

Are these starters just really weak, or am I extremely unlucky and have just gotten bum starters. Bought them from Ebay, but from reputable sellers (so it seems!).

I'm guessing from reading through all the other posts this might possibly be rectifier/soleniod problems?

No high voltage (or low, for that matter) issues, the flywheel moves easily by hand and when the motor does run, it's a champ.

advice appreciated!

 

[john from md]

Re: '92 120hp Starter problems

Before getting another starter, take off the ground cable and clean the connection well on both the cable and the engine. Do the same to the cable going to the solinoid and starter.

When trying to start, feel the ground cable. Is it getting hot? IF so, peel back some insullation and look for corroded wirer. Do this on both cables.

If you find corrosion, replace both cables.

John

 

[Rope Goat]

Re: '92 120hp Starter problems

Thanks John!
Gotta love the help I've gotten on this site over the last few years...your help is much appreciated.
I went through and checked all the connections. All seemed fine. I noticed (and then remembered from when I put the starter(s) in earlier) that for some reason there was a washer acting as a spacer between the bolt that grounds the starter back to the block. When I put the starter in earlier this season, I just put that "spacer" nut back in there assuming it was meant to be there for some reason, even though now typing this that's the red flag obviously.
The spacer nut was not SS and I'm (hopefully) correct in assuming that it wasn't providing a clear path for the ground, since once I took it out, and put the SS bolt back in the sucker fired right up.
Thanks again, and now I am ready to head back out for Seafair, the Hydroplane races in Seattle.
cheers- Todd