E90TLES 1990 Evinrude 90HP won't turn over

[tolent]

Ok. Here's my issue, the motor won't turn over. cleaned all contacts, installed new starter and jumped it direct still the starter's bendix engages the flywheel but won't turn it over. Got super good compression. Pulled plugs and the motor turns real smooth. The starter turns the motor smooth with no compression but won't under load. Any ideas? I ordered a new solenoid but that doesn't seem to be the issue considering I jumped the starter direct to the posts. It was recommended that I try starting using a pull rope which I haven't done yet to rule out any running issues. The boat has been sitting for almost 10 years so it might have problems I'm not aware of considering I got it free and the previous owner didn't say if anything was wrong with it. Also I made sure it was in neutral...I can spin the prop with no resistance.

 

[interalian]

Did you check the ground? Jump ground too.

 

[boobie]

Check ALL your battery cable connections. Take your battery into a parts house and have it load tested.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Possible the starter is just old. Take a few minutes and pull it apart. You may find the brushes are deteriorated. They are a normal replacement/stock item with Bombardier. That will give you a chance to lube the armature and clean out the carbon from the inside of the starter.

 

[tolent]

I replaced the starter with a brand new one and it does the same thing.

 

[interalian]

Get your voltmeter out, set on DC volts. Connect one lead to the battery positive cable and the other to the starter positive terminal. Crank motor and check meter - you're checking for voltage drop. More than a quarter volt means you have a problem somewhere in the circuit. Repeat test with negative battery terminal to a clean ground on the block.

 

[tolent]

Ok. Here's something else, I pull the plugs out, with a brand new starter, turning it over, the engine spins nice and smooth, while cranking I put my thumb over ONE spark plug hole and the starter bogs down and stops turning.

 

[tolent]

Also I bypassed the circuit altogether and put the cables directly to the starter with a clean good connection on both pos and neg NO change. The starter just does not crank that motor over not even a half a turn. It wants to that can be seen but it just won't do it.

 

[interalian]

What is your battery voltage while you're trying to crank the motor?

 

[tolent]

Haven't checked it. I am using a battery charger with the setting at FULL START. Even with that setting and the cables connected directly to the starter it still will not turn more than an eighth of a crank. If I hold the key on long enough it will eventually turn it over but no where near fast enough to start it.

 

[interalian]

Try a different battery. Try boosting it from your car battery (your car should be OFF when boosting). It's been noted above to take the battery to a parts store for load testing. Most do it for free hoping if the battery is bad they'll get the sale for a new one.

If your battery is toast (dead/shorted cell), a charger/booster won't really help you as it needs the battery to be electrically OK to function as a boost for starting.

If you end up with a new battery, make sure it's not a 'maintenance-free' type. Deep cycle/marine battery is what you want.

 

[tolent]

But does it make any difference if the charger cables are connected directly to the starter lug? The starting circuit is bypassed right? With the cables connected directly to the starter it does the same thing. This seems mechanical not electrical. Here is a short YouTube video of my problem. https://youtu.be/s1_VTWclyiU

 

[interalian]

The battery charger/booster by itself won't have enough poop to turn the motor over. You're asking a smallish transformer with primitive rectification and no energy storage (think capacitor/battery) to do way more work than it was designed for. Boost it from your car.

 

[tolent]

Ok. I will try that tomorrow. I have to go to work now.

 

[oldboat1]

Replace the battery. Look for one rated on the label at around 600-650 cold cranking amps.

 

[tolent]

Ok. Tried boosting from my Chevy Silverado...No change. I have a new solenoid coming and that with the new starter and I'm going to buy a new battery.

 

[interalian]

Hold on - did you jump to the boat battery? Did you try connecting the booster cables right to the motor block and solenoid? Try using one of the jumper cables to jump between the two large solenoid lugs.

 

[tolent]

Both and no change. I'm just going to put that part of the project aside for now as I said above I've got a new solenoid coming next Tuesday and I'm just going to get a new battery hopefully that should fix that problem. Now on to the fuel system...Going to drain the main tank and refuel it with fresh gas...I got the VRO tank cleaned out and refilled with fresh 2 cycle Evinrude recommended oil.

 

[interalian]

First principles:

You need good, high ampacity connections between the battery and the starter for it to work. If you have a bad cable or connection, putting a new solenoid in won't fix your problem.

If you have put the jumper cables from the car, negative to block and positive to main lug on solenoid and it still doesn't work, moving the positive jumper lead directly to the starter terminal on the solenoid will eliminate the solenoid as a problem (should crank immediately without the key).

If that still doesn't work, move the positive jumper lead to the starter terminal. If that doesn't work, it's time for the shotgun.

Edit: after you've tried cranking it for a few seconds, feel around all the cable ends for anything warm. Heat means resistance...

 

[tolent]

Did ALL those things. I'm getting the new solenoid to make sure that starting circuit is fresh and new. New starter, new solenoid, new battery. I got the boat for free so if I have to put a little money into it to fix I don't mind. If I can't fix then I can sell it and make my money back so I'm not out anything.