Is my starter shot?

[zapblam]

1997 Tracker by Mercury 25hp 2 stroke

Got my motor running great after cleaning the carb. Only starts by the pull rope. Installed new marine wires from battery. Cleaned control plug as there was grease in there....hope it was not supposed to be in there.

Started diagnosing the starter system. Solonoid clicks once each key turn. Tried bridging the solonoid posts, nothing. Test lite ON when checking yellow wire going to starter when turning key. So power to solonoid, and to the starter motor. Cleaned all contacts as I went.

Removed starter. Bench tested with a good battery directly to the starter motor. Nothing.

Dismantled starter motor. Brushes are nicely grooved but appear to have 3/8 of wear left. I cleaned them up. I polished the communicator and decarboned as much as I could.

There are a few slightly burned looking winding wires near the bendex.

SO when I reassemble this motor and bench test it again, is the motor NFG if it does not operate. OR am I over looking something.

 

[zapblam]

Re: Is my starter shot?

Automotive feeler guages make great macgyver brush holders to get the thing back together.

Of course I had to drop the motor before bolting together after 15 min of brush anxiety.

Wifes idea of using tiny zipties worked even better.

 

[emckelvy]

Re: Is my starter shot?

Sounds like the starter is Toast.

If you have a company near you that rebuilds automotive alternators and starters, they most likely also dabble in rebuilding marine stuff. That'd be much cheaper than a new starter. Otherwise you might check eBay as that kind of item is on there quite regularly.

HTH.......ed

 

[zapblam]

Re: Is my starter shot?

Is the solenoid required for bench testing?

or am I doing it right by attaching POS to the starter motor bottom terminal post and the NEG to the motor case? I know for any automotive starter I have worked on, the solonoid is attached to the starter for testing.

Also when putting a test light across both solonoid terminals, should I get light ON when the ignition is on START. I dont. Each individual terminal gets light against a ground though.

Dont have a multimeter yet...getting one soon.