Mercury 115 Starting Issues

[17ireid]

So, I bought an old 1979 115hp Mercury that I was told will definitely run first try (actually gave me a warranty to bring it back for a refund) But on my first try the starter spun at a pretty good rpm but the Bendix didnt engage I've fixed all the bad wiring and cleaned out all connections and pieces throughout the entire engine including all related to the starter. The Bendix seems to work smoothly when turned by hand. Solenoid switch is good and the battery is putting out 12.5 Volts and the drop at the Starter is 9.7 Volts which seems about right. The starter has hit the crank once but not powerful enough to turn the engine over. Would a rebuild of the starter fix this? Or should I buy a new one? Or am I missing something here.

Thanks!

 

[racerone]

I would never rush out and buy a new starter without inspection of the old one.--------No need to be afraid of taking one of those starters apart.------Very easy to do and costs no $$$----These starters are easily damaged by excessive cranking.-------You might want to do further inspection of this motor as it may have been " hard to start " and thus the damaged starter.