New Starter for 4.3l 3 post solenoid

[beruken]

I am having issues with the previous starter and the new 10yo starter from the same company and it appears the starter is not engaging the flywheel. If I rotated the engine and it occasionally catches and turns but lately nothing but a free spinning noise from the starter. I've inspected the flywheel as much as possible and all looks good. So, I bought another cheapo to see if that was indeed a starter issue and it came with 3 posts on the solenoid and I have no idea how to wire it as the original starter wiring schema is for a 4 post solenoid. Any idea how to do this?
1999 4.3l mercuiser v6
Thanks!

 

[Lou C]

If your boat came with the 4-terminal solenoid that's what you need, if the solenoids are the same otherwise just swap them.

 

[Bondo]

So, I bought another cheapo to see if that was indeed a starter issue and it came with 3 posts on the solenoid and

Ayuh,..... That's a car starter, you need a marine rated starter,.....

 

[beruken]

If your boat came with the 4-terminal solenoid that's what you need, if the solenoids are the same otherwise just swap them.

thanks, yeah i was thinking the same.

 

[Bondo]

thanks, yeah i was thinking the same.

Ayuh,..... Marine starters are completely spark shielded, to prevent boat explosions,.....

 

[beruken]

Ayuh,..... That's a car starter, you need a marine rated starter,.....

great... so much for snap decisions. Any idea why a new starter, well even the old would start to not engage and rotate the engine?

 

[beruken]

So I found the new rebuilt was no good. There is a plastic gear that is driven by 3 little metal gears which are turned by the shaft off the coil motor. The plastic gears were gone. I assume that is what happened to the previous starter too. I also don't see any special shielding that dictates a marine starter.

 

[ESGWheel]

The 3 vs 4 terminal solenoid: the 4th terminal is used to supply power to the coil for older style points type distributors.

And here are a couple links to sources for marine starters: link and link.

Also, I am not familiar with such a starter so I am interested to learn. Can you post a picture of this plastic and 3 metal gear arrangement? Also is there a part no. or link you can provide for this starter. Thanks.

 

[alldodge]

The 3 vs 4 terminal solenoid: the 4th terminal is used to supply power to the coil for older style points type distributors.

Please clarify, I've never seen any starter to coil/points distributor connection on a Merc

 

[Bondo]

Please clarify, I've never seen any starter to coil/points distributor connection on a Merc

Ayuh,...... It's been a long time, but that terminal used to power the points, at battery voltage when starting,.......
Now-a-days, it powers the fuel pump, during starting,.....

 

[ESGWheel]

Please clarify, I've never seen any starter to coil/points distributor connection on a Merc

I was speaking generically to help the OP understand why there are 3 and 4 terminal post solenoids. If his original starter with a 4th post is not for the coil, what it’s for? Unused? And frankly I am also confused at a starter with a plastic gear so if any info on that as well would be appreciated. Thx

 

[Lou C]

The plastic gear is the part of the gear reduction drive system in the newer PMGR starters. I like ARCO for starters and alternators…

 

[ESGWheel]

Thanks Lou

 

[beruken]

The 3 vs 4 terminal solenoid: the 4th terminal is used to supply power to the coil for older style points type distributors.

And here are a couple links to sources for marine starters: link and link.

Also, I am not familiar with such a starter so I am interested to learn. Can you post a picture of this plastic and 3 metal gear arrangement? Also is there a part no. or link you can provide for this starter. Thanks.

Thanks, DB was the two starters I had that failed. The New one that I held onto for 10 years was garbage. Not sure what happened to it. The new cheapo with the db electric solenoid work though! You can see the teeth on the front of the plastic housing look full but that is only for the first .25 mm internally they are gone and there was a lot of fine particle I thought to be sand at first in the grease.

 

[alldodge]

API 10105

 

[Lou C]

On another board (Bayliner?) there was a discussion on finding a marine PMGR starter with a metal ring gear, but I don't recall what came of it. I asked the tech guy at ARCO about this and he didn't feel it was a significant issue. I replaced the old direct drive Delco style with an ARCO about 5 years ago and it's been fine.