Starter Motor Spins 1999 150HP

[TexasHonda]

My 1999 150hp (PX150TLRX) starter spins but does not lift to engage flywheel. I've checked battery (new), connections, removed starter, disassembled and inspected. Brushes look good. I did not pull commutator from brushes to avoid reassembly problem.

The pinion gear rotates easily by hand and climbs the spiral gear w/o resistance.

Question, Is only the inertial resistance of pinion available to cause it to rise? Since pinion and shaft are linked by the spiral gear there seems to be nothing but inertia to resist rotation and cause the gear to spin up to meet the flywheel gear.

Possible related issue. Starter was spinning and I removed starter to find the spring clip retainer was broken and someone had glued part of clip in place to retain the stopper and spring. I replaced clip temporarily w/ homemade round wire ring clip. It fits snugly and restrains the spring and stopper.

I thought perhaps someone has faced this problem and could identify the problem source.

thanks

[robert graham]

Maybe only the bendix mechanism is bad...can you replace only that part?....new starters are pricey$$$...

[99yam40]

Only time I have had a problem with the starter not engaging flywheel was when the battery was heading south or connections, maybe just not enough juice hitting the starter at first.

[TexasHonda]

Thanks, I completely disassembled, inspected, and reassembled the starter. Nothing wrong.

I think I may have a weak starter relay not providing enough volts/amps to drive the starter properly. I will test for voltage to the starter.

The end retainer was a red herring.

regards

[Dashunde]

You can try using jumper cables straight to the start motor, that'll obviously bypass all other parts that might be suspect.

But you need to fully charge and load test the battery first to be sure its not getting lazy and providing only a slow spool up of the starter motor.
Autozone will test the battery for free.


Make sure the spiral groove and the gear are clean...no sticky goo to slow its travel upward.

[rodbolt17]

***
all these replys yet no one has suggested a simple voltage drop test that could isolate the issue inside of ten minutes.
but that would require test equipment and training.
we all know that boat mokaniks need neither.

[TexasHonda]

I used jumper cables to bypass positive leg and got same result. When I bypassed negative leg, starter worked. It's either a bad battery connection or wire/lug connection.

thanks for help!

[TexasHonda]

Problem resolved.

I had inadvertently connected a jumper cable for extra battery (open ended) along w/ grounds for tilt/trim pump and alternator. Starter was only grounded through the extra ground leads which were not adequate for starter current. I found the correct battery lead pinned under the battery box.

thanks for help!