bendix stuck

roffey · #1 07-18-2013, 03:56 PM

seems like this boat is always broken... The last time I was out the battery went dead,, just before the winch cable broke,, LOL. Try and load a 26 foot boat with no motor and no winch cable... That's a different thread.... Very hot day and when I got the boat home and battery charged the boat would not start,,, just crank. After about 30 min of cranking the motor started to show signs of life and then the starter would just click.. so I think the bendix is stuck on the fly wheel. I know what a dead battery sounds like, click click click and I know what broken teeth on a fly wheel sound like.... this is just one click every time I turn the key..

My question is can I just hit the starter with a hammer and see if I can unstick the bendix it or is this a done deal, take the old starter off for when I but my new starter?

macojoe · #2 07-18-2013, 04:32 PM

go ahead and hit it, can't hurt. is the battery charged after all that cranking?? ck the cables sometimes they get hot with all that cranking, might have melted on the end, might need to be tightened up or something??

roffey · #3 07-18-2013, 04:38 PM

I was watching the battery when cranking was looking for smoke. I have a smart charger and it will test the battery and tell me when it if full or broken and needs to be replaced, got ta love technology... ok will go a head and give it a love tap and see what happens. and it's an I/O

smokeonthewater · #4 07-19-2013, 12:51 AM

never never never hit a starter with a hammer or anything else except in an emergency to get home... VERY often the "love tap" will break or dislodge the magnets making the starter junk

Most likely this isn't the starter anyhow.... the bendix isn't stuck and if it was the starter would still crank the engine

Most likely your slave solenoid (not on the starter) has given up the ghost... feel free to give IT a little tap

spareparts · #5 07-19-2013, 07:04 AM

I think his starter is the old style(non permanent magnet), while it isn't that good for them, not much you can do to hurt the old ones once they start giving problems. The new style gear reduction starters should never be hit with anything, don't drop them either. They have permanent magnets inside that are very fragile. BTW, both starters will interchange using the correct bolts

tsubaki · #6 07-18-2013, 04:37 PM

This sounds like an inboard/outboard.
If it was an outboard, I'd rotate the flywheel to detach the teeth of the starter from the flywheel. Can't do that with an innie/outie.
I'd whack it!!
The aggravation to remove the starter (if an I/O) is worth replacing it.

roffey · #7 07-19-2013, 10:00 AM

so... I did give it a tap, not a whap just a few taps with the hammer and it did not fix the problem. The starter is now clicking as if the battery was low and I know my battery is good a with a full charge. I jumped from my truck and still no change..so you guys think it might be the solenoid... and I believe that is on the starter so I will have to take the starter off and replace or test it.

phatdaddy · #8 07-19-2013, 10:29 AM

can you take a known good battery or jump box and go straight to the starter?

smokeonthewater · #9 07-19-2013, 10:37 AM

my "old style" GM starters all the way back into the early 70's all had permanent magnets... don't beat on it.... you can add busted starter to whatever other problem you may have

there are TWO solenoids... one on the starter and one remote mounted
USUALLY it is the remote one that causes issues.... you COULD also have corroded connections

You can trouble shoot this with a volt meter and a helper to turn the key

hook the positive to the battery positive and use the negative to trace the path of electricity .... at each test point the voltage should drop from near 12v to near 0v when the key is turned to start.

You want to test the large power connection on the starter solenoid mounted on the starter, and the "s" terminal on the same solenoid.
If both of those pass then the problem is within the starter and or it's mounted solenoid
If the large terminal fails you have either a bad battery or bad connection(s) in the battery cables (check both pos and ground)
If the "s" terminal fails move the test to the slave solenoid and repeat. Next test will be the ign switch

roffey · #10 07-19-2013, 07:35 PM

I'll give it a try, keep in mind I am a computer nerd. I'll keep you posted. Funny the way it works out. I was going to go out on the water today but the starter foiled that plan. We had the worst thunder storm and a tornado watch, I would have been out on the water most likely miles from the dock... and docking a big boat in the wind is not fun...