Mercury 115 starter motor

Airwaves · 07-03-2008, 10:18 PM

I have been going nuts all day! I have a 1990 Merc 115 outboard. The starter is apparently shot. Yes the battery is at full charge, yes the celinoid (sp) is working properly.

The starter spins but won't go up tp engage the flywheel!!!

Okay, if I had looked into this before July 3 I might have a solution, but I want to put this out to the forum.

I'd like to take my bride and friends out onto the water to watch the Independence Day fireworks. The engine will remain running and the trip back to the dock and my anchorage is about 900 feet one way. (Or as an MP officer said last year according to a member of this forum the distance of the safe passage law!)

Any thoughts about how to start this beast? No, I can't use a rope around the flywheel to start it, I'm not 18 anymore

HHHEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPP

robmac · 07-04-2008, 06:28 AM

short of rebuilding or replacing it your options are limited.the drive has failed,you could try to tap it while someone attempts to start it(works alot with car starters as a last ditch effort)but if you get it going and it stalls out on the water ooooopppppssss could get costly

fatlazyless · 07-04-2008, 07:00 AM

Unless the battery is run down bad, this always works. Turn the key to run position, put the gearshift into second, let it roll down a hill, and engage the clutch. Nice thing about New Hampshire, one is almost always on a hill!

Kamper · 07-04-2008, 07:23 AM

Better start calling around to see if anyone has one in stock. Usually the shop swaps yours with the rebuild shop. Normally it takes a week to get around but you might get lucky if you call a re-builder direct. I've seen them in the yellow pages. I hope you find one that's open.

Otherwise bring a guest who's young and strong. Dont forget your orange cushion and non-white "HELP" paddle!

Good luck!

2Blackdogs · 07-04-2008, 07:54 AM

If the solenoid is working and the starter motor spins, then it's the internals that are broken. The simplest way to see if it's a cheap fix, is to check if there's play in the arm that is actuated by the solenoid. Outside of replacement of the bendix clutches and helical shaft mechanisms, there's no "real fix".

If you can see the starter's gear teeth in this engine, you could pry up the starter shaft and wrap some twine to "pre-engage" the starter's teeth into the flywheel teeth.

Wrapping the twine in the opposite direction of the starter's turning would assure that it would unwrap or disintegrate when the engine started. Any other method, including plastic and plastic cable ties, might result in damage to persons or engine. Make sure the starter is driven only a brief moment by the engine, should it start. The starter could come apart.

But for this one brief event and traveling such a short distance, why not borrow a friend's boat?

Or, dare I say it, borrow kayaks?

Misty Blue · 07-04-2008, 11:00 AM

I'll bet'cha that Fay's has one on the shelf and if he has one it's a two bolt, one wire fix.

If things go bad we will be watching the fireworks from 1/2 mile island. Just call....Misty Blue, Misty Blue, Misty Blue....this is Airwaves, channel 16, over.

'Least that we can do for a fellow Coastie!

Airwaves · 07-04-2008, 01:09 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions, I even tried popping the clutch going down hill (my boat is near the Pawtucket falls!

)

I called around to all the shops in the area, all of them can rebuild it, none had a replacement on the shelf. Tried West Marine and Russo Marine, same thing.

Oh well.... Misty Blue, Misty Blue Misty Blue, this is Airwaves over....I'm sadly not at the lake or I would probably have had better luck!

Thanks for the attempts....Airwaves, out

*******************************************

A quick update, when I was at the boat today the local police came down to start their fireworks patrol. I told one of them that I had borrowed the starter from their boat and it fit perfectly and I thanked him for having it installed on their patrol boat yesterday!

He did a double take then realized I was just giving it back to him because yesterday in my attempt to beat the deadline of shops closing he was giving me "helpful" (NOT) suggestions !

07-03-2008, 10:18 PM	#1
Airwaves Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: I'm right here! Posts: 1,153 Thanks: 9 Thanked 102 Times in 37 Posts	Mercury 115 starter motor I have been going nuts all day! I have a 1990 Merc 115 outboard. The starter is apparently shot. Yes the battery is at full charge, yes the celinoid (sp) is working properly. The starter spins but won't go up tp engage the flywheel!!! Okay, if I had looked into this before July 3 I might have a solution, but I want to put this out to the forum. I'd like to take my bride and friends out onto the water to watch the Independence Day fireworks. The engine will remain running and the trip back to the dock and my anchorage is about 900 feet one way. (Or as an MP officer said last year according to a member of this forum the distance of the safe passage law!) Any thoughts about how to start this beast? No, I can't use a rope around the flywheel to start it, I'm not 18 anymore HHHEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPP

07-04-2008, 07:00 AM	#3
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,525 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 295 Thanked 957 Times in 698 Posts	Unless the battery is run down bad, this always works. Turn the key to run position, put the gearshift into second, let it roll down a hill, and engage the clutch. Nice thing about New Hampshire, one is almost always on a hill! __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

07-04-2008, 11:00 AM	#6
Misty Blue Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 658 Thanks: 121 Thanked 283 Times in 98 Posts	Call Merell quick. I'll bet'cha that Fay's has one on the shelf and if he has one it's a two bolt, one wire fix. If things go bad we will be watching the fireworks from 1/2 mile island. Just call....Misty Blue, Misty Blue, Misty Blue....this is Airwaves, channel 16, over. 'Least that we can do for a fellow Coastie!

07-04-2008, 01:09 PM	#7
Airwaves Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: I'm right here! Posts: 1,153 Thanks: 9 Thanked 102 Times in 37 Posts	Thanks for all the suggestions, I even tried popping the clutch going down hill (my boat is near the Pawtucket falls! ) I called around to all the shops in the area, all of them can rebuild it, none had a replacement on the shelf. Tried West Marine and Russo Marine, same thing. Oh well.... Misty Blue, Misty Blue Misty Blue, this is Airwaves over....I'm sadly not at the lake or I would probably have had better luck! Thanks for the attempts....Airwaves, out ******************************************* A quick update, when I was at the boat today the local police came down to start their fireworks patrol. I told one of them that I had borrowed the starter from their boat and it fit perfectly and I thanked him for having it installed on their patrol boat yesterday! He did a double take then realized I was just giving it back to him because yesterday in my attempt to beat the deadline of shops closing he was giving me "helpful" (NOT) suggestions ! Last edited by Airwaves; 07-04-2008 at 03:17 PM. Reason: An update

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07-04-2008, 06:28 AM	#2
robmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Nashua,Meredith Posts: 951 Thanks: 213 Thanked 106 Times in 81 Posts	short of rebuilding or replacing it your options are limited.the drive has failed,you could try to tap it while someone attempts to start it(works alot with car starters as a last ditch effort)but if you get it going and it stalls out on the water ooooopppppssss could get costly

07-04-2008, 07:23 AM	#4
Kamper Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Thornton's Ferry Posts: 1,296 Thanks: 67 Thanked 166 Times in 126 Posts	Better start calling around to see if anyone has one in stock. Usually the shop swaps yours with the rebuild shop. Normally it takes a week to get around but you might get lucky if you call a re-builder direct. I've seen them in the yellow pages. I hope you find one that's open. Otherwise bring a guest who's young and strong. Dont forget your orange cushion and non-white "HELP" paddle! Good luck!

07-04-2008, 07:54 AM	#5
2Blackdogs Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 115 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	If the solenoid is working and the starter motor spins, then it's the internals that are broken. The simplest way to see if it's a cheap fix, is to check if there's play in the arm that is actuated by the solenoid. Outside of replacement of the bendix clutches and helical shaft mechanisms, there's no "real fix". If you can see the starter's gear teeth in this engine, you could pry up the starter shaft and wrap some twine to "pre-engage" the starter's teeth into the flywheel teeth. Wrapping the twine in the opposite direction of the starter's turning would assure that it would unwrap or disintegrate when the engine started. Any other method, including plastic and plastic cable ties, might result in damage to persons or engine. Make sure the starter is driven only a brief moment by the engine, should it start. The starter could come apart. But for this one brief event and traveling such a short distance, why not borrow a friend's boat? Or, dare I say it, borrow kayaks?