40 hp evinrude clicking on start

[fish2keel]

Hey guys,

I have a 1988 evinrude E40teccs 40 hp tiller electric start. I just put a new starter and solenoid on the motor and had a full work up on the motor. Well I brought the motor home and let it sit for a few months while I traveled. I came back and put a fresh charged starter battery on the motor to crank it up.

Now when I press the start button it just clicks. The starter wont engage or anything. The clicking is coming from a piece by the shift linkage. It has an orange piece that can move. So when I press the start button it just goes click, click, click. Not even attempting to turn over.

This is on a fresh charged battery too.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks

f2k

p.s. i have a video on my phone as well of the clicking

 

[fish2keel]

Here is a picture of the orange piece that I referred to in my first post. When I hit the starter I can feel this piece clicking

 

[Lil' Blue Rude]

That's your primer solinoid. It's activated when you push the key in when it's in the on position.

 

[fish2keel]

Lil blue rude,

Got any ideas why its clicking?

 

[Zum]

I really don't "know" but sometimes batteries that seem charged...aren't.
Try hooking your car/truck battery up to it.
I know you can bypass the starter solenoid BUT I'm not sure on the correct way and I wouldn't want you to fry something on your motor.

 

[Talons]

BE CAREFUL!!!

Talons

 

[fish2keel]

I put the battery up to a trickle charger for 12 hours last night on 12 volts. Is this not right? It should be charged should it not?

I guess I can take my truck battery to it as well.

 

[fish2keel]

Here's the video for you guys...maybe that will help

https://youtu.be/kggmGYAeGZU

 

[Talons]

Okay, if you are 'up for it' then I can give you some 'step by step' instructions on how to diagnose where your problem is. However, in your video I don't think I saw the starter, they are usually on the port side of the engine (at least they have been on my Evinrude 200 HP and my Johnson 33 HP).

Regardless of that, let me know if you want to do it yourself or if you plan on taking it to the shop. If you plan on taking it into the shop, then just do that and be done with it.

If not, then the very first thing you want to do is ensure that the battery and the starter are working. You do this by either removing the starter and getting it by itself on the ground (this is the recommended approach) and then using jumper cables attach the NEGATIVE (BLACK) wire to the casing of the starter and then 'tap' the POSITIVE (RED) wire to the terminal screw on the starter. You are watching for two things. Spin, obviously, and engagement of the throw gear which move from the position it is in to the tip of the starter. If neither of these works, then it could be the battery. To determine that you can use a battery (12V DC) that you know is good! Like you truck battery.

If the battery is good and the starter spins and the throwout gear moves outward, congratulations, the basic system components are good and you are ready to begin PHASE 2.

*** CAUTION *** THIS CAN BE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS TO THE AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL! (Personally, I find it fun, but I've been told I'm crazy and insane too!)

Okay, let me know which route you are going to choose.

Talons

 

[fish2keel]

Talons,

I have emailed a shop to take a look at it but I would prefer to do it myself. I love playing with everything and learning rather than send it to some shop.

Ill go give your things a try. The starter is brand new. I just ordered it last week.

Im beginning to think that its the charger. The charger is older and when I plug it on 12 volts for 12 hours and hook it to the battery it is only saying that it has 5 amps. That seems wrong.

I have the starter mounted but I guess I'll unbolt it and see if it works.

Can I also hook up the cables from the motor to my truck? If it cranks in we know its the battery(which is brand new. Just got it last week) or the charger

 

[fish2keel]

Well I went out and hooked my motor straight up through jumper cables to my truck. At first it just clicked and clicked and clicked. Then I hit a black button on the side of the gear shift and it starter to turn over slowly. The starter engaged the fly wheel.

I then unplugged the truck from the cables because they were super hot to touch. I then hooked the cables from the motor to the battery in the boat and from there on out the starter just spins. It doesn't engage.

Not sure what happened

 

[Talons]

Okay, so does the starter spin and the engagement gear does not throw out and engage the flywheel of the motor?

Talons

 

[fish2keel]

Talons,

It did for a few turns but not it just spins and wont stop even when I pull the kill switch.

Got any ideas?

 

[Talons]

Okay, so when you used the truck motor the thing wored 'correctly' but the wires got hot?
When you use the boat battery the starter motor turns, but won't engage the engine and it also won't turn off even with the kill switch?

Is that about correct?
Talons

 

[fish2keel]

That is correct

 

[Talons]

What you need to do is ISOLATE elements of the ignition/starting system so you can determine which piece is bad. Once that is done you can determine if that piece (or pieces) needs to be replaced or can be rebuilt. But, just so we are clear on the advantages of both, I recommend replacement over rebuilding ignition/starting systems.

So, since the boat battery turns the starter, we can start there, okay? Okay.
1) Boat battery seems to be good.
2) Disconnect the starter ELECTRICALLY from the boat engine.
3) Use jumper cables and NOT the boat cables for this test. Why? Because you are trying to bypass ALL of the starting system components EXCEPT the starter itself.
The starter housing is the same as the NEGATIVE side of the battery
The little terminal on the starter (there should only be one and it should be fairly obvious) is the POSITIVE side.
4) Connect the negative battery terminal directly to the starter housing.
5) Tap the starter.

There should be NO reason to have to use ANY part of the boat's buttons, keys, etc. to perform this test. I did this on my 200 HP Evinrude to determine I had a throttle interlock problem. My battery was good. My starter was good. From there I moved to the solenoid.

If when you tap the starter the throwout gear does not throwout, but the starter spins, usually the throwout solenoid on the starter is bad. You said this was a new starter so, I find that hard to believe, but it IS possible. If the starter spins and the throwout thing engages, then you have both a GOOD BATTERY and a GOOD STARTER!

If you have to use ANY part of the boat other than the battery and jumper cables you are doing it wrong. Why? Because basically what you are doing is putting the battery to the starter without the other elements 'getting in the way'.

I actually had my starter on the ground and connected my battery to it. You do NOT let it spin that long as the wires will get very hot as a lot of current is going through them. It is SUPPOSED to!

Talons

 

[Talons]

You know what I mean when I say 'tap it', right? I am thinking you do.

The absolutely BEST way to do this (although, like I said not necessary) is to remove the starter and place it on the ground.

Talons

 

[Talons]

Are you sure it is spinning the correct direction? Usually they spin counterclockwise if you are looking at the top of the starter which would be where it engages the flywheel of the engine.

Talons

 

[fish2keel]

Talons,

It is spinning counter clock wise.

I did your test and the starter runs counter clockwise but it does not engage

 

[Talons]

The 'thing' that sends the engagement gear up the starter shaft is not working. Is that a new starter or the old one that came with the engine?

If it is a NEW one, take it back and get a replacement. Have him show you at the shop that it works. And it spins in the correct direction for your engine. Usually Johnson, Evinrude and Mercury all spin clockwise, which means the starter motor would spin counter clockwise.

If it is the old starter, then take it in and get another one. ALTHOUGH, those pieces can be rebuilt, that is above my experience.

I actually have a starter for sale, but its SMALLEST HP is 200HP.

But, the GOOD NEWS is: The battery works.
BTW, sometimes the guy at the shop can get the throw-out thing to work. I am not sure what they do, but you used to be able to 'hit them with a rubber mallet' and that would vibrate something and allow the starter to work. I do NOT suggest this. As the newer starters are built different today.

Good luck, man and keep me informed! GTG to BED now.

TTY in the AM.
Talons