Starter problems - 1989 captive 6 cyl.

stinger536

Tried to fire up my boat today with a fully charged battery that I bought last fall. Starter won't turn over the engine. Doesn't have the "click" sound like a dead battery and I hooked up my 200 amp charger to try to start. I'm sure that I winterized correctly, this is not my first time. Any ideas?

212rowboat

Let's hope your water pump isn't frozen.. if it is, it won't allow the engine to turn no matter what.  Try putting a big ratchet on the drive pulley and seeing if the engine will turn, even a little, by hand. 

stinger536

Thanks. I'll give that a try. T
his is the first time that I've tried to start it this spring.

raybo3

I would think that if you are not getting a click from the solenoid then you have an electrical  problem or a bad solenoid. 

JC290

I'm with Ray electrical problem would be my first guess bad connection battery or tripped breaker

212rowboat

Fellas, I'll take the man at his word he's chased electrical issues away. 

The reason I brought this water pump issue forward is that a local guy here just had this very thing happen to him. He bought new batteries, chased wiring all the way to the starter, was hot as he could be.. The stator was engaged, but the starter just wouldn't turn.. he pulled the starter and had it load tested, checked out fine.. he got a new one anyway, and had same issue.. 

He had a moment of clarity, and pulled the plugs out and tried it.. even w/o compression, it wouldnt budge.  He decided to pull the engine and strip it.  He pulled the belt off, and all the sudden it rotated like it was cool... Decided to pull the w/p and front cover, only, it didn't like that idea very much... After much argument between he and it, and some heat via torch, he gt it off... The impeller was bonded via corrosion to the housing.  Go figure.  It's not something I would have guessed either, but now knowing, I can easily see it could happen. 

youstolemybeer

start at the battery and check ALL electric connections, you need them clean and tight. Go to harbor freight and get a battery load tester. It will act as a volt meter as well. Your looking for voltage at all connections. When you have completed that do a starter load test. If still not go, then pull solonoids and starter.
Not fun, but it can be completed in about an hour.    It could be something as simple as loose battery connections

dalek

Forgive me for being so obvious, but double check it is in neutral. In my boat I get the exact same outcome if I try to start when in gear. No click, nothing.

stinger536

It just groaned a few times at first and now I am getting a click out of it like a dead battery. I did pull the plugs and tried to turn it over, same result. Oil looks like brand new. I smacked the solenoid a few times and still nothing. I even check the battery with a second charger and its right up there in power. Can this starter be pulled with removing engine mounts, jacking up the engine.etc? Its the 4.3L Chevy. 
Thanks for everyone's help!

JC290

I wouldn't see why not rowboat212 is the expert on that believe he has a 4.3 I bet you can get to with out jacking or loosing motor on mine I can get to them easy as my engine room is huge 

mamasndpapas

sounds like a,bad starter to me too....love the frozen water pump...il,keep,that one in the bank. That's some find

212rowboat

JC290 said:

I wouldn't see why not rowboat212 is the expert on that believe he has a 4.3 I bet you can get to with out jacking or loosing motor on mine I can get to them easy as my engine room is huge 

well... Y'all ain't gonna like this... But... To do it right, the engine has to be lifted (at least on mine.).. it isn't a big deal to do that.   Now, it 'can' be done without, except for one bolt, which is long.  Here's the deal- you can get to three of them no problem, and you can drop the fourth, but there isn't enough clearance to get it out.  It's head can rest on the hull, and it can be cut, and taken out in two parts.  How do you get it back in?  You don't.  Unless you tilt the engine. So... How many bolts does the engineer request, and how many are actually needed? .... Three will hold it.... But a chewed flywheel is not a pretty thing.  I challenge someone to swap one of those w/o pulling the engine. 

JC290

i knew 212 would know LOL 

stinger536

How much should I expect to pay someone to replace the starter?

212rowboat

I'd reckon about four hours labor, whatever that runs you... Parts.. I'd guess $300 or so around here, and upwards of $500+ parts... obviously, if it can.be fished out w/o tilting the engine, a LOT less. 

rasbury

if electrical has been ruled out then sound like quite a party ahead- I pulled mine from my 270/350 mag but at one point I think I was standing on my head. If it goes again I'm trading. I had mine re built for 135 bucks and it's been fine ever sense but as it fails, I was thinking I had battery problems as the batteries were old so I did replace them in the process...this was just after buying the boat. I had gotten water in it and toasted it....real swell place to put it too- absolute bottom of the boat so if you get just about any water in the bilge, it's getting wet. And it is not sealed....suppose it can't be because of heat but not a good layout. In the manual it shows other models with the starter on the top of the flywheel and not the bottom- I want one of those!

stinger536

212 rowboat, are you saying $500 plus the cost of parts or $500 +/- all in?

stinger536

I'm in mid Michigan.

212rowboat

$500 all. 

JC290

212rowboat said:

$500 all. 

That's about right 

stinger536

Thanks, Guys. Its at the shop now and will be finished tomorrow.