[jb177]

My outboard wouldn't start at the end of the year, but I'm just now getting around to working on it. I had a post on the old board with some good feedback, but I didn't save it and now it's gone. Anyhow, here's the deal, in my non-mechanical terms.

The starter will not slide the gears up to engage the flywheel. The starter spins freely when I bump the key, but it will not slide upwards and engage the flywheel like it should. I tried pecking it with a hammer, no luck. Any input?

 

[Old Bald Guy]

Do you have the battery cables connected to the battery reversed? Been there-done that.Everything works just spins the starter in reverse and don't kick the bendix up. Will burn out the rectifer though.

 

[jb177]

Good question. I did have the cables off the battery for winter, but might have switched them when trying to work on the motor. I don't think I did, but I've done worse things before.

 

[Old Bald Guy]

Good question. I did have the cables off the battery for winter, but might have switched them when trying to work on the motor. I don't think I did, but I've done worse things before.

$20 says you switched em. I did the same thing a few years back and couldn't figure out what the heck was going on with my starter. Hope you didn't pop the rectifier like I did.

 

[jb177]

I'll have to double check when I get a chance to get back out to the shop where I store it. It wouldn't start at the end of last year, so I'm betting I still have issues even if I had the wires crossed yesterday. I will say the noise I heard yesterday was different than the ones I heard a few months ago when I put her up.

 

[thebigdeerslayer]

Mine done the same thing last summer. I sprayed the starter gear with wd 40 and worked it with a screw driver and its worked good since then.

 

[JTate]

I had mine hooked up wrong one time too. It happens. As OBG said, starter would engage, but bendix wouldn't pop up to the flywheel. Hopefully, you can just swap your connection back around and be good to go. Good luck.

 

[gibson]

Mine done the same thing last summer. I sprayed the starter gear with wd 40 and worked it with a screw driver and its worked good since then.

x2 except mine got stuck in the up position

 

[lunkerlander]

We've had that happen to us and it was that the battery connections were loose. I would check that too.

 

[jb177]

I found the issue. I finally got the starter to engage, but that was not the real issue. The starter mount is cracked allowing the starter to move away from the flywheel when I turn the key.

Where can I find a new bracket? Good place online to get parts?

1993 40 hp yamaha C40ELRR

 

[Duck]

You can have that welded or search eBay for Yamaha 40 parts, I've done that before with success.