1994 Mercury 60hp rebuild

[straffordengineer]

When I put the leads on the bottom and top terminals of the starter, it's only pumping 5ish volts when I try to crank it over. Haven't got around yet to checking all the grounds yet. Maybe today. Also, from the right side of the starter solenoid it's a yellow wire, it's short and going to the bottom of the starter. For some reason there are two wires. Looks like they're serving the same purpose. Is there a need for 2 cables there?

The only reason you would need two cables is if you needed more ampacity than only one cable could provide. I checked the parts diagram for your engine and it looks like Mercury designed it with 2 cables (p/n 88807A31; requires 2 each; $7 each, 7" long). Your voltage problem could be these cables. Check voltage to ground on both sides of the paralleled cables while cranking. Should be the same voltage. If it isn't, then paralleled cables are bad. You need to find out where the voltage drop is occurring. Here are the possibilities: bad battery (check voltage of battery at terminals while cranking); bad solenoid (check voltage at input terminal and at output terminal to ground while cranking, should be the same voltage around 12 volts); bad connection on positive wire at the starter (you already said this was 5 volts); bad ground connection to starter at either end of the ground cable (check voltage to ground at starter ground cable, should be 0).

[tYLoU]

The only reason you would need two cables is if you needed more ampacity than only one cable could provide. I checked the parts diagram for your engine and it looks like Mercury designed it with 2 cables (p/n 88807A31; requires 2 each; $7 each, 7" long). Your voltage problem could be these cables. Check voltage to ground on both sides of the paralleled cables while cranking. Should be the same voltage. If it isn't, then paralleled cables are bad. You need to find out where the voltage drop is occurring. Here are the possibilities: bad battery (check voltage of battery at terminals while cranking); bad solenoid (check voltage at input terminal and at output terminal to ground while cranking, should be the same voltage around 12 volts); bad connection on positive wire at the starter (you already said this was 5 volts); bad ground connection to starter at either end of the ground cable (check voltage to ground at starter ground cable, should be 0).

Well, I didn't have an extra set of hands today so I couldn't test while cranking. But what I did test again is at the solenoid on the red, and at the negative and ground on the starter it was coming in at 12.92v. I checked all the grounds, even sand papered everything for a better connection. With all that I did get movement out of the flywheel. Not much, but compared to Monday when it didn't budge at all.

With that said I was brain storming with a neighbor and he suggested taking the plugs out and turn the flywheel by hand. I did this, and I'm not sure how tight a rebuild is supposed to be, but it was tough to turn. So what I'm thinking is it may be just to tight for the starter to turn over? How tight should a rebuild be?

[JOE54]

very easy with lower off plugs out should roll efortlessly

[straffordengineer]

I couldn't test while cranking...But what I did test again .... at the negative and ground on the starter it was coming in at 12.92v.

Since you weren't cranking, your voltage test means nothing. There was no current flow so it you have a high resistance connection somewhere it would not show (IxR=V; 0xR=0). Basically you just measured battery voltage at the solenoid. There are two wires connected to the starter. One is connected to ground and the other is connected to the solenoid. The one connected to ground is negative and the one coming from the solenoid is positive. If you put your meter on these two wires (directly on the starter) and you get around 12 volts while cranking, then the starter is getting full power and the problem very well may be the rebuild. If you don't get 12 volts at the starter, then you have to find where the high resistance connection is at that is dropping the starter voltage.

[JOE54]

never seen a need for 2 wires on post of starter either

[straffordengineer]

How tight should a rebuild be?

This is a difficult question to answer. It should turn over easy with no binding but it will still need effort but shouldn't need a wrench. Until we know if you are getting 12 volts at the starter while cranking there is nothing more we can do.

[tYLoU]

This is a difficult question to answer. It should turn over easy with no binding but it will still need effort but shouldn't need a wrench. Until we know if you are getting 12 volts at the starter while cranking there is nothing more we can do.

I think at this point there is binding going on, because it is really difficult to turn by hand. I have my foot on the lower unit and both hands on a breaker bar and have to use some decent force to get it to budge. I'm gonna take it all apart and go from there. I'll come back to the starter wires later after I get it back together. Or if I get another set of hands I'll test the wire like you said before the breakdown.

Thanks for your help btw. You've been helping me since I had an issue with my voltage regulator and charred stator leads. Thanks to Joe as well. I'll start my breakdown hopefully on Saturday and get back to you guys.

[JOE54]

plugs out should roll with short ratchet on flywheel very easy,good luck

[SilverFox579]

I have my foot on the lower unit and both hands on a breaker bar and have to use some decent force to get it to budge.

Listen to Joe, you should be able to spin the engine easily with the plugs out and a short ratchet. Until you find out why the engine is so tight there's no reason to spend time diagnosing the starter. My guess is starter will work fine once the mechanical binding issue is resolved.

[straffordengineer]

Did you pre-lube the rings, cylinder walls, and crank bearings?

[tYLoU]

Did you pre-lube the rings, cylinder walls, and crank bearings?

Yup.

[tYLoU]

Today I was actually able to trouble shoot the hard turn crankshaft. Turns out the center bearings weren't centered right. Once I had them centererd I hand tighten everything on the cylinder block and crankcase. The shaft was able to move freely with little effort. So I put some new gasket maker on it cranked it all down to torque spec and now it moves but now takes a little more effort. With one hand on the block, and one hand on the wrench I can turn all the pistons around. But it does take some effort. Not nearly as much as before. Before it pretty much didnt budge. But now it is turning. Should it turn with less effort?

When I back off the four center bolts to just hand tight. It does turn a bit better. But tightened to 18lbs it becomes a little harder to turn. I added a little video for a visual.

[JOE54]

may have distorted bearing races by not having them on pins and tighten down

[tYLoU]

So I initially thought the bearing race was cracked due to the wavy groove the have. But I guess that's normal. But as was inspecting I took a look at the dowels that should be holding the race in place. They are completely mushroomed. (From being torqued down on) They're not sticking up anymore. So they don't fit in the hole anymore. So like you said Joe, because they don't go in the hole, I think they're distorting the bearings.

How the heck am I gonna fix those? Looking for some advice. I see they have a part number, but are the even replaceable?

[JOE54]

gota come out may have to enlist a GOOD machine shop,may have to warm them up if you can even get a hold of them to pull out,gota be carefull, that's bad deal,

[tYLoU]

Got the block back from the machine shop today. So couple questions for what to do now. I bought the dowel pins to replace the ones taken out. But how should I secure them when installing them. The old ones were machine pressed in, the machine shop didn't install the new ones. Will 271 loctite hold them in place? 2 pins slide right in, the third is a little tighter.

Also when it comes to lubricating the block and components for the rebuild I was using Napa reassembly grease. The guy at the shop said I should use just straight two stroke oil to lube the bearings and cylinder walls. What should I be using?

[straffordengineer]

Also when it comes to lubricating the block and components for the rebuild I was using Napa reassembly grease. The guy at the shop said I should use just straight two stroke oil to lube the bearings and cylinder walls. What should I be using?

I would recommend just using straight 2 stroke oil. That is what I did.

[tYLoU]

I would recommend just using straight 2 stroke oil. That is what I did.

Thanks.

[JOE54]

271/2 strk oil

[tYLoU]

271/2 strk oil

Thanks Joe. Gonna get started soon rebuilding again. Going to take it slow and triple check everything.