Claymore Comes Out

[Sgeir]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm now wondering if the reason is that it's getting too weak a "push".

[/ QUOTE ]Happened to us on an earlier boat, late 80s. I'd stripped it down, replaced some small parts, still didn't work. Borrowing someone else's battery revealed the problem. Just not enough oomph left in our tired old battery.

 

[Billjratt]

A couple of answers... Steayban is now Sahona. Yes we were in Tarbert, a bit disappointed with the music, where's the tradition gone?
Startermotors... The pinion has to engage before the contacts make (to start the motor turning) so a dead battery or dud contact gives a dead-end clunk or really slow turn. If you get a mechanical grating noise, the gears aren't meshing properly either due to wear, or mal-adjustment of the pinion and contacts: which takes us back to the shoogly bit you found in the first place.......

 

[DaveS]

Ah, thanks for that. I didn't know that, but I suppose that it is the only sensible way to arrange it. "The Man" also sent a spare starter so I might fit that one as my first shot at finding the problem: if that works then my original doubts about the linkage might be confirmed. The funny thing is that "The Man" says that my unit works fine on the bench...

 

[claymore]

Problem solved then
get rid of a bunk and install the bench

 

[Kilter]

which is all very well but you don't want to start a bench do you?

 

[DaveS]

Quite.

 

[claymore]

Sometimes I just get really disappointed at the lack of creativity, logic and lateral thinking around here. If the starter motor works on the bench then put it all on the boat and just wire it up to the engine - anyway - I'll bet you haven't considered how useful a bench might be as opposed to how useful the bunk it replaces is. I would venture to suggest that you can do all and more that can be done on a bunk on a bench

 

[Lakesailor]

I'm sure that lateral thinking would contravene some ColReg or well-known salty-sea-dog's-rule and thus be the basis for endless threads and discussions. Could I suggest you keep quiet on the lateral front?

 

[DaveS]

Update

Well I went aboard today bearing the "refurbished" starter motor and the new spare unit. Before fitting either I had a look at the electrics and quickly found that the actual problem was indeed a high resistance joint. The main engine earth terminal bolt had about 6 mm of slack in it, and there was evidence of some (fairly superficial) burning. So ten minutes to clean that up, apply lots of vaseline and re-tighten. The re-fitted original starter unit then worked perfectly - and continued to do so because I started the engine a dozen times or more. (And not just to test the starter, but that's another story.) So a bit more elementary methodical investigation in the first instance rather than jumping to conclusions would have had me sorted a fortnight ago at no cost. Moral here!

However, it did got me thinking about what would be the position if the starter really had gone t!ts up somewhere remote. I have therefore bought the new unit as a spare, which should ensure that it is never required...

 

[machurley22]

Re: Update

I claim my prize for being the first to mention[ QUOTE ]
Wiring?

[/ QUOTE ]though perhaps a free consultation on Charging the Battery from an Outboard might not be as valuable as first I'd hoped. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif