Engine Rotation

We ordered the wrong starter once, it fired up on land so we dropped it in the water and cranked it till it died. We sucked water in though the exhaust and into the engine. We ended up getting the water all out and floated it onto the trailer, fixed the old starter, changed the oil, and winterized it. We un-winterized it this year and it seems just fine. So you should be good.

So I got the boat back about a week ago and shes running smooth. Very smooth in fact. New carb works great, and i wont know if she still boggs out at high speeds until i get her back in the water. The boat place still didnt put on the starter that I paid for, in fact they put on an OEM starter instead. They said they couldnt find a high torque for my motor that would work.. And it just so happen that they "forgot" to tell me. I call BS, but none the less the owner and the mechanics all agreed that after my ***************ty experience with these people, that theyre just going to send me a refund for the starter and call it a day. Wow fine with me. So now its on to gauges.

Thanks Zach. I have learned a lot since I bought the boat 6 or 7 years ago, and I enjoy working on it. But summer got here too quickly and with my job, I just didnt have the time I wanted to spend on it. I guess lesson learned the hard way. I just need to learn more about the wiring diagram and such, that way it might not take me as long to get something done hahaha

And thats another thing, when I dropped the boat off I left the hose attachment in the boat for the motor to be ran with hose water, and it WASN"T in the boat when I picked it up.. I wonder how long they were cranking on it without water going to the motor... I would have checked the pump before It went in the water but it WAS brand new. The more I think about it the more I re-affirm that nobody will take care of your things the way you take care of your things..

Have your original MARINE starter rebuilt as they probably used an automotive unit. You don't need a HIGH Torque starter. Tthey also Probably didn't put in a new distributor just a pertronix kit. So you will be ok there as long as you didn't pay for a new one. Once you get the starter I would check the firing order and then give it a crank, it should fire right up. I personally wouldn't expect a problem with the raw water impeller but keep an eye on the temp gauge just to make sure. You will be fine

Most boat mechanics are far from reputable in my experience. Thats why i work on my own stuff. But there are a few other things to question because everything in these reverse rot. would be different from std rotation for everything you mentioned they were replacing, The distributor gear will be different, in turn the fireing order will be different. and don't forget the oil pump is not pumping in that direction. so you were not oiling when they were "trying" to start it.
SO it all depends how long they were cranking it to try and start whether you may have some oiling issues but i suspect any damage that would have been done to any bearings if any at all would not show its face right away. In other words. till you've paid your bill and moved on. Pistons, valves, etc none of those will have been affected. But if they somehow shoehorned the wrong distributor in there (which i don't think it would even seat but i've never tried) If that's the case there is possibility of cam gear damage running the wrong gear on there.
And then the RWP impellar may need to be checked out if it was pushing instead of pulling water.

I suggest documenting it all thoroughly if you plan to pursue any real action. Which action that is, i cannot give any real advice on what way to go.
If it were me i wouldnt bother with any nasty phone calls i would show up in person, i would not pay a dime and i would drive away with my boat right then and there. Document how everything was when you got it and remove everything they did and do it right.
And sell that "wrong" starter on ebay
good luck.