Trany, starter or neutral switch???

I rebuilt the transmission in the '84 Nautique. When I turned the key, nothing happened. I used a screwdriver to short the sylonoid and it started right up. I replaced the ignition switch and the sylonoid and it didn't help. The starter is new (I replaced the old one when I did the transmission).
Anyway, for the past couple of days I've been starting it with a screwdriver and it's been running fine. I took the wife skiing and then were cruising at about 1000 rmp and a noise started coming from the engine compartment. It sounded like a bearing was grinding. Looking back I guess it could have been the sylonoid clicking. (Oil presasure and temperature were fine.) I turned around and started heading home. It died but the rpms were bouncing all over the place. Then everything went dead (blower, bilge, lights). It sparked when I disconnected the the battery. I reconnected the battery but it wouldn't start, even with the screw driver. When I used the screwdriver, everything went dead again.
Can running it with a bad neutral safety switch do this? Is there a problem with the starter? Or, worse, did the bearning in the trany or the main bearing in the engine crap out. Any suggestions on were to start first. I'm guessing I'll order the neutral switch and replace the sylonoid and see what happens. Thanks

Ok, I just tried connecting the starter directly to the battery via jumper cables. The cables started heating up but the starter didn't engage. I'm thinking the remanufactured starter has a problem. I'm going to pull the starter and try it on the bench. I'll order a new neutral switch to rule it out. Any other suggestions?

I talked to the folks at skidim today. They agreed that it sounded like the starter was bad. They're sending another one. I plan on replacing the relay as well. The old saying new doesn't equal good is true. Thanks.

The truth is "it is hard to fix something that ain't broke". You can work on it for months with no results.

Seems as thought there is a connection problem somewhere from the batt to the engine on either the neg or pos side. The thing that thats saying that is you are getting no voltage with the jumper cables hooked up to the starter. A simple test is - do your accessories run? Turn on the lights and hit the key and see if the lights go out. If so, its probably a batt cable/connection. If it stays bright, then jump the solenoid like you did previous post bypassing the solenoid and see what happens to the lights. If they go out when you jump it, then again theres a connection problem. A scientific approach is to hook your jumper on the solenoid to the starter where you got the 0 volt reading in the last post, and take the voltmeter and go from the case of the starter(gnd) to the pos post on the starter. If you get 0v then do this. Take the voltmeter and go from the starter case (gnd) to the neg battery post (the post itself, not the terminal) and see what you get. Then do the same from the positive stud of the starter to the pos battery post(the post itself, not the terminal) and see what you get. If you get 12v on one, then that line with the 12v reading you just measured has a connection problem somewhere. Good luck!

jimbo, a slightly corroded (or slightly loose) battery terminal can cause those exact symptoms. You can measure 12 volts, your guages and lights might even work, but when you try to pull enough amps to crank your starter, you get nothing. Remove your terminals, clean them with a wire brush, grease them, and tighten them down. ...Same thing on the other ends of the battery cables.

I hope it helps!

Well the folks at Wally World said the battery was fine. I'll swap it with the one in my truck to be sure. Jumper cables directs from battery to starter (including ground and see what happens...
Any other suggests? What's that 50 Amp circuit breaker mounted toward the back of the engine for? I've directly bypassed it so it can't be the main problem.

The battery is an automotive type with 540 Amps (450 cold cranking amps). I believe that was recommended for the 351W. The battery had been cranking things right up. I'll put it on the charger and give it another shot. Or just try the one from my truck. It might be a little low on the voltage, it has been sitting for a month. I'll check the main cables again for corrosion and such.

Most of the time I connected the two nuetral switch leads to the same screw. Some times I just connected the two leads with a jumper wire. I'll connect the two leads on one post and leave it like that until I get things sorted out.

What could I have shorted out by jumping the relay? What should I check?

Also, is there anything that needed to be done to the starter before bolting it up, like anything with the solenoid attached to the starter? I read about a "link" or something in the PCM repair manual.

Is there anything I could have done when removing or installing the transmission? The starter grounds to the engine block thru the bellhousing, right? I'm not missing a ground wire to the starter, am I?

If I simply use jumper cables directly from the battery to the starter (+ to the starter post, - to the mounting bracket) it should turn over or at least start to engage, right? I turned the starter bendix with my finger before installing it, so I know it turns freely.

oooppps the bold lettering didn't work out the way I wanted it to.

Which battery performs better?????????????


A full charged battery at -10F degrees

or a half charged battery at 30F degree's????????????

Cold cranking amps of a battery is based on 0 degress. Marine cranking amps (or sometimes referred as just plain cranking amps) is based on 32 degree temperature. So a 500 CCA battery will roughly produce 600 MCA. So if its half charged, will you get half the CCA? That is where it gets deeper in the reserve capacity rating of a battery.

no, reserve on a battery? which one frooze?

SWEET to hear shes goin!!!
Does the starter have a built in solenoid like GM or does it have only one big wire to it like a Ford?? Just curious..

Now for the cold battery question... Half charged meaning 6 volts or 300 amps? Either way it wouldn't start your boat or car.
As for the really cold battery...Sulfuric acid freezes around 50F. Since sulfuric is mixed with water in the battery, it will freeze at a lower temperature. Because of hydrogen bonding I'm sure it's like antifreeze in that when mixed with water, it freezes at a lower temperature than the pure acid or pure water. Because of Nautique79's clue, I would assume it would freeze around -10F. If you could get some current to flow through the cold battery, it would warm up and get sronger. The more current that flows through the half charged battery, the weaker it would get.
Of course, I could be talking out of my a$$. I live in Texas and I can't remember it ever being cold enough to freeze a battery.

I concur with '79; your battery is still undersized. We used to put that size on pontoon boat outboards. When they would mistakenly be put on an V8, they would be back next year with battery in hand comlaining of starting problems.