Mercruiser 260 starter problems

"Having problems starting Merc

"Having problems starting Mercruiser 260. Starter turns but makes a loud grinding noise, sounds like it is grinding against the flywheel. Starter is fairly new, and the last one that was put in did not last either. Also there was some smoke coming out of the air filter when I tried to start it. Could it be flywheel problems? Any suggestions?"

"It sounds like your flywheel

"It sounds like your flywheel starter gear is toast, or maybe the flywheel has come loose on the crankshaft. Either way you will need to pull the drive unit out, then pull the engine to get at it I believe. Nice winter job.
When it does start, how does it run? Good power and performance generally? How is the idle? If all these things are good, your problem boils down to the starter and/or flywheel.
Good luck,
Rod"

"Ken,

Specific questions...

"Ken,

Specific questions... Does the engine start when the starter is engaged or does it just make a horrible screeching noise? Does it happen intermittently… i.e. it starts sometimes, it screeches other times?

Sounds like you have a worn out ring gear on the flywheel. The little gear on the starter jumps out and engages the ring gear which starts the engine turning. If the starter is engaged repeatedly while the engine is running or the starter is not aligned correctly with ring gear, you’ll wear out both gears. The flywheel is not likely loose, btw.

Here’s how to check the ring gear. Take the starter out and roll the motor over while looking at the teeth on the ring gear. Might be tough to see or to get your head down there, but at any rate, you’re looking for distinctly warn out groupings of teeth. A chevy v8 generally stops turning in 4 positions, so you might see burned teeth every 90 degrees or so. If this is your problem, you need to pull the drive and the engine to replace the flywheel and or ring gear. Starter needs to go as well. Always use a marine starter vs an automotive starter for spark protection.

Hays"

"Ken
Is this a new problem, a

"Ken
Is this a new problem, as when you put in a new starter?. Many times you have to place a sim in the starter nose to cure this problem. This sim holds the starter out away slightly, sometimes a the starter nose is to far in and gets hung up on the flywheel. This is the first conidtion I would check for then move to some of the above posts."