23 omc I just tuned up now no spark and starter runs on

"Looking at the points and cap

"Looking at the points and cap and plug wires and coil and seeing they were all original (I think), I decided to give my boat a tune up.
I installed a new coil, points, condenser, wires, cap and rotor. The boat started up perfect in my driveway with muffs. I started and stopped it a couple of times. I adjusted the timing a bit and made sure dwell was within specs.
The kids wanted to go to the lake so we made the 1 hour trip and after we launched the boat we discovered it no longer wanted to start.
I switched removed each of the new components and tried to start it on land and it still won't start.
I tried to check the dwell angle and my timing light didn't show any reading. I thought it may be not getting a spark and removed a plug to check the spark and there was none.
As I checked the spark the plug for a spark the starter motor kept turning when the ignition was turned off. I had to disconnect the battery.
I'm pretty sure the problem may be that the starter switch is bad. That is a switch that receives the current from the battery and passes the current along to the starter when the ignition switch is turned. I think that there is a wire that goes to the coil from that switch as well.
Should I be looking elsewhere? The switch solenoid is only $20 but it takes forever to get it in the mail. Then to find out the problem is something else..."

"The ignition key switch shoul

"The ignition key switch should be changed after about 15 years or so for good measure, and in the case of apparent failure, as in your case."

"Could be 2 problems, no spark

"Could be 2 problems, no spark and starter run on. Does the boat have a safety lanyard (kill switch)? If so that can cause your no spark and either a bad ignition switch or a stuck slave solenoid could cause the starter problem."

It does have the kill switch.

It does have the kill switch. I thought I eliminated it as a problem because when the key is pushed into the kill switch the ohm meter sounds there is a connection. When the key is removed from the kill switch there is no connection.

I looked at the ignition switch as well. There are three connections. One from the battery. One for the kill switch. One to the starter solenoid. The battery lead is always hot. When turned to the start position the lead which runs to the starter switch becomes hot. When turned off that lead doesn't get current.

"Sounds like the kill switch i

"Sounds like the kill switch is OK but the true test is to measure at the coil and see if you have voltage there when you turn the key to start (should be 12v) and when the key is on run there should be 8 or 9v. Use engine block ground or the neg post of the battery, if you use the neg post of the coil then depending if the points are open or closed will affect the readings. The slave start solenoid could be sticking. Does you engine try to start now if you attach the battery cable?"

"I'm sure it is going to t

"I'm sure it is going to try and start by itself again. I didn't mention it, but when th starter started to run on and by the time I removed the wing nut from the pos battery post the neg post was bright red and the wing nut post had melted off.

I plan on removing the starter lead from the solenoid and checking the voltage as you say.

I'm going to tow the boat home today and check it out some more."

"So, I went to my BIL's ho

"So, I went to my BIL's house where I have my boat and worked on it some today. I figured the starter assist solenoid was bad so I picked one up. After testing the solenoid in the boat I saw that the solenoid was bad. All of the posts had continuity with no switch being turned. I replaced and now the starter does not run on.
I don't know what burned the solenoid out. I did try to start the boat a lot so maybe that is wht did it.

The main problem was not getting a spark. I tested everything. It turned out that a previous owner had installed the bushings which insulate the points and condenser leads from the distributer wrong. When I installed the new points the leads just barely touched the distributor grounding it all out. Therefore there was no spark.
I think it was just dumb luck they worked previously and the first time I started the boat after the initial install.

Thank you for all of the help."

"Glad you got it working, mayb

"Glad you got it working, maybe now you can get out there and have some fun "