Battery draining 90

"I picked up a 1978 merc 90.Pr

"I picked up a 1978 merc 90.Previous owner could not get spark. I fixed his wiring mistakes and spliced new wires on the stator. Motor has 130-140 on the top 5 but I have not figured out how to get the guage in the bottom cylinder without removing the lower cowl. I have tried two different batteries, both were charged according to my battery charger. The motor turns over too slow but it does make and intermittant spark on the two different plugs I tried. Posts and battery cables get very warm while turning motor over.Also the battery will drop from over 13 volts to the low 12's after 30-40 seconds of turning over the motor. Something appears to be pulling to much power and we think the starter is the place to start, does anyone have any other ideas?"

Take the starter to your local

Take the starter to your local auto electric shop and have it tested. They can rebuild it for you if needed. But first make sure all your connections are clean and tight.

"Update. The motor is still s

"Update. The motor is still slow in turning over even with a charged battery but there is no spark. I get a flash when the key is turned on and off but no spark while actually cranking the motor. Gonna have to get my manual to check ignition components but I left it at the lake two hours away. Oh well I bought it for parts and that may be all it is worth but I was hoping for an easy fix."