1987 Johnson VRO - Clicks Once When Starting

The engine has been running very well this year when my doofus GF bent the ignition key which eventuality broke-off and had to remove with needle nose pliers. Since then starting has been temperamental with the spare keys. Now the solenoid just clicks once and that's it. I bench tested the starter and it works perfectly so I'm wondering if the problem is the solenoid? When I turn the ignition key it reads 12.5 coming from the meter and I charged the battery.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

"Turn key"- to what position?
" Reads12.5" -where?

I know I sound like a broken record, but I keep saying I'm going to buy stock in the solenoid factory. Thousands of those things are sold every year when there is nothing wrong with the old one. You are on the right track when you check voltages. But that's in vain if you don't know what to expect, and where.

BTW, what's a record? Oh yeah, now I remember, one of those round black things with Elvis music on it.

Robert... the broken key thing and its retrieval at the ignition switch has no bearing on your problem unless you really dug into that switch somehow.

Do this simple test..... Have a known good fully charged battery equipped with good known jumper cables.... Connect those jumper cables directly to the electric starter on the engine.

If that test has the engine cranking over as it should.... that indicates a battery voltage drop exists in your normal existing cable, and if so.... disconnect all cables pertaining to the starting system, including the battery terminals, the ground cable at the powerhead, the solenoid connections, all of them AND clean thoroughly all of the cable terminals and the component terminals they attach to.

When cleaned thoroughly, tighten the cables once again with a wrench or pliers... not your fingers if wing nuts are encountered.

Note that a very hot cable indicates either a loose, OR tight but dirty connection, OR a cable with internal corroded wiring.