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racerjim

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I have had to replace 3 starters in 1 year in my 2000 Seaswirl Striper. Penta STX outdrive 5.7L V8 Chev Vortec engine. The starters all have rusted between the bendix and the shaft. They will spin but not engage the flywheel. It appears that the cover between the engine and the bell housing is missing. So, I am having to have the engine pulled and a new cover installed to keep any splash water out of the starter. Has anyone had a similar problem? Am I on the right path to solve my problem? Thanks Jim
 
racerjim said:
I have had to replace 3 starters in 1 year in my 2000 Seaswirl Striper. Penta STX outdrive 5.7L V8 Chev Vortec engine. The starters all have rusted between the bendix and the shaft. They will spin but not engage the flywheel. It appears that the cover between the engine and the bell housing is missing. So, I am having to have the engine pulled and a new cover installed to keep any splash water out of the starter. Has anyone had a similar problem? Am I on the right path to solve my problem? Thanks Jim
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Did you lubricate any of them? That's supposed to be annual maintenance and yes, I fully understand why most people avoid it- many boats were built without a way to do this with great difficulty, never mind making it easy.

How and where do you store the boat in the off-season? If the cover isn't vented, condensation will be a problem.

Who removed the cover?
 
The starters have been lubed prior to installation. The last starter installed had a hole drilled in the nose cone and a rubber hose glued into it so that I could spray the shaft-bendix with lube after each outing, lasted 6 mos. The boat is in a slip year-round. Bilge auto switch works perfect to keep rain or washdown water out. I put a high wattage drop light into the bilge to try to manage condensation. The boat has had a few engines replaced prior to my ownership, so I do not know when the cover was lost. When I take the boat out, I manually run the bilge pump almost continuously to keep water out of the flywheel-starter area when the boat is coming up on plane. Yes the bilge cover is vented. Jim
 
racerjim said:
The starters have been lubed prior to installation. The last starter installed had a hole drilled in the nose cone and a rubber hose glued into it so that I could spray the shaft-bendix with lube after each outing, lasted 6 mos. The boat is in a slip year-round. Bilge auto switch works perfect to keep rain or washdown water out. I put a high wattage drop light into the bilge to try to manage condensation. The boat has had a few engines replaced prior to my ownership, so I do not know when the cover was lost. When I take the boat out, I manually run the bilge pump almost continuously to keep water out of the flywheel-starter area when the boat is coming up on plane. Yes the bilge cover is vented. Jim
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Is it on salt water?

Do you use shore power? If so, set up a timer for the bilge blower or use a fan on a smart plug to circulate the air and leave the engine cover open a bit.

Spraying lube in through that hole won't put it where it needs to be- the gear needs to be raised on the shaft for lubrication, so it won't rust in place. It's a pain, but it makes a difference. What lube are you using?

You shouldn't need to run the pump so long- do you usually see a lot of water getting into the bilge.
 
Yes, Salt Water. Yes I use shore power. I use a high amperage drop light in the bilge to try to control condensation. Maybe I should consider a fan. Good idea.
I spray WD-40 or a heavy spray lithium grease down a 1/8 in ID hose while engaging the starter, in order to move the bendix in and out, hoping to get lube between the bendix and the shaft. This is where the rust builds up and seizes the starter.
No, I do not see an abundance of water in the bilge. Yes, there is a cup or 2 of water. I run the pumps to try to keep all water away from the flywheel when the boat comes up on plane and ANY water that might be in the bilge will surge to the back right below the flywheel.
Are you aware of anyone replacing a missing flywheel cover, that has cured a starter replacement problem?
 
racerjim said:
Yes, Salt Water. Yes I use shore power. I use a high amperage drop light in the bilge to try to control condensation. Maybe I should consider a fan. Good idea.
I spray WD-40 or a heavy spray lithium grease down a 1/8 in ID hose while engaging the starter, in order to move the bendix in and out, hoping to get lube between the bendix and the shaft. This is where the rust builds up and seizes the starter.
No, I do not see an abundance of water in the bilge. Yes, there is a cup or 2 of water. I run the pumps to try to keep all water away from the flywheel when the boat comes up on plane and ANY water that might be in the bilge will surge to the back right below the flywheel.
Are you aware of anyone replacing a missing flywheel cover, that has cured a starter replacement problem?
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I would use a drop light for heat, but air movement works better for moisture.

Did you check on ebay? Is it flat, or a stamped part? Have you tried to get the OEM part number?
 
Your suggestion for a fan is a great idea. I will get something to address that.
Yes, I have a factory part # and there are several listed on eBay
They look like flat steel to block off the front of the flywheel to bell housing area Jim
 
Are you aware of any different starters available on the market that might be designed to better deal with this issue?
I have been using high quality Sierra starters for marine use. They have a very tight nosecone area that tries to cut down the exposure to water intrusion. Any that have stainless components that would resist rusting better? Jim
 
If you are talking about the inspection plate at the bottom of the flywheel cover, it makes a big difference in keeping water out of the starter when the boat is being operated...

Ideally, you don't want any water in the bilge but that rarely happens on an I/O powered boat...
 
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