"As always it takes longer tha
"As always it takes longer than you think ...I couldn't get the oil siphon started (needs to be warm oil I believe), had to draw the gas out from underneath the floorboards and I had 20 gallons in it, and then when I'm ready to crank w/o plugs NOTHING !!! One nuance I always had is the bow up trim will not lift the motor if the battery is even slightly low (and it's brand new) so if it was off to trouble shooting.
The ground wire got really hot and I'm going to replace that next. I kept the charger on low charge overnight and if that doesn't do it next on the list would be the starter but I am very open to comments !!! As an FYI, it hand cranks over and the belts stayed in great shape."
You used wrench-tightened non-Nylock or wing nuts for the battery cables, right? Nylock can lose their grip and wing nuts aren't approved by the Coast Guard anymore because 'finger-tight' isn't good enough.
Measure the voltage AT the battery while you crank the engine- if it stays around 10VDC, you may be OP, but if it drops significantly lower, find out why- have the battery load tested, even if it's new. If that's OK, measure the cranking voltage on the red and black cables, independently- connect one lead to the positive battery post and the other lead to the starter's positive terminal, then repeat with the black cable. If you see a significant voltage drop, you probably need a new cable. You may even see a fairly large voltage if you connect one lead to the battery post and the other to the cable after its connection to the ring terminal- that means your cranking voltage will be lower than required and the current will be higher. The Current capacity of a conductor is directly proportionate to the cross-sectional area of the conductor, which is the reason for heavy cable. The connecting points require this, too- a loose nut with a star or lock washer means that only the edges of the washer where it's split or the little tabs on the star washer are in contact and that means the current is trying to be conducted by very little material.
The battery posts are ALWAYS the reference points, not the cable clamps, nuts, distribution blocks, etc. ALL connections conduct to the load and if they have some kind of defect, the voltage will drop and current will rise if the device being powered is to work as designed.
If a starter comes with a test data sheet, it should show the current used while cranking and the Power, in Watts or Joules. If the power is expected to remain relatively constant, decreased Voltage requires more Current P=IE demands it and even a gear reduction starter like the ones on car/truck engines will need more than 300 Amperes (IIRC, the sheet showed ~4200W). The one for my Mercruiser 120 tested at about 350A, the starter on a larger engine will use more because the engine provides more resistance to cranking.
If the battery cables near the ends are noticeably stiffer than in the middle, they may have thermal damage or if the boat has had a vented battery, fumes from the electrolyte may have attacked the Copper. If you bend the cables and hear crunching, they should be replaced, based on my experience, anyway.
