5.7 litre V8 engine troubles - Starter ?

[bout time]

Have 5.7 mercruiser that won't start/turnover.

Background:

Ran great last year and winterized early in the fall.

Today I pulled the lower unit replaced the bellows. Re installed the lower unit hooked up both batteries and tried to start.

Battery one 12.8 volts. " click click click, the tuned over VERY SLOW for 3 seconds back to click click click"

Battery two 13.0 volts same outcome as above

Hooked up jumper cables from my truck to battery. Reading 14 +\- volts. Click click click very slow turn over 2 seconds click click click

Thinking starter ? Anyone experience this before ?

[Bozeman Bob]

How old are the batteries ? Reading 12 volts doesn't mean any thing ,it's the amperage that you have to go by. You could wire two 9 volt radio batteries together and get 18 volts, wouldn't have enough amps to turn over a starter motor. If the batteries are dead they wont hold a charge and jumping them might work IF you had excellent connections, someone revving the car up and you waited a couple minutes before you gave it a try while the car is still revving up. You could also take the car battery out and install it in the boat and see what happens. Its probably that or your starter is shot.

[bout time]

Battery one is one year old and battery 2 is one week old. I always store Batteries inside during winter and trickle charge there periodically to keep them fresh

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[bailey]

Clean your connections at starter block ground and batteries and if a switch is in between there also.

[BrokeOff]

click of death.  just went thru this starter solenoid or starter.  at least yours is trying to turnover all i got was clicks

[muskiedreams]

If you can, monitor the voltage at the battery with a meter when you turn the key. If it drops way low, there is probably a battery problem or it needs charging. If the battery voltage is ok and you have access to the starter terminal, see what the voltage is there when you turn the key. If it is low there, check it at various points in between to determine where the voltage is dropping.

[Firechief48]

I would start with connections/wire first before anything. If batteries are good it sounds like proper power isn't getting to the starter.

[Chas0218]

It almost sounds like a battery but I had a starter do the same thing on my truck (GM 5.3L). Make sure your connections are tight and cannot move I have seen a loose connection do that exact same thing

Edited April 19, 2016 by Chas0218

[Richard]

I also am thinking a loose connection some where first. Check negative to block and positive to starter. If problem persists I believe Auto Zone will bench test both for no charge.

[bout time]

I've traced and checked everything I could reach. Nothing noticeable that made any difference. I'm out of town for next 2 weeks so I bit the bullet and dropped it off this morning to have it looked at

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[momay4000]

Check starter motor by jumping the solenoid and turn the key. Starter motor should spin. If it does, you have a bad solenoid. If it doesn't, bad starter. My guess is it's a starter or starter solenoid issue given the fact that it didn't turn when you jumped it from your truck

[tinfin]

X-2

[bout time]

Just heard back from mechanic. It turned out that my starter had at one point gotten water in it and was rusted. They needed to remove the floor panels in order gain enough access for the arms to change the starter out without pulling the motor. I also had them replace all ground and power wires while they were in there. Back in action. Thanks for all those who gave ideas to help