"John Smith" writes:

I tried to start it today to find the starter motor spinning freely, with
no
engine cranking.

1) Remove cranking motor (starter) from engine and secure on a bench. (I've
used a vice sometimes)

2) Attach leads to cranking motor and the negative to the battery (May have
to remove battery from boat if you don't have a spare handy).

3) Touch the positive lead to the positive on the battery and observe the
business end of the cranking motor.

You should see the pinion (small) gear on the cranking motor come forward as
if it were trying to engage bull gear on the engine.

If it doesn't, you have a defective Bendix drive (part of the cranking motor
ass'y)

If it does, you may have damaged teeth on the pinion gear.

Worst case scenario:

Everything is fine with the cranking motor and you have chipped or missing
teeth on the bull gear of the engine.

Not likely, but it does happen.

Good luck.

HTH


--
Lew

S/A: Challenge, The Bullet Proof Boat, (Under Construction in the Southland)
Visit: http://home.earthlink.net/~lewhodgett for Pictures