Last year July 15, 2000 to be exact. I had a starter go out on me on the Cowlitz River. So I went to a local marine dealer because it was Saturday and I needed a starter for Sunday because I had clients.

So I went to Holocomb's Marine right there off of Hwy 12. They had a starter that they would sell me for $411.57 w/ tax which at the time I figured was what they cost brand new. Well here just the other day I had some starter problems which ended up be a silonoid and not the starter. I thought it was the starter at first. So I called Holcomb's to see if they would warranty it, if it was. They told me that it was to close to the one year warranty and they couldn't do anything about it.

So I went to Phil's Performax and told Phil the problem I was having with my boat and the story of the starter. First of all Phil told me that Holcomb's charged me about a $130.00 dollars to much for the starter since they were only $260.00 brand new. I pulled the starter and put it in myself. Second that there has been problem's with them selling parts as new when actually they are used or rebuilt. Which my starter was.

Anyhow I just wanted to let everyone know that there is a shop to watch out for. Make sure you tell your friends so that they don't get ripped off. If your looking for a good Mercury shop Phil's Performax is one of the best. He will save you money by telling you if there is anything you can fix yourself. He also does great work. Also Greg at Tacoma Marine Repair is a good Mercury shop and they both won't rip you off.

Thanks for the heads up.
Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Most of us outboard operators fall victim to the same problem at one point or another. Usually you chalk it up to $experience$ and move on. Thanks for the heads up on the overcharging shop.
As a note on starters, I am an outboard mechanic and will let y'all know that when your starter dont work, it usually aint broke. (well not permanently..). Most of the time the brushes (liitle black carbon wedges) get worn or dirty. This causes the rotor to hang up, and not let the motor spin. Most mechanics (shops) will tell you you have a bad starter and you need to buy a new one. Their mech's will then do the following, and sell it to the next poor soul that walks through the door as new, or reconditioned.
Anyone with any mechanical skills can pop a starter apart and troublehoot it. Start by hitting the contact surface of the brushes with sandpaper or a file and free them up. Put her back together, spray with a little corrosion block, and touch the conections -- she should spin. If'n it dont, you've got a short in the armature and now you got yourself a bum starter.
Without getting really technical, I hope this gets one of you guys back to the launch when you think your starter is toast. Maybe even save you a trip to Holocomb's marine........

rooster, do the brushes on the merc starters have the little screw off plugs with a spring attached to the carbons one on each side ?

Doug - thats right. Sometimes those springs cause the problems. The carbon dust will cause them to stick in the coiled position and not put enough pressure on the rotor.
If you spray your engine and components with corrosion block or wd-40, that is good and bad. Try not to get too much in that area, or wipe them with a qtip. If you dont, and you use a cheaper lubricant, it will gum them up.