115HP Mercury EFI Starter motor not spinning

[RIB1]

Hi

I went to winterize my boat today and when I tried to start the engine i could hear the starter motor starting to click over but instead of the top of the starter motor rotating as it should to turn the flywheel it was just rising up and down vertically and not turning at all. I have taken the start motor off the engine and opened it up and it all looks good, the start motor can spin freely and rise up and down when doing it by hand when I dismebled it so it does rotate. Could this be related to the solenoids?

The start motor I have in my Mercury 115HP EFI is : 8M0038387

Any suggestions on what might be causing this?

[rock]

I see no way it can go up and down without turning. It is the turning action that propels the bendix upwards. Seems as if the starter motor is turning causing the bendix to engage but once there is a load it cannot turn motor. That is indicative of either weak starter, probably windings or brushes, or insufficient voltage which could be either battery charge or loss tween battery and starter. Could be connection or faulty solenoid.

Rock

[KIRCHNER]

Might sound stupid but motor could be seized?