1999 Force 120. Starter is really weak. Battery terminals get hot, so does the starter. Bindex gets stuck on flywheel. Flywheel will only turn 1/4 way before it stops. Took the plugs out and it turned over better.
I couldn’t start it with a rope. I put a water pump in 3 weeks ago and starter was weak but still was able to get it started. I checked compression a few weeks ago and it was fine. I will check all the cables tomorrow. I know the battery was fully charged. I will bypass the cables and try to jump it tomorrow. How else could you tell if it was the starter?
There is no reason for the battery terminal to get hot other that having a high resistance at that point. Doing what you say should isolate the problem. Usually it is corrosion at the cable lug crimp connection. Cable lugs can be crimped (needs special tools) or soldered. Either way a section of adhesive lined heat shrink must be applied to prevent water from entering between the lug and the wire insulation.
excessive load, such as binding from an internal engine problem will easily cause the same issue.
were you having this issue when you checked compression a few weeks ago?
if not, you need to check compression again before you go any farther.
I checked the compression by using a rope. It was hard to pull even with the spark plugs out. Compression was good on all 4. I jumped straight to the starter with the same problem. I think I may have burned the starter as well now. As I recall it was very hard to turn the flywheel before the problem. It was like woomp…woom…woomp-run.
Chris- I thought it may be a cylinder too the way it sounded but this was the way I bought it and was able to get it to fire off. It has good compression. Not to familiar with these Force engines but seems simple enough. Besides the starter is there anything else I should check?
if it was hard to turn with the spark plugs out, you have an internal engine issue.
you should be able to easily spin the flywheel by hand with no plugs
sounds like maybe a bearing beginning to seize.
you would still have good compression, but be very hard to spin.