New starter motor position

[UK based tige]

I am having some work done to a mercruiser 6.2 and the mechanic has mentioned that it is possible to move the starter motor to a position above the gearbox behind a bell housing which involves fitting a new flywheel. He thinks this will make access to it better and get it higher up in the boat away from potential water...

Can anyone foresee any problems this might create in a v drive set-up, the mechanic is a mercruiser dealer but not seen a tige before or possibly a v drive...

thanks

Nick.

[kko]

thats the way the marine power engines are set up. i like it this way because it is easier to service and it does keep it dry. that being said im not sure i would spend the coin to have it changed over. if the motor was already going to be out that would be 1 thing but to pull the motor just to relocate the starter no thanx.

[chpthril]

How many starters can be replaced for the cost of pulling engine and replacing flywheel in order to relocate the started?

[mneal]

Ditto what everyone said, not sure that is worth time, effort and $$. I have a bottom mounted starter on my boat and it lasted about 700 hrs before it needed replaced. Know of top mounted ones that lasted less time , IMO the the "top mounted" don't last any longer, they are just easier to replace when/if they fail. Not worth the conversion for the rare cases when they fail. Even the bottom starters are not exactly laying on the hull, so not really a water thing, if you have that much water in the bilge there are issues that addressed.

[UK based tige]

thanks for the input, the engine is already out of the boat so this is just an additional measure that the mechanic suggested...it is going to be a minimal extra cost in the grand scheme of things!

So essentially cost aside there is nothing to say don't do it...