Mercruiser starter issues & metal shavings?

Question

My mercruiser 4.3l hadn't been run in months. When trying to start, I heard a whining/grinding noise from the starter & the engine did not appear to be turning over. I was surprised that the 2 large starter bolts were not overly tight. The starter didn't have any play if I tried to move it but the bolts were easy to loosen. The starter was hot when I took it off. I took it to autozone & o'reillys & the starter passed a bench test at both. Upon getting back in the engine bay & inspecting everything, there was a pile of large metal shavings in the oil pan under the location that the starter gear went. I checked the starter gear out & found many of the teeth are notched & have metal missing. I also inspected the flywheel & it seems to be okay...no missing teeth, no notched teeth, & no bad wear. I also inspected the flywheel and it seems to be okay...no missing teeth, no notched teeth, and no bad wear.

Answer 1

Sometimes a starter bendix will hang up and not engage the ring gear fully, just sort of rub against it.  It sounds like what happened to you.  I would suggest that you turn the ring gear a full 360 degrees and check if for damaged teeth just in case.  You can clean up any damage with a small file. The filings in the bottom of your flywheel housing will not go into the engine oil pan.  It is a separate compartment.