i have a 1986 mercuiser in a starcraft. engine wont start ! The boat has been sitting for five years. It was professionally fogged before it was last started. I put a battery in and the engine just clicked. Long story short and I changed the starter and now it just cranks and wont start. I smell gas so I think its getting fuel. I pulled a plug and shorted it against the block, turn the engine over and didnt see a spark. I then pulled the dist cap and cranked the engine and didnt see a spark on the points. Someone told me to put a spark plug on the coil wire and that I would see a constant arc.. did it and no arc..; I 'm looking for some guidance on testing the ignition curcuit.. LC

I have a 12V deep cycle battery for use in my 23' sailboat. The outboard (a 6 hp Johnson) has a built in alternator for charging the battery when it is running. My question is, can the wires leading from the engine (which I can only assume come from the alternator) be connected directly to the battery terminals, or do I need some kind of limiter or something? If the battery has full charge and the alternator tries to charge it more, will this be a problem, or does the alternator have some such limiter on it already? Any help would be appreciated.