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Anybody have any suggestion where to begin troubleshooting this problem?

Starting batteries are good, port engine turns over and starts fine however starboard engine will turn over when plugs are pulled (and occaisionally when plugs are installed ) when the starter switch is turned on, you can hear the starter pinion gear engage the flywheel but apparently insufficient juice to turn over the engine.

Since the starter motor does turn over the engine when spark plugs are pulled - I'm thinking bad cables and/or connections between batteries and starter.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Check especially the ground battery cable to that engine. Starter may also be dragging, try swapping the other starter.

UV

The cable connections on both ends are a place to start. Also the battery for the engine that won't turn over hard should be checked with a load tester. It may read full voltage sitting there, but drop hard when you turn your key. If you don't have a load tester, switch batteries.

Agree with other posts. Start with battery and see if it will take a load. Check cables and connections. If all good then starter probably needs to be pulled and rebuilt

Like UV and Walter said, just walk through the connections from battery to starter and ground.

If your counter-rotation is through the gears, you can swap starters. If your gassers are older and the engines themselves counter-rotate (mine did), then you can't swap starters.

All excellent suggestions above.. but a simple easy check is to jump both batteries together in parallel.. you don't have to remove anything except the battery box cover(s).

It sounds as if you have a "power delivery to the starter" issue somewhere. Start at the beginning, ie: where the power comes from, then work your way down the wiring to the starter.

What does the voltage AT the starter drop to when you try to start? If they are old starers, it could be the starter, not the wires. Do the wires get hot when you trying to start?

I had one engine that was tough to start and ran temporary wires to a new battery near the starboard engine and still was hard to start when engine was warm. Changed the starter and perfect.

All good advice from knowlegeabls folks - much appreciated and I'll keep you all posted on the results.

Thanks again for great advice - what makes this group so special.