ARCO Inertia Starter Drive Gear (bendix?) What is it and why is it on my Chris Craft boat?

Large boats (yachts) are likely to have stern drives with heavy duty starters. These boats don't use typical automotive style starters. The inertia drive (also called ratcheting drive) is used to insure the boat engine gets a better chance to start. The drive will not engage/disengage constantly like an automotive bendix will. Many people replace their inertia drives, thinking that they are bad. This is a short video that shows how they work.

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Put a little drag on the starter side and the over speed release should operate without needing added pressure.