So last week I went down to the boat to drain the water heater and winterise the fresh water system. Fired it up to let it run a bit..... I pulled the throttle back from fast idle a bit too fast and stalled it before it was warm enough to disengage the choke. Turned the key again only to hear the bendix spinning without engaging... one of those bizarre sudden failures of a fairly key piece of gear that has been happening time and again on my boat. I've joked to my Mrs that I'm rebuilding this engine from the outside in!
Anyway, no big drama... ordered a new Sierra replacement and popped down again on the weekend to put it in. I noticed in the box there was a square piece of neoprene gasket material with no reference as to what it was for, but the cutout seemed to fit over the bendix housing. I figured it was probably to help seal the mounting surface where the starter meets the flywheel housing. I got the old starter off (I can now probably join Cirque du Soleil with the contortions I had to do but that's another story
)... but there wasn't any seal at all on the old one. But I planned to use it anyway. But THEN... I've got the open box sitting on the steps up to the command bridge and would you believe a gust of wind blows that darn gasket into the water! It was out of reach and I couldn't be bothered to launch the dinghy to go get it... 
I guess I'm looking for reassurance that I don't really need the gasket. As I said, there wasn't anything on the old one. Does it typically need it?
Anyway, no big drama... ordered a new Sierra replacement and popped down again on the weekend to put it in. I noticed in the box there was a square piece of neoprene gasket material with no reference as to what it was for, but the cutout seemed to fit over the bendix housing. I figured it was probably to help seal the mounting surface where the starter meets the flywheel housing. I got the old starter off (I can now probably join Cirque du Soleil with the contortions I had to do but that's another story
)... but there wasn't any seal at all on the old one. But I planned to use it anyway. But THEN... I've got the open box sitting on the steps up to the command bridge and would you believe a gust of wind blows that darn gasket into the water! It was out of reach and I couldn't be bothered to launch the dinghy to go get it... I guess I'm looking for reassurance that I don't really need the gasket. As I said, there wasn't anything on the old one. Does it typically need it?
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