Report.

I went to Farm and Fleet after work and dropped $90 on the starter 
motor. Got home, ate supper and out to the shop.

I decided to check the actual battery voltage under cranking with the 
original system intact before replacing the starter motor, just in case.

It dropped to 6.5V at the battery terminals. This battery was a couple 
years old, out of my generator, but it sees almost no use. It had been 
charged, so I must assume the battery might be bad.

So, I pull the Blazer into the shop and jump to the lawn tractor 
battery, w/o the engine running, and it cranks vigorously for 10 
seconds, and starts!

Ok, so a bad battery, I thought.

I jumped to the other lawn tractor battery and it is almost no 
improvement over the original; it won't crank.

So, I jump to the Blazer again; this time, it cranks only a little 
better than no jump but it won't start. So I start the engine. It cranks 
reluctantly, but a bit faster, then starts.

So I'm in a quandary; I still suspect the starter motor. Maybe it is the 
bearings, it seems more and more likely, but if so, they don't bind  up 
all the time, and  it  never cranks with just the lawn mower battery. 
(Except it did once, at first; not today, but not enough to start.)

I guess I should grease the bearings and try again, but it's getting 
tempting to put the new starter motor in; but if I'm wrong, it's not 
returnable after installation.

Mark
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