A "click" is one thing -- if it was making a hàrd "thud" and not rolling over I'd agree.... But those primary solenoids drop like flies

I jump the two terminals with a screwdriver before you go through the hassle of ordering and installing one, good way to check if you have a connection problem elsewhere

i'm with bluethunder, pull plugs and see if it will crankover then. the solenoids carry little current, the starters go bad from water and/or moisture more often from my experience.

Txriverrat2001

In my reply to you (see above) yesterday the phrase "Well it's there and thats your problem." seems condesending upon rereading it. I did not mean it that way and applogize if that is the way it was taken. I meant it to be that I agreed with you that there is little documentation on this secondary solenoid being on the 496.

I had this problem last year and only was able to track it down through help on this forum. I am 99% certain that this is your problem Ghostrider. Too many of us have had it go bad with the exact same symptoms. Usually it will start if you turn the key enough times however. It seems that they rarely fail totally. The contacts arc, carbon builds up and connectivity is generally lost.

Dan

changed the part and still getting the same clicking noise, I took a wrench and turned the serpentine belt no issues. The boat is stored in a climate control garage year around. batteries are brand new this year, I put a high performance starter on it and changed the impeller last year. it cranked fine the first time and now just a clicking noise at primary starter solenoid?? Go figure.

Verify voltage to the small yellow striped wire at the starter itself.... with the key in the start position, you should here the solenoid click .. and 12 volts to the starter mounted solenoid. (which shoud bon on the inside small teminal if I remember correctly) Verify on the primary solenoid you have 12 volts on the red wire opposite of the yellow feed wire going to the starter. If you have voltage at the solenoid - and voltage when you turn the key to start (at the starter) then you have a starter issue. Assumi you have good solid 12volts at the starter as well. Make sense?

Roger That, will keep trouble shooting

Check all the battery connections both ends of the cables + and -. My truck did the same thing I checked everything on top and thought it must be a bad starter.Went under to pull starter and the + cable on the starter was loose.

Not for nothing, but that is why I told you to jump it before you ordered and installed. At least now you have a spare

Put a volt meter on the main starter wire and have someone try to crank it, if you see voltage drop you may have a bad connection.

You can also jump the main wire of the starter to the yellow wire on the solenoid, if it cranks then the problem is the hot from your key which is fairly common.

Good luck. And test don't guess

Is it a single or a twin? If you have a battery on/off switch you might want to take it apart and check for corrosion. You said you put a new starter in last year. So unless the wires to the starter are loose, it should be good to go. "clicking" normally indicates weak voltage either from the battery or from a bad connection. Since the starter was R&R start there and work your way back checking every connection. Check the on/off and check the kill switch connectors for corrosion or looseness, so on and so forth.

Btw, why did you change your starter or what was the problem leading to the change. Perhaps the problem is related.