Took the starter apart. It was full of corrosion and rust. I found one of the three seals to be the candidate for letting water in. Spent an hour with WD40, toothbrush, and nail file cleaning; oh and the occasional whack of a hammer to free sticky parts like brushes and stator. Re built with all the original parts cleaned and a dab of marine grade grease for the bearings; works like a charm now.
To ensure water would not get in again I took the starter apart and rebuilt using High Temp gasket seal to enhance all five O-ring seals. During this second time apart, I noticed one O-ring that had been twisted during original installation. I am of the opinion that my starter was made on a Monday by a man who missed his morning coffee.
