Outboard wont spark, narrowed it down but need advice!

[OrangeCrush]

Hello again,
My 2002 15hp Mercury 2-stroke outboard motor was working great until the last sail of the season when it suddenly refused to start. After thanking my lucky stars that it happened when it did, I started troubleshooting. I’ve got it narrowed down but I need some advice on how exactly to proceed from here. That’s where you come in (I hope).

Here is what I have observed and what I think, based on my research, the Seloc manual, and my limited understanding:
The motor turns over but will not fire.
Neither spark plug is sparking at all. I tested each by grounding it to the block and pulling starter cord. I did this at night in case the spark was weak and barely visible, but there was nothing.
I swapped both plugs with new ones and they don’t spark either.
I disassembled and checked both the On/Off switch and the push button kill switch on the throttle handle and they are not shorting out in any way.
I completely removed both coils and checked them for continuity with an ohmmeter. They both showed continuity on positive and negative terminals with contact inside the rubber boots that slips over the plugs, which also show no sign of damage or loose connection. It also sounds like it’s very unlikely both coils would go at the same time.

So it seems like the problem has to be either the switch box (unlikely) or something under the flywheel (more likely). I don’t have a flywheel removal tool yet, so I just peered under there and took a picture of what looks like a corroded stator. I attached the pic below.
It seems like there is some pretty heavy corrosion on one end of the stator, where it meets some metal plates (magnets maybe?) that are in turn bolted onto another metal plate, which I assume is then screwed onto the block. I'm guessing this could very well be the culprit. Is this a reasonable conclusion to make?

And my presumed next steps lead me to some more questions:
How do I know which flywheel removal tool will work for me? The manual is not too clear on the issue.
If the stator is visibly corroded, is it worth doing the continuity test with the ohmmeter or just assume I have to replace it?
What other parts will I likely need to replace?
Should I test anything else like the trigger coil while I am under there?
If so, which part is the trigger coil and how do I test it?
Are there any other factors or questions I’m not thinking of yet, or anything else I should do before I put the flywheel back on?
Any guidance is greatly appreciated! I'm trying to avoid spending a lot of time and money and having it still not spark when I'm done.
Thanks as always,
Jack

[motion30]

You can check the ohms test on the stator with out removing it.

[OrangeCrush]

That's what my manual says but it does not go into detail on how. Any idea which leads or parts of the stator I'm meant to test continuity between?

[Broadbill]

In the old days we just loosened the nut on the flywheel, backed it off until the crank shaft wasn't exposed, put a block of wood on it and gave it a crack with a hammer.
Baring this go to any automotive shop and buy a puller. Take one of the three bolts in the top of the flywheel with you a pick up three grade 8 bolts of the same thread size. A small universal puller should work.

[JMR324]

Check stator..check ground contacts

[OrangeCrush]

Quick update: I removed the flywheel, replaced the stator and trigger, put it back together and it started on the first pull. Im pretty sure it was the stator that had gone, but the trigger tested out of the ohm range so I replaced that too. Thanks for the help, all! And thanks again to the cruising gods for making the motor die at the dock at the end of the season, instead of a million other worse scenarios.

Sent from my GT-N8013 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[SkiprJohn]

Congratulations!
Isn't it great to be back in business?