Sticky Bendix?

Folks,

When I start my boat I can hear the bendix (or whatever you are supposed to call it) still engaged.

Any tips for this problem?

Motor is a 351 Std R. 1996 vintage.

do you mean it still sounds like its cranking? if so then you have a sticky ignition(key) or a sticky solenoid, both are unlikely. If you mean you just hear the gear(bendix)getting contacted by the flywheel then you have a weak or broken spring, which is much more common especially if you've never had issues before this. Quickest way to check is to pull off the starter and pull the bendix out. It should snap back into the housing fairly solid/quickly. If it is slow to slide back or has zero tension then look at the condition of the spring and check for gunk around the bendix or the shaft is slides on. 90% of the time the spring is broken in half and spins in on itself so it doesn't provide enough force to keep the bendix in the housing, I've had a few where the spring falls out completely letting the bendix slide back and forth freely. When working properly the spring is supposed to provide enough force to keep the bendix in the housing until the spin speed of the motor overcomes it with centripetal force, throwing the bendix out to the end of the shaft to engage the flywheel.      

Go To 1:27and it'll show ya the basic idea. notice how it snaps back quickly, with a bad/sticky spring it will be sluggish. Autozone and the likes can test it for ya basically like in the video, or you can do the above and pull on the bendix yourself to test the spring.