[Xavier]

I understand what you are saying about the "freewheel"; but what if the pinion (for some reason) stayed engaged ON the flywheel while the motor is running. If the starter was "freewheeling", it would have never started to begin with. This was the problem on the engine builders OEM starter. But if the pinion got stuck for some reason, on the fly wheel (while the motor is running) and could not retract I would imagine it would not be a good thing. But hell, I am guessing. All I do know is that if it free-wheeled, it would have never started to begin with. Common denominator (from what I can see) is engine starts then running the engine somehow kills the starter...without anything else changing.

Also, on the ground; I see your point, but if the ground was bad - why would it have started on the first crank to begin with? I have a good 4ga battery terminal from front of clean paint-free engine block to clean paint-free frame, star-washered and bolted. My battery is in the trunk, tough to get another wire back there from engine.