Help - going on my 3rd Flywheel :(

[Xack]

I was reading this and I could not help but wonder if the starter and the flywheel have the same tooth per inch ratio. Usually if the flywheel is the proper diameter and also the correct gearing there should be no problem. When you started your engine did you hear some grinding and crashing? I would think that you did, especially if you have up to 9 teeth missing... I would install it and inspect the starter engagement by pulsing the solenoid to throw the gear out to the flywheel. Do this at different points along the rotation of the crankshaft. If this is correct alignment, then is your flywheel out of round? If there are high spots it could mean that your flywheel choice does not fit. You may even find that it's on the crank, but it's not straight, or binding. This would cause the collision of the gears during cranking. You may be going down the wrong road just replacing item after item and you actually have something fundamentally wrong or binding in the flywheel/starter alignment. This would be the case no matter which starter you chose. Just some thoughts...

I found a USB borescope camera on Amazon for about $70. Yeah it was pricey, but it sure comes in handy for inspections on flywheel gear alignment and the like.

Regards,
Xack