[trudellt]

Thanks for the help guys!

I removed the starter a few minutes ago and found 2 things wrong - I think.

First, the solonoid assembly was loose. One screw was 1 turn from being tight and the other had just about fallen out. I could rock the assy. about 1/8" back and forth.

The second problem I believe is the bearings. When I turn the pinion drive gear, it is really rough with uneven resistance as I go around.

The ring gear looks fine, but the drive gear is showing slight wear. There was about a cc worth of metal scrapings captured in the grease in the housing.

I'm going to purchase a PA Performance or Ford mini starter and post how it goes.