Over the winter I had trouble staring my EVO when it was really cold. I had cams installed last fall with custom tune on XEDE and I think this contributed to the rough start.

Anyway, during one of the starts I think I may have damaged the teeth on either the flyheel or starter. Now (sometimes) the starter will engage and turn over the motor for about a half second then just spin. Luckily when I disengage and re-engage it will catch and turn over catch. It will either spin freely again or start. I sometimes need to engage the starter several times until the car starts.

I'm worried that this problem will get worse if another tooth breaks off....assuming this is the problem.....and not be able to start it at all.

Any suggestions or hunches on diagnosis??

 

No one has had starting trouble after a cam install?

Could there have been a misalignment of the starter and the flywheel after my clutch was replaced? Enough to cause a problem for starting?

 

I replaced the starter and all is well again. It smelled like a burned out motor after I removed it. The starter pinion was not engaging properly and the starter motor would just spin.

It wasn't an issue of the cams at all and there was no damage to the flywheel.

All is well again.