starter problem

On the tester does it meet any kind of resistance? I'm not familiar with how they test them, but it would seem to me that in order to accurately test if it is good or not, when running the starter it would have to engage a gear which would come close to matching the rotational resistance that it would see when engaging the flywheel on the car.

no but the gear flys out and spins like it should

well i got a new starter and same thing starter engages and doesn't seem to touch the flywheel

I'd grab a volt meter and make sure the starter is getting the proper amount of voltage when you try to start it.

The engine often, but not always, stops in about the same position. And in that position is where the flywheel gets the most wear. I would look over the entire flywheel as far as the teeth go.

You are no doubt in the "TC Twilight Zone"... If the starter is correct, then the ring gear on the flywheel has to be missing teeth or a long shot, maybe the ring gear has moved back on the flywheel...

pete: the flywheel is new, tc50: what do you mean moved back on the flywheel

The ring gear is "press fit" onto the flywheel. Sometimes the interference fit isn't tight enough and over time the ring gear moves away from the starter gear. It slides back toward the trans so the starter gear can't reach it.

You say the flywheel is new? Did it work when first installed? If not, perhaps it is the wrong flywheel?

yea it worked before the solenoid went bad