Did you purchase either of these Kohler starters: 52-098-03---->52-098-12 :Huh:

Can you explain what exactly happens in more detail. I have a starter that the shaft is bent and it just makes noise and noise and noise. Take it off the tractor and use a charger to make it spin. Is it still doing it? If its sparking check the O ring type thing that makes it so the positive post doesn't ground out on the body of the starter. But take it out and try with a charger.

Starter gear not meshing with flywheel right I'm assuming which is causing sparks. Misaligned somehow, or something loose. There aren't any locating dowels or anything on this motor for starter to block alignment are there? I don't have one so not familiar. If not, I'm on board with loosening starter then retighten if there's any wiggle room. Sounds like a gm starter that needed shims back in the day

Or............not the right starter.

I'd probably do something extreme like pull the engine and see if the bendix is properly engaging the ring gear and if not find out why. Like I said extreme but that's just me. I do tend to go a bit overboard. :biggrin2: :beerchug:

I'd do that same thing Sam.

I wouldn't call that over board Sam. Good idea to see exactly what it's doing.

Could be a ground issue too. If you have nice tools you can take the ducting off the LH side and see everything real good. PITA, but saves pulling the motor.

I don't see how the gear mesh would make it spark. The starter gear is made out of pretty soft metal.

The way I see it, either you have "sparks" as in metal grinding between the gear and flywheel teeth or the "sparks" are caused from an electrical source as John mentioned, like it is getting it's ground through the teeth/flywheel path.
That idea has me wondering as normally the ground is through the mounting bolts on those.
Definitely further inspection is in order.:bigthink: