Winter before last installed a new Vanguard 18 in the 1440. Now have about 100 hours. Everything is fine until about 2 weeks ago. On starting, the starter motor spins but doesn't engage the flywheel. Thinking that maybe there is a slight misalignment, i manually rotate the engine and sure enough, the starter engages. Today, went out and no luck. Starter spins, but not engagement. Thinking that the gear on the starter is toast, i pull the starter. Metal gear on the starter is fine, but about 20 teeth on the flywheel are toast. Gone. Has this happened to anyone else on a new Vanguard. I think the warranty is up so it looks like i have to replace the flywheel. Would it be easier to pull the motor, or can this be done with the motor in place. Any idea what caused the problem? Doesn't look like there is any adjustment on the starter installation. Thanks for any help.
