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I have a 16 hp GXV530 twin cylinder in LT 3000 Craftsman frame.
Motor will not turn over 100% of the time due to starter gear doesn't fit into the flywheel gear.
Motor will start if I take the time to open the hood and turn the top of the flywheel screen to allow the starter pinion gear to line up with the flywheel gear. The starter will engage just fine with slight turn.
Over the course of the last year, I have replaced the ignition coils, spark plugs, air filter due to age. I replaced the starter in June, still has this same issue of the pinion lining up with the flywheel. I removed the top cowl to be able to see the issue.
Has anyone else seen or had this issue?

miltstrk said:

Over the course of the last year, I have replaced the ignition coils, spark plugs, air filter due to age. I replaced the starter in June, still has this same issue of the pinion lining up with the flywheel. I removed the top cowl to be able to see the issue.
Has anyone else seen or had this issue?

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Are all the parts involved here 100% genuine Honda parts?

Reads like the solenoid is not projecting far enough, or maybe the starter itself is physically mounted not quite in the right position? Got any photos?

The original starter was what came on the machine from Sears/Honda. I replaced it in an attempt to see if it was the starter. The old starter and the new starter measure up to be the same. After looking at your reply, I took each one apart and compared each one, part-to-part. I used it all summer by turning the flywheel to allow the starter gear to engage the flywheel. Risky.

Two years ago you started a thread about your problem. Yesterday you started a new thread with the same problem. Are you telling us that for two years you had no problems and now it is reoccurring? If you want help from us you had better tell us what has been going on all this time and give us a very good picture of what you have gone so far. Robert@Honda gave you some things to look for and you answer him two years later??? I have given you some tests to do in your other thread, do you have any intention of doing them in the next year??? If you do and post back I hope another procrastinator can help you, because there are no techs on this forum who are going to wait for you. I suggest that you go back to the guy who told you “to reset the valves so the starter will engage in any position”. Sounds like he is a lot smarter and more knowledgeable than me. Bye.

First - please accept my apology on not being proactive on starter engagement issue resolution. I forgot that I had a thread on the Honda forum, sorry again.
Still having same issue since the first thread and have making the engine start by aligning the marks so the starter gear engages the flywheel for far too long (2 years?).
- Yes, the replacement starter is a Denso unit, the same as came with the mower.
- I swapped out the mounting nose piece to either prove or dis-prove that there was a difference in the level of engagement. Still will not start unless the marks are lined up. Right now the new starter motor is in place with the old starter nose piece; it still starts 100% of the time of the marks are lined up. (I will post a picture of this tomorrow.)
- The starter gear is engaged by the solenoid and hits the flywheel, so length of engagement is a non-issue and when lined up, the starter gear makes the engine start very well.
- Tomorrow I will see if I can get a picture of the gear not being in the correct location to engage.