Has anyone ever experienced a faulty starter motor that actually seems to work perfectly fine when off the car whilst bench testing?

It’s actually on the Evo.

It’s not cranking the engine and you can hear the bendix spinning freely, I’ve removed it and bench tested it and it seems to work as it should.

I’ve inspected the teeth on the flywheel and they’re fine, the wiring is good, the timing belt is fine, everything is fine.

Because of where I’m parked I can’t easily bump start the car to rule out anything else, car was going perfectly fine before this happened yesterday, tried to start the car and got this.....will attach a video.



Testing the starter

 

Video not available??

Is it throwing the pinion gear out and spinning it or just spinning it?

Put some load on the pinion while bench testing and see if it still operates as it should, it may be the clutch is slipping (starter clutch) in the bendix drive when under load.

 

That’s it now.

 

Yes vid working now.

Ive just shown it to my technical support (husband) and asked what was wrong with it. The reply I got was along the lines of "seriously, what's right with it".... and he's still laughing.
So apparently on the video where your bench testing it, it should be smooth with no rattley noise like yours has, so even though it looks like it's operating ok (apart from the fluctuation at full throw) the noise is a dead giveaway that the bendix has had it. His actual words were "it sounds horrendous, any load on that pinion will just leave the armature spinning".
The highly technical rally team proof test is to put your work boot on the pinion then power it up, he's betting me a fiver the pinion won't move facepalm2:

Basically a new starter will cure all your woes

 

Haha brilliant, I’ll put load on it to see what happens.

Thanks

 

New starter fitted - problem solved

Old one must have been on its way out over time, in fact in all the time that I’ve owned the car it’s never fired up as well as it does now.

£156 lighter now but worth it.....and that’s with the surcharge for the old unit.

 

156 wow mega expensive lol

 

Happy days