I have a yardman tractor with a 14.5 OHV engine that is 12 years old. Last year I had to replace the plastic gear on the starter twice as it seemed to be getting worn out quickly. This year started once and then had to replace the gear. It looks like the flywheel is tearing it up. Some of the teeth seem to be missing on the flywheel. What is causing this and is it an easy fix ? I can still start the tractor if I replace the plastic gear It will start 3 or 4 times before the gear has to be replaced.

If teeth are missing on flywheel this will cause accelerated wear on the gear. Low voltage or poor connections are the culprit most often.

Don