I put a new starter in (mini starter) but am having trouble getting it to line up with the flywheel. I got under there and looked at the gear while somebody else started the car. The gear bounces off the flywheel.. I'm not sure why. Has anybody else ever had this problem? If I add shims, it doesn't seem to get any better. The starter was made for a 168 or 156 tooth flywheel so I'm thinking it's not a perfect match.

 

I've had that problem, but it's usually because the fit is too tight, and shims generally take care of it. Can you disable the starter motor and energize only the solenoid so that you can observe the alignment?

 

Oh well just ordered the PowerMaster XS. I hope it works better. It's made for 168 teeth flywheels not 153 AND 168 like this one.