Ok, you do know that the actually gear wont pop out and lock onto the flywheel until the starter motor starts turning the gears.

Uggggh. Starter didn't spin when the small blade and large wire were jumpered. Now I see why you pull the brushes out.

Since the brushes looked good, it makes me wonder about the rest of the starter. I don't know about the screw size/threads. We assumed the gnd wire was on the starters long bolt or on one of the transmission/engine attach bolts and the large wire on the solenoid is from the battery positive post.

um what? the solonoid will pop out wheather the starter spins or not. for example if the brushes are no good the gear will pop out but it wont spin.

yeah hailers the wiring is all hooked up correctly and the same way its always been. and like i said i didnt always have this trouble. the first time it went out i took it to a shop and they replaced the solonoid about 4 months later it went out again so i took it back and they put a new solonoid in it again then its lasted about a year now its dead again. and just to be sure i tried a new solonoid again and that didnt fix it it still just poped out and dosent spin. i goin to the shop now to put the new brushes on so ill report back soon

ok now im getting REALLY PISSED OFF!!! i got the starter back together and it still didn't work so i took it to the local starter shop and he took it apart and found that clutch material from my burnt out clutch was stuck in the shaft and it locked it up so he cleaned it and oiled it then tested it and it worked great. so i was happy until i got home and put it in and it did the same thing, it wouldn't work!!. so i took it out and bench tested it with jumper cables and the solenoid pops in and out but it wont spin again! WTF!!!!! so i started beating it with a hammer and it did nothing so i took it apart and saw i accidentally hit the center section and broke one of the magnets. so i threw it across the driveway and i guess I'm going to buy a brand new one

how much are new starters mine is doing the same thing.