Because of the manner in which the starter seemed to malfunction as shown in the prior video (Post #251), I took the starter apart with my focus on the solenoid to try to determine why the starter gear would not thrust forward and engage.
Didn't take much to disassemble and what I found didn't look correct. Loose parts!
A look at the service manual and this was what I was supposed to see.
And this.
I reassembled the loose parts using thread lock on the yoke piece since the lock nut didn't seem to actually work.
The loud bang I heard had to be when the yoke piece let loose. That spring that sits behind it is quite powerful.
I had my share of difficulty with this throw out fork while reassembling and actually needed to reassemble the starter three times before I got it right. I was installing the throw out fork in the wrong orientation, and when I tightened everything down, the starter would bind. So it will pay to test fit this throw out fork to make sure it is centered correctly before final assembly.
This is the pivot screw that holds the throw out fork. When the fork is correctly oriented, it is easy to fit everything up.
Starter now seems to be working and is ready for me to install back into the car.