starter motor question

[oldbluesplayer]

Folks - having a problem with my starter motor - 1983 Johnson 115 V4 Crossflow - the starter motor spins, but the bendix won't come up all the way and engage the flywheel. I've been thru the wiring, cleaning up all the connections, I replaced the solenoid, still no success on self engagement.

If I pull up the bendix into engagement manually, the starter will turn the motor over - very slowly at first, and then quicker and quicker as the starter warms up, if I hold the key over, till after 15 - 20 seconds it's spinning pretty normally and the engine fires up - or if it didn't catch, but now the starter is pretty warmed up, it spins much better the second try -

what is this - more circuit problem somewhere - or a starter gone south ???

appreciate any help

Bill