2003 DF140 Weird Starter Issue

[ECU1984]

motor has been running great, got to the dock this morning and it fired right up. While sitting there letting it warm up, a horrible noise started on the top of the engine.
I thought the top bearing was coming apart. I shut it off, removed cowl and started it up again. Idled smooth as silk and quiet then after about two minutes, the racket started again.
With the cowl off, it sounded like something scrubbing against the flywheel and if I give it a little throttle....its stops. I thought the plastic cover that goes over the flywheel was lose and rubbing the flywheel
but it wasn't. SOOOOO, i then see the starter drive (bendix gear) is up and rubbing under the flywheel.
In a nutshell, when idling, the starter drive gear randomly comes up and hits flywheel and stays up for a few minutes doing this and then will drop back down, only when idling.
Thoughts - starter solenoid bad? Starter relay bad? ignition switch bad?
Is one of the above sending voltage to it while running and sending the drive gear up or is maybe the starter shot?
Don't think it will be too difficult to troubleshoot when I get time with my voltmeter but wondering if anyone has seen this issue before?
Thank you!

[tsturm]

Oil the armature shaft where the drive rides up & down on & see

[ECU1984]

Oil the armature shaft where the drive rides up & down on & see

I did, was one of the first things I tried. The issue isn't that the drive gear isn't going back down, the issue is the drive gear randomly comes back up when idling in neutral.
I am thinking bad ignition switch sending voltage to the starter

[redlowrey]

Disable the engine so it can't start, turn the key to the start position and watch what the bendix does when you let go of the key, if it stays close to the ring gear on the flywheel something has happened with the solenoid plunger spring not returning the bendix to it's rest position.
It is easy to tell if it is broken, you can pull the bendix along the armature shaft with no resistance.

If the bendix returns to it's rest position and needs force to extend it, something electrical is energizing the solenoid plunger, but if that were the case, you would not be able to give it a rev and throw the drive out, it would stay engaged in the flywheel.

[ECU1984]

Disable the engine so it can't start, turn the key to the start position and watch what the bendix does when you let go of the key, if it stays close to the ring gear on the flywheel something has happened with the solenoid plunger spring not returning the bendix to it's rest position.
It is easy to tell if it is broken, you can pull the bendix along the armature shaft with no resistance.

If the bendix returns to it's rest position and needs force to extend it, something electrical is energizing the solenoid plunger, but if that were the case, you would not be able to give it a rev and throw the drive out, it would stay engaged in the flywheel.

Will get by the boat later today, but with the engine off, the starter drive gear is very hard to pull up......it is still very much spring loaded.
When the issue happens, it sometimes does stay engaged into the flywheel, sometimes it comes up and is just scrubbing underneath the flywheel
It's also very intermittent, the more I think about it, the ignition key switch has felt funky lately, maybe its shorting inside and sending the bendix up?
Thanks again for your replies

[redlowrey]

If you think it is from the key, pull the spade off the solenoid and connect a test light to it, turn the key to the start position twenty or thirty times, if it hangs on, the test light will stay lit when you release the key.
I still think if it was from the key, the drive would be fully engaged into the ring gear. There are two springs inside the solenoid, one heavy to return the plunger back to it's rest position and one light, to keep the plunger contacts away from the end cap contacts, if it breaks the plunger contacts can float around making contact with the end cap.

[ECU1984]

If you think it is from the key, pull the spade off the solenoid and connect a test light to it, turn the key to the start position twenty or thirty times, if it hangs on, the test light will stay lit when you release the key.
I still think if it was from the key, the drive would be fully engaged into the ring gear. There are two springs inside the solenoid, one heavy to return the plunger back to it's rest position and one light, to keep the plunger contacts away from the end cap contacts, if it breaks the plunger contacts can float around making contact with the end cap.

That makes a lot of sense, will put a test light on the solenoid tomorrow after work
As always, thanks again!

[ECU1984]

I hate threads where the issue gets resolved but the OP doesn't update their thread with "the fix" so.........
It was the key switch; new OEM switch and we are back to normal until the next issue arises
Thanks again Red!