I have a 2001 BF5A long shaft on my sailboat. Since the time of purchase (2002) the starter gear has not fully engaged the flywheel and as a result the plastic gear often overrides the bottom of the flywheel and jams against the flywheel. This is most likely to occur when I or a crew has to get the engine started fast (approaching storm, or other emergencies).
I purchase a new starter gear once or twice per year due to the teeth on the starter gear becoming chewed up or broken off due to poorly engaging the flywheel. Also, when 'at rest', the gear vibrates and is loose enough to wobble high enough so that the flywheel's gears hits the tips of the plastic starter gear thereby wacking off part of the plastic gear.
The parts dept. at my Honda dealer indicated to me that this is a probllem with this engine.
This is a very dangerous situation as I need to get a socket wrench, lean over the back of the boat and loosen one or two of the three bolts that secure the assembly and then get a screwdriver and wedge the gear back off the flywheel, and re-attach the cover.
It was suggested that I purchase a new assembly or install and electric start unit!!! This suggestion indicates to me that the original equipment (parts) were defective.
Is there a solution or do I have to re-borrow my son-in-law's Nissan 5hp?:
e.m.n.

My 2005 has exactly the same problem. How hard was it to replace the plastic flywheel as I'll have to do the job this winter?
Thanks-

Didn't see any bulletins on it, the recoil starter assy part number was superseded, maybe new one will work better.

__________________
Regards
Boats.net
Honda Outboard Parts

I have a 2003 5HP Long Shaft and have gone through two of the recoil starter pinion gears in the last month!
I had previously owned a 1985 5HP and that engine was "ridden hard and put away wet" for over 20 years and never once had a problem with the recoil starter..or anything else for that matter. These are great little engines!
I got a great deal on the '03 engine and sold the '85...now I am starting to wonder how "great" a deal I got.
But I see that others are having the same problem.........hmmmm.
I called Honda and they claim they have never heard of anyone having this problem.
What's up?:

Having become totally frustrated by exactly the same problem you have described, I dug into my engine and found the problem , and I'll bet your's is the same thing.
Turns out the vertical shaft that the starter turns on was bent out of a vertical position by a few degrees. Due to this, the plastic pinion gear was not fully engaging the ring gear on the flywheel, and, in some cases, allowing the pinion gear to completely ride up away from the flywheel gear and get jamed on the outside diameter of the flywheel.
I suspect that this "bent" condition is a result of the gear jamming resulting in the fracturing of three gears now in my case. Each time a gear is destroyed, I have replaced the $18 gear only to find that the next day out, the new gear would stasrt jamming and getting damaged right away. The last time I went out, my "new" pinion started to climb out of the ring gear on the flywheel and would stall the engine when it jammed into the outside diameter of the flywheel.
I have now ordered a complete recoil starter assembly for $80 and I am hoping this will solve my problem.