Also Doc - it would be very interesting to hear what happens if you take your good 2019 stator cover & internals and bolt it onto the hard-starting 2018. As I've written elsewhere, I'd like to try that sometime and it would confirm that the problem is in the 2018's case/bendix/gear system if the 2019 part works well.
Jeff
__________________
'18 GG XC 300
'05 GG DE 300
'01 GG txt 321
|