Starter diagnosis assistance, please

[White Spyder]

I had my starter rebuilt about a year and a half ago.  Today went to start my car and it turned as it should for about 10 seconds. On the next attempt I heard the bendix engage and then a whirring sound.  Tried again with the same results. I thought it might be the battery.  But it had 6.8 volts.  When I got my wife to engage the starter while I watched under the hood, the engine turned extremely slowly by observing the fan. Both cables to the battery were very warm.  I took the battery to O’Reilly‘s and had it load tested and it checks out good. Any thoughts of where I should start testing the starter?

[Dave72dt]

Starter drive.  Ring gear may also be worn in that particular spot.

[White Spyder]

When you say ring gear, do you mean on the flywheel or on the starter?  If on the flywheel I should be able to drop it into gear and push the car a bit to move the alignment of the starter and flywheel. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

check number one, voltage drops....number two, while the bench test of a starter may prove it good, there is no load thus the rear bushing is not checked proper and elongation could well be the cause of drag and excessive current draw.....renewing a rear bushing may well be in order.  Starter drag slows the starter, heats the cable and kills a battery in short order.  

[Dave72dt]

Whirring noise or rapid clicking from the starter? Totally different symptoms.  Ring gear on the flywheel.  Engines tend to stop in the same two places 180 degrees apart so the starter drive engagement points of contact will wear the ring gear more in those two places.   Whirring noise would be the starter drive.   Clicking would be looking at Tim's answer.

[Plymouthy Adams]

clicking will be the soon and apparent indicator of the cause and effect of an elongated rear bushing or voltage drops.....diagnosed a car I was called to troubleshoot yesterday with one of three serious issues. Voltage drop was the prime culprit and easily corrected, improper adjustment was secondary and caused catastrophic mechanical damage and last was the jury rigging of a safety features built into the car to prevent property damage, injury or even death.  

[White Spyder]

Pulled the starter, what a PIA.   Turns out that both bushings needed replacement and the rebuilder repaired the electrical contacts in the solenoid. They went through it and cleaned it up.  Now the spend a couple hours getting it back in. 

[Sniper]

Hopefully it's good for another 70-80 years, lol.

[westaus29]

One advantage of right hand drive I hadn't realised - the starter is easy to get at! Be thankful it's not a Volkswagon Amarok, took us 2 days and just about wore out my hoist motor.