yesterday I tried to start my bucket. Think I have a fuel problem or something. Hard to start. Actually didn't start. Been having trouble starting it. Well starter started to grind. Noticed that the flex plate teeth was rounded off. I think the previous owner had issues with starting it also. So here we go. Obviously I got to change the flex plate first. Then try to figure out why it is hard to start. Thoughts?
Spanky made some good suggestions, . . . .
But I'd back up my troubleshooting process back to a practical beginning point. . . . . Pull the plugs, block open the throttle, pull the coil wire and do a compression test straight away, . . . . . Pull the valve covers too and watch that all the valves seem to move about the same.
A new to you engine may have all manner of gremlins just waiting to get you. . .
You need to have some reasonable idea of the relative integrity of the mechanical's condition.
Stuck or burned valves, or a bad lifter, can be a major cause of hard starting, . . . as well as significant vacuum leaks.
A compression test can often, at least lead you, towards the problem area.
If it were mine, and I emphasize that it's just my way to look at things, . . . . . I'd see what the comp test showed, and if anything wasn't what it should be, I'd start from scratch and pull the intake and put a dial indicator on each lifter and verify each lobe's lift, ( 1 or more could be wiped) & the cam timing, as a worn cam drive could have jumped time.
There's lots of ducks to be sure are all in the row before you can have confidence that the issue is resolved.