Hmmm, ironic, there is an Isuzu commercial on TV as I type this....

Anyway, I was 99% sure that it was an electrical problem with Flamigo not starting. I finally had the time and the weather (not having a garage really sucks) to get the starter out of Flamigo and take it apart to see what I could find.

There is a plunger and two copper contacts under a plate on the starter. Those copper plates had worn so far down that the plunger couldnt make good electrical contact. I suspect that the reason it was a problem when first starting is that after I got it started, the metal parts warmed and expanded a bit making contact easier. Total starter death came when the plates got too thin to make any contact at all.

Summary....

Problem: Starter on 2.6L Isuzu engine would not engage, or would only engage intermittently.

Solution: Replace two metal plates inside starter.

Difficulty: Fairly easy, top bolt on starter is hard to reach.

Cost to repair: $3.00 in parts

In case anyone else needs the info.

Kevin