And here is likely the problem. The back plate of the ignition switch is held on in 3 places by the indentions in the casing. In the first picture, there is a good size gap between the brown back plate and the casing, probably because the plastic under the indention is broken. The second pic shows the other side, which is still firmly in place with no gap. The START contact is likely on the side where the plate is loose. I suspect that if I found a way to keep the back plate flush with the casing, the intermittent start problems would go away, but alas I didn't discover it until after installing the new one. Anyways, I hope this helps other members here.
KuoH
