Is the linkage touching the cable end where it bolts to the starter? Try moving the cable terminal to a different position. That should be obvious to anyone who has ever had a wrench in his hand, but maybe not. How about posting a picture of the starter with the cable attached to it?
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!