RE: Pinion Gears bent
yea, when those gears spin at high speeds like that it will. any misalignment just causes more friction and heat. it usually gives itself away by making a loud noise or whining. with a pinion worn like that, it should have worn a groove all the way around the main gear. if everything was meshed properly before and the motor shifted in the adjustment slots, then you should also make sure that you locktite the motor screws this time to ensure it dosent happen again. vibration is always a factor...........td