I said if it ever happened I'd sell the car.

Tomorrow I have to go get the battery load tested to see if it is dropping CCA's (has good voltage, which is disheartening). If it load tests OK, I just don't know...... the SOB waited until it got freezing outside to do this.

The starter is DRAGGING. When it starts it barely turns, you can tell the amp draw is through the roof. I've seen every SC400 starter replacement thread over the last 6 years....... I just don't know if I love it enough to do it with the cold setting in.

I might need a can of gas and a match to solve this problem.

So, everyone who has done it, remind me again how big of a PITA it is. I have the FSM's, I just wanna hear you complain about it.

 

its under the intake manifold right, not something i would like to do. but i work at audi and some cars require you to remove the engine to get the starter out. so you can look at it that way

 

its not that bad. Especially with 2 people who know semi what they are doing. I did it with no service manual at all. Pretty much just winged it. Small hands help.

Oh and don't do what I did and work on a warm engine. haha

 

I think you just dont want your SC anymore LoL

 

i just replaced mine...what a pita. http://www.lextreme.com/starter.html
small hands and the right tools are necessary! stupid wire harness blocks the rear coolant bypass so its a pita to remove.

having this tool helps alot!

 

you dont need to remove the rear water neck. You can get a 1/2" ratchet and a deep set socket back there and then you just need some muscle to pop the starter bolts loose and your good to go. I left my rear water neck on. cause I couldnt get to the rear copper pipe coming off it thanks to the harness.

leaving the water neck on will honestly save you close to 2 hours of struggling and cursing and kicking puppies

 

Seriously, I have a spare engine and tranny....... and I'm counting the difference in bolts between the engine swap and the starter swap.......lol.

 

Here's a vid. Like I say it sounds like the battery has lost it's CCA's, but the voltage is right on par. I figure the starter is dragging since you can see how much current it is drawing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gqd4EtQIoQ

Was too busy today to go have the batt load tested, and I have a bad feeling about it having good voltage readings.

 

I like to know how you pulled that off even though you mentioned that above. I removed those starters 5 times and the bridge was always in the way. Even when you removed the nuts for the rear harness I still couldn't get to it. I think it is a lot easier to remove the bridge. I told LICELSIOR what to do and I mentioned that flex head 14 mm ratchet. How did that end up for you btw? Did you get that completed? Its around a 6 to 7 hour job saying if you do it correctly. I would go with a OEM Toyota brand because for some reason the remand ones from other parts stores don't meet the flex plate right sometimes. You can ask REDPHOENIX about that what a nightmare!
If you end up doing it yourself be careful with the plastic pieces cause they break so easily. The injector harness connectors and the plastic piece near the IACV has a tenancy of breaking because of age. Have another person help you it goes a lot faster. So will you go for it or not?......

 

It's the damn starter. Battery is a 600 CCA battery and was testing at 625 cca on the load tester. Hell it was putting out more than it was rated to do........

 

This concerns me now. My starter seems to be having the same effects. Im too lazy to replace mine on my SC300.

 

It was fun. Pay me $500 and I will do it!

 

pain in the butt since i got everything together and then the bridge gaskets were leaking coolant ! but yea i also had to remove the bridge or u cant get to the bolts in the back. ive become a expert at removing the air phelum and the intake manifold and should take me an hr or 2 at least.

 

Damn, I watched your video and my starter does the same thing.

I guess I can add this to the list, right above "replace PS pump and rear main seal"

 

Your forgetting the best alternative...Installing a 2jz! Took me a total of 12 minutes to remove my old one and install the new! And thats including the extra time I spent cleaning all the terminals! And just to rub it in. It didn't even need to be changed just figured I'd do it while I was down there.