View Poll Results: Should a Starter Replacement DIY be created?
Yes
37
100.00%
No
0
0%
Voters: 37. You may not vote on this poll
Starter replacement - Advice needed
12-11-06, 06:49 PM
#1
Starter replacement - Advice needed
I'm in the process of doing my own starter replacement and ran into a small snafu. I'm hoping someone can tell me the easy way out cuz I'm not seeing one.
I had read an old thread discussing how "hard the starter mounting bolts were to get out".
Well, I got the passenger side out very very easily. Standard 14mm with that little angled head on the closed 12point end. Piece of cake.
The OTHER bolt has some wiring harness and this hard yellowish plasic encasement right over the top of the bolt. It doesn't even move to the side or anything. IT"S RIGHT IN THE WAY!!
See pics below, maybe they will help to illustrate.
Has anyone done this job and can you give me a clue here. That yellow encasement seems to be attached somehow to the block. ***I DID get the one bolt that was obviously holding it to the rear of the starter, but apparently there's more holding it in place.
Thanks!
BA
I had read an old thread discussing how "hard the starter mounting bolts were to get out".
Well, I got the passenger side out very very easily. Standard 14mm with that little angled head on the closed 12point end. Piece of cake.
The OTHER bolt has some wiring harness and this hard yellowish plasic encasement right over the top of the bolt. It doesn't even move to the side or anything. IT"S RIGHT IN THE WAY!!
See pics below, maybe they will help to illustrate.
Has anyone done this job and can you give me a clue here. That yellow encasement seems to be attached somehow to the block. ***I DID get the one bolt that was obviously holding it to the rear of the starter, but apparently there's more holding it in place.
Thanks!
BA
12-11-06, 07:46 PM
#3
http://www.flyupload.com/?fid=86647202
Look at the diagram on page 3. That engine wire protector is on the lower right to the starter. Supposely it shows two bolts that holds it down?
Otherwise, try to pry the plastic cover out. It looks like you can open it in half.
Look at the diagram on page 3. That engine wire protector is on the lower right to the starter. Supposely it shows two bolts that holds it down?
Otherwise, try to pry the plastic cover out. It looks like you can open it in half.
12-11-06, 08:59 PM
#4
aha. Thanks for the diagrams GSTeg.
I see that other bolt you're talking about. Heck, that looks to actually be the main starter '+' cable. The bolt head is covered up with plastic so I couldn't actually see it.
I'll get on that tomorrow.
Thanks man!
I see that other bolt you're talking about. Heck, that looks to actually be the main starter '+' cable. The bolt head is covered up with plastic so I couldn't actually see it.
I'll get on that tomorrow.
Thanks man!
12-13-06, 07:14 AM
#6
wow. I'm in shock here.
Got her all buttoned back up, went to hit the key and BAM! Starter whirring sound. <insert shocked face here>
Turn the key again in utter disbelief.....same thing. Wow.
I get to do it all again!
I doubt it's a bad starter, and it did bolt in relatively easy. I'm slightly baffled here, but I'm *hoping* to make some sense of it upon disassembly again.
Got her all buttoned back up, went to hit the key and BAM! Starter whirring sound. <insert shocked face here>
Turn the key again in utter disbelief.....same thing. Wow.
I get to do it all again!
I doubt it's a bad starter, and it did bolt in relatively easy. I'm slightly baffled here, but I'm *hoping* to make some sense of it upon disassembly again.
Trending Topics
12-13-06, 09:47 AM
#8
it absolutely does spin freely. I think I hear it doing it's "kick out" thing also, but something must not be lined up properly. (hard to fathom how that could be)
As long as I hold the key, I can hear the starter spin, but no engine turn-over.
As long as I hold the key, I can hear the starter spin, but no engine turn-over.
Last edited by BA_GS400; 12-13-06 at 07:05 PM.
12-13-06, 06:55 PM
#10
Yup. Crazy isn't it?
I've probably done between a half dozen - full dozen starter replacements on older cars like my old 69 Camaro, old Bronco's and other cars. (I'm 40)
I expected this one to be damn near the same,....just a little harder to get to.
SHE STARTS NOW!!!
I can't really give a great explanation, but, I had some friends with me and we checked everything, took the old starter out, played with it, put it back in and we TAPPED IT WITH A MALLET FOR THAT LAST 1/32". Yes, 1/32".
(The first time, I had the same 1/32" and just tightened the bolts up, no resistance or anything)
RE-EDIT: Oh yeah, one other thing we tried, but I can't say whether it really changed anything or not, is in the way we put the starter into place.
On my first go-round, I *might* have put the starter into place in a physically horizontal way. eg.- lowered it into the intake valley, then moved it horizontally into place...bolt holes lining up.
On the second go-round, since this thing obviously wasn't engaging the flywheel, we tried a different approach. We tried to put the starter into place as *Vertically* as possible. eg. when putting the starter gear through the hole in the block, we kept it as high as possible the whole time, lowering it as late as possible to line up the bolt holes. It did not look, nor feel, as if it made a difference. Who knows. DoubleWhoosh probably knows.
That was all we did differently. We bolted it in place, plugged in it's connections and power. Gave it a test crank (no manifold), and BAM, she actually gave a small crank. I recognized it as normal cranking sound, especially different than a starter that just spins!
We then put everything back together and fired it up, checked for leaks, etc.
I must say, the entire job was much easier the second time around.
I could make a great DIY with pics and tips!
I've probably done between a half dozen - full dozen starter replacements on older cars like my old 69 Camaro, old Bronco's and other cars. (I'm 40)
I expected this one to be damn near the same,....just a little harder to get to.
SHE STARTS NOW!!!
I can't really give a great explanation, but, I had some friends with me and we checked everything, took the old starter out, played with it, put it back in and we TAPPED IT WITH A MALLET FOR THAT LAST 1/32". Yes, 1/32".
(The first time, I had the same 1/32" and just tightened the bolts up, no resistance or anything)
RE-EDIT: Oh yeah, one other thing we tried, but I can't say whether it really changed anything or not, is in the way we put the starter into place.
On my first go-round, I *might* have put the starter into place in a physically horizontal way. eg.- lowered it into the intake valley, then moved it horizontally into place...bolt holes lining up.
On the second go-round, since this thing obviously wasn't engaging the flywheel, we tried a different approach. We tried to put the starter into place as *Vertically* as possible. eg. when putting the starter gear through the hole in the block, we kept it as high as possible the whole time, lowering it as late as possible to line up the bolt holes. It did not look, nor feel, as if it made a difference. Who knows. DoubleWhoosh probably knows.
That was all we did differently. We bolted it in place, plugged in it's connections and power. Gave it a test crank (no manifold), and BAM, she actually gave a small crank. I recognized it as normal cranking sound, especially different than a starter that just spins!
We then put everything back together and fired it up, checked for leaks, etc.
I must say, the entire job was much easier the second time around.
I could make a great DIY with pics and tips!
Last edited by BA_GS400; 12-14-06 at 07:42 AM.
01-01-07, 01:04 PM
#11
GOOD JOB! I spun my starter over before I buttoned up the engine. In my opinion, it is too much work to have to do a second time. Besides, with no injectors, it wasn't going to start up anyway. You just want to KNOW before putting the finishing touches on this job.
In your case, it looks like the starter wasn't fully seated in the block the first time, and when starting, the teeth did not engage the flywheel. I also cleaned the hole where the starter goes in, and when I put the new starter in, I swiveled it around by hand with no problems. I made sure the starter was "seated fully". The starter can only go in one way, so the same two bolt holes always line up.
As for that "mystery bolt" on the top, I moved the entire wiring harness aside and removed the "crossover" water pipe assembly to make that bolt easy to get to. The heater hoses attach to that crossover pipe, which takes hot water from the heads and sends it to the heater core in the car.
To save time, some folks make a special tool by bending a wrench to get around this stuff, but removing the water lines is easier and faster in my opinion. You have to spend a little more money for the 2 new water gaskets, but now you know they are good after you finish. Having a water leak back there would be a pain for sure.
Glad to hear you got it all done.
In your case, it looks like the starter wasn't fully seated in the block the first time, and when starting, the teeth did not engage the flywheel. I also cleaned the hole where the starter goes in, and when I put the new starter in, I swiveled it around by hand with no problems. I made sure the starter was "seated fully". The starter can only go in one way, so the same two bolt holes always line up.
As for that "mystery bolt" on the top, I moved the entire wiring harness aside and removed the "crossover" water pipe assembly to make that bolt easy to get to. The heater hoses attach to that crossover pipe, which takes hot water from the heads and sends it to the heater core in the car.
To save time, some folks make a special tool by bending a wrench to get around this stuff, but removing the water lines is easier and faster in my opinion. You have to spend a little more money for the 2 new water gaskets, but now you know they are good after you finish. Having a water leak back there would be a pain for sure.
Glad to hear you got it all done.
Last edited by gserep1; 01-13-07 at 09:33 PM.
01-10-07, 02:55 PM
#14
In your case, it looks like the starter wasn't fully seated in the block the first time, and when starting, the teeth did not engage the flywheel. I also cleaned the hole where the starter goes in, and when I put the new starter in, i swiveled it around by hand with no problems. I made sure the starter was "seated fully". The starter can only go in one way, so the same two bolt holes always line up.
I'll outline both of your tips in the DIY Guide.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
