Related to my "Odd no start" thread, I am now faced with replacing my starter due to what is apparently a faulty solenoid. The starter is under warranty having been replaced 16 months ago when I resurrected the car. At that time, the starter was super easy to replace since I had the passenger-side head off. However, the car is now fully assembled and I don't want or need to tear the engine down for access.
So, my question is, .... Has anybody found a way to remove/replace the starter without removing the steering rack as the manual says, or is that really the only way to do it? Not having a lift, I can't imagine that would be convenient with the car only 20" off the ground which is how tall my 6-ton jackstands are...
Thanks
-Steve-

 

Removing the 4 rack mount bolts takes a few minutes. You don't need the rack 'on-the-ground' you just need the right side lowered a bit.
Leave the column connected. Leave the hydraulic lines connected. Leave the tie rods connected.

First I would check the power stud on the false bulkhead for a poor connection or burnt wiring?
The V8 starters are not fragile. I have not replaced many over the years, even with bore washed engines and Loooooooong cranking to get the engine started.

bob

 

Thanks Bob. I was hoping it's more a matter of unbolting it and shoving it aside than complete removal.
I'm preparing for the worst here. The starter has a lifetime warranty, so I have a new one in-hand just in case. The way this issue came up was so sudden I want to think something is shorting across the starter wiring but I have not been under the car to check it yet. At the same time, working in auto parts I know these things can fail and that's just sort of the nature of things. Hence the lifetime warranty...
I will find out whatever is wrong tomorrow when I tackle this, and will post updates.
Thanks
-Steve-

 

Steve....any updates on your starter removal?

 

Max,
I got the starter replaced last weekend. Removal can be accomplished without loosening the rack, but installing is pretty much impossible with the rack in place. There just isn't enough room in there to get the starter up and in place -- the studs for power and trigger wires get hung up on the power steering line. Of course, the worst part is, once you get the starter up in place there is virtually no room to get the bottom bolt started with 2 fingers of one hand while holding the thing in place with the other hand. Much cursing ensues while fooling with this part. Then, finally, there is the invisible top bolt..... Follow the dealer manual's advice here and use the socket extensions/u-joint. I also lightly taped the bolt to the socket, not having magnetic sockets available. Fishing the extensions over the motor mount from the front with your right hand while fishing for the end of the bolt by the starter with the left is the way to go. Then guide the bolt into place and carefully thread in. I say carefully, because it is astonishingly easy to get the bolt started cross-thread. If it binds at all, back it off and try again.
Overall, removal took a little over an hour and install took over 3. Compare that to my Chevy van, which takes 20 minutes start to finish including jacking-up time...
The best part? The replacement starter is defective.... The pinion binds on cold start-up and takes a couple seconds to engage properly. Lifetime warranty, so no dollars involved but not what I was looking forward to doing again.
Oh well, keeps me out of bars. Or drives me to drinking. One of those....
-Steve-

 

Steve....thanks for your thoughts on this vexing subject ;o)
As the old saying goes....there's more than one way to skin a cat...;o)=)
The problem that confronts cars with Right Hand Drive is the location of the steering shaft coupling
onto the rack, it's right in the way of direct access to the starter.
Even with Bob Gauf's suggestions of just removing the four rack mounting bolts to lower the rack out of the way a bit is fraught with problems ....would be fine on a LHD car.
Suggestions from our Irish friend AndMars....regards removal of the motor unit from the gear housing by two long 8mm bolts and giving more direct access to that troublesome top bolt.
My thoughts are to attack the solenoid housing first by removing and checking condition of plunger, it's circular bus contact and the two copper bus contact plates within the housing.
With oil filter removed....it gives direct access to the solenoid housing cover plate.
I have been through the entire voltage system from battery, power cables, master fuses, power leads at bulkhead, fuse box, replaced the starter motor relay with a heavier 50 amp job and cleaned and lubed the braided earth strap from bell housing to chassis,
So, that eliminates all those.
Battery by the way holds a steady 13.2 volts being a 100 amp/hour 800CCA Silver/Calcium job.
Once I work out a better light source and a couple of other fanglers to help this one eyed old fart....I'll be getting Syd serious ;o))

 

Yes I can see where the RHD rack configuration will compound an already-difficult replacement. Checking the solenoid wouldn't be a bad idea -- that ended up being the problem with the starter I just replaced. The plunger had welded itself to the 2 copper contacts. I could have fixed it (replacement parts are readily available) but since I had the warranty I just did the whole thing.
FWIW, the first time I replaced the starter I had the right-side head and exhaust manifold off the car. Both the starter and alternator were dead simple to replace -- beautiful access. Now had I been really thinking at that time I would've replaced that motor mount! Oh well, with any luck it will be good for a long time...
Good luck with your starter issue
-Steve-

 

Hello Steve....if you think clearence for a LHD car is tight....multiply it by about 20
and you are pretty close for an RHD car! ;o)=)
I'm still working on the idea to do the solenoid first and if this proves too difficult, I will try the remove
the motor section from gear housing.
As for removing the four mounting bolts for the steering rack....I have nothing to loose there either.
I may be able to wangle it down out of the way just enough to expose the bolts.....but I will still
have to go in from the front.....I'm wondering if there would be any advantage in undoing the
right hand engine mount to raise the engine just slightly for better access??
As a matter of interest did you remove the right cyl. head with exhaust manifold attached?

 

Yes, I left the exhaust manifold attached to the head. The reason I removed the head was to get a good look at the condition of the pistons, bores, and valves on that side. I bought the car as a non-runner, having been parked for 6-1/2 years with what I found to be a broken secondary chain on the right bank. Fortunately, the cam stopped in a happy place -- several valves cracked open enough to cause a zero-compression reading but not far enough to contact pistons. Much work ensued, including the aforementioned starter and alternator. The car has been perfect for 16 months (and 14k miles) since until this starter issue came up, which could happen to any car.
28 degrees this morning with 40 mph wind gusts and freezing rain so I may not work on it today...
-Steve-

 

Steve...interesting reply and useful for future reference ;o)
My engine has covered 216,000klm trouble free to date....upon saying that
it will probably all turn to **** now! ;o)=)

If I may ask....who supplied your starter and alternator rebuild parts?

 

I work for Advance Auto Parts, so both were sourced through them. The alternator is a Denso, and the starter is Advance's house-branded. Both are remanufactured. I paid a few dollars more to do it this way as opposed to ordering from someplace like Rock Auto, but both items carry a lifetime warranty and should replacement be required (as the starter is) it's simple and local. Rock is good about warranty stuff, but you still have to wait for the part to come and their warranty on starters and alternators is only a year or so.
-Steve-

 

Thanks Steve....I have quite a dossier of parts suppliers built up over the years.
I have owned 'JJ' for nearly 14 years now ;o)
Nearly 40 deg.C here today with strong winds and fires everywhere.