(Another) Starter Contacts Removal Thread!
 

I know this has been done before, but not being a mechanically inclined person I had a bit of trouble along the way and decided I'd like to add my 2 cents (and pictures!) to the available information. I would have added this to others' thread, but I didn't think I would want to post without permission. So here it is! The non-mechanically inclined thread to replacing the contacts within the starter WITHOUT removing the starter from the engine bay! Yes, even YOU can do it (with the right tools). I will note that these pictures were taken in reverse order (as I was putting everything back together).

BEFORE STARTING THE BELOW STEPS, REMOVE THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL CABLE. Safety is important!

Step 1: Remove the FRONT PASSENGER side wheel and set your truck on jack stands; leaving it on a floor jack is unsafe! FYI, these are FJ Cruiser rims, not the stock T4R rims.
http://i.imgur.com/ahISd8V.jpg

Step 2: Unclip the fastners that hold the rubber splashguard. I reached behind and used plyers to squeeze it together and then pushed through. I hear you can use a flathead screwdriver as well for this. I also only took out the top three fastners and let it hang. You can take them all out and remove it completely if you want to.
http://i.imgur.com/BdJzvZo.jpg

Step 3: Remove the bolts holding the brake line in place. It's not needed to completely remove the brake line, but it helps to move it out of the way sometimes. Note there are 2 bolts here, one on either side and they can be reached with a 12mm ratchet.
http://i.imgur.com/KiRxt32.jpg

Step 4: There are 2 connections to the starter itself. The yellow arrow points to a plastic cover over one of them, and the blue arrow points to a kind-of clipped in connection. Remove the plastic cover and unclip the smaller black connector. Both of which might be easier to do coming from below the frame.
http://i.imgur.com/3cNk0ta.jpg

Step 5: Unscrew the bolt holding the first connection to the starter. I used a couple long ratchet extentions down past the skid plate to get this one off. Again, I did this from below.
http://i.imgur.com/LKzveaj.jpg

Step 6: Remove the exhaust pipe bracket. There are 3 bolts total shown in the picture to remove. This allows us access to the bolts holding the starter in place against the transmission. I remove these and the starter bolts while below the truck and used a 14mm socket.
http://i.imgur.com/613ztey.jpg

Step 7: Remove the two starter bolts holding it in place. I left them loose in the below picture to make it clear which two needed to come out. The top bolt is SHORTER than the bottom bolt. Make sure to not let it get banged up! I used a 14mm socket and socket wrench with an extension bar to remove these, but others have used a swivel as well.
http://i.imgur.com/eAKiwmk.jpg

Congratz! The starter is now free of its restraints and you can move it around within it's small area. I used a small block of wood to help hold the starter up for the next several steps. It was about 6 inches tall.
http://i.imgur.com/CEf5eY1.jpg

Step 8: With the starter sitting on it's side, we now have access to a plate that behind it contains the contacts. Remote the 3 bolts here that hold the plate on. These should be able to be removed with 7mm socket.
http://i.imgur.com/cA9vEvU.jpg

Step 9: Remove the plunger and long spring; put them aside somewhere they aren't going to get dirty (sorry, I forgot to include a picture). You should now be able to see the contacts inside on either side. They are held by bolts on the outside of the starter.
http://i.imgur.com/aDSwCCq.jpg

Step 10: Because the starter is loose and free, getting the bolts off to remove the contacts can be a little difficult. To help with leverage I used 2 wrenches, 13mm on the contact side and 14mm on the bolt side. I have a ratchet-type wrench here so it was a little easier than using a standard wrench.
http://i.imgur.com/d3ITdpR.jpg

Once you have the contact and bolt removed from the starter, you should have the following pieces pulled out in the below order:
http://i.imgur.com/eTCyWku.jpg

Here's the difference between my old (on the left) and new (on the right) contact! I only replaced the one as the other looked fine.
http://i.imgur.com/P7NGAqB.jpg

Putting it back together took me about 1/4th of the time, but it's basically the exact opposite process as above. Once done, you're all set! I did the above just like I explained it and now have a 4Runner that starts up right away!


Thanks for taking the time to read my step-through! It's my first I've done when it comes to vehicles, so please let me know how I did and what I could do to make it better! Also, I apologize for any fuzzy pictures too.

Another great resource that I found other than these forums was at the following website: HaveBlue's 3.4 V6 Starter Replacement

Have fun!

Nice write up! :trophy:

very nice write up

I just did this job and removed the started which was easy with my 1" body lift and didn't require me to touch the exhaust header. Mine had major corrosion, lots of mud and lots of wear after 165000 miles and a lot of offroading.. I was glad I took it all out and really cleaned it inside and out. WOW WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!! Whole job took an hour and a half start to finish but was so easy.

excellent write up! I'm sure I'll be referring back to this in the future.
Only thing I would add to the write up is: part numbers, required tools, etc.

Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

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need a little help.
I need to do this on my truck but I'm not sure about the contacts, I see they have long bolt and short bolt. Can anyone help.

Those wheels look good, CoMarc.

Man, it's weird seeing a V6 in that bay!

I should have a new truck by the end of summer so I will know it soon enough.

Good write up.

very helpful photo illustrations
 

I am just about ready to do this myself and for a buddy's ride and dang I could not ask for better instructions or pics.

skorpion go to the 4crawler.com web site and all will make sense. Roger is most helpful and very specific- but read first and read thoroughly.

Great write up as it was very helpful for my change of the whole starter.

The hardest part was getting the top bolt off of the starter. I had to use a universal joint and several extensions and after a 30-min struggle, finally found the right position to get it off.

Thanks again for the help as my Hanes repair manual was horrible and would have left me stranded and helpless.

Excellent write-up! I rebuilt the starter on my FJ62 and it's very similar, except a WHOLE lot easier to access than the T4R...

I replaced my plunger while I was in there....

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/i...2.jpg~original

Here's a little more "exposed" pic....
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/i...7.jpg~original

As a former tech writer/illustrator in the automotive industry I would give the workflow an A...

Two questions - if the contact that was not replaced in the write-up needs to be, is it easily accessible from the wheelwell like the contact that was replaced?

Is it absolutely necessary to disconnect both cables or can the starter be worked on without doing so?

Hey theskeezix,
First off, thanks for the comments!

The other contact I'm sure could have been replaced by removing the connector and bolt on the other side. I didn't try it myself as I didn't know how far in I really wanted to get into it.

As for the cables, removing both from the bottom of the starter definitely helped me be able to move it around to a spot that I could easily access the contacts without too much hassle. Plus, both cables are relatively easy to get off and put back on.