If you ever plan on removing your starter, read this first.

[LINY4Runner]

Disclaimer: My agression may be slightly elevated at this current time due to personal issues.

I am so sick of internet know-it-alls giving out shitty information.
I swam through thread after thread after thread of all different tricks to remove your starter.
One guy says to unbolt the brake line and bend it out of the way, then remove the transmission dipstick.

Listen to me
ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS REMOVE THE 2 NUTS AND 2 BOLTS THAT HOLD THE SWAY BAR TO THE FRAME AND THE STARTER WILL FALL RIGHT OUT.

I'll type it again
ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS REMOVE THE 2 NUTS AND 2 BOLTS THAT HOLD THE SWAY BAR TO THE FRAME AND THE STARTER WILL FALL RIGHT OUT.

I just wasted 2 hours trying to snake this stupid thing out through the wheel well as this shitbird suggested.
It took me 5 minutes to unbolt the starter and contacts. 10 Minutes to work out the slightly rusty bolts on the sway bar. 12 seconds for the starter to drop out. Another 5 minutes to bolt the new starter and contacts. And 5 more to bolt the sway bar back in.

One more time...
ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS REMOVE THE 2 NUTS AND 2 BOLTS THAT HOLD THE SWAY BAR TO THE FRAME AND THE STARTER WILL FALL RIGHT OUT.

 

[MikesToy]

Thanks! But what's the difference between nuts and bolts? Aren't they the same thing? Pics if available. Sorry, i'm stupid today.

 

[the_josh]

removing the starter on a 4th gen is not fun either, neither is the flywheel, tranny, engine.... and so on

 

[brian2sun]

Thanks! But what's the difference between nuts and bolts? Aren't they the same thing? Pics if available. Sorry, i'm stupid today.

Well, if the bolt is a "penis", the nut would be the "vag".

 

[kaiser]

Not really necessary to call someone a shitbird if they showed they way they did it, I took mine out through the wheel well, but to each their own madness right? If yours was easier then more power to ya!

 

[MikesToy]

Thanks! I asked b/c when i was taking my mudguards out, the toyota mechanic told me that there are 4 nuts to unscrew. I told him that i thought you guys call these bolts?

 

[Spencer]

I feel you!!

I get that soo much, today I installed a body lift in my truck after memebers here online told me I dont have all the parts and need to order more..

I had everything I needed...

 

[Rock Slide]

Nice work. IMO, there's never 1 "right" way to do anything.

Removing the starter on a 2wd 4Runner is even easier...you can drop the starter straight down thru the lower A arm. (Had to replace the contacts on my wife's 4Runner last month.) As so:



Lowering the starter:

Straight out thru the lower A-arm:

 

[kaiser]

Oi vei, now I have to do this tomorrow

 

[KellyJ]

Haha Bryan was FUMING about this yesterday at Rausch Creek. His method does look a lot simpler though

 

[Lignum]

Who's more foolish: the fool, or the fool who follows him? - Obi Wan Kenobi

 

[notrayray]

As many of these threads as I see, I still only needed to remove the starter to remove my starter.

 

[jeepeater]

As many of these threads as I see, I still only needed to remove the starter to remove my starter.

Yeah I don't know why everybody thinks this would be hard. I've done a starter on a 97 and a 2000. All I did was unbolt it, twist it around a little, and take it out.

 

[steezemcqueen]

lies..all lies

the damn transmission dipstick and powersteering lines are in the way :dammit:

the 4 cylinder was a super huge mega biotch to do the starter and i was told the v6 was much easier...nope

 

[sn0wrunner]

Hahaha. Dylan and i worked on mine for about 3 hours last night. It's true that there is only two bolts holding the starter, so to get it disconnected takes no time at all. But trying to maneuver it out is another story. On my 96, there is absolutely no room for it to come out anywhere. And yes, the sway bar is removed. We ended up taking it apart so, once it was in two pieces, the solenoid and the starter motor, we could squeeze it through where the sway bar was. Were gunna work on getting the new one in later today.

I guess it might be a little easier on the newer 3rd gens, cause LINY, and my buddy Glen, didnt have much of a problem getting it out.

 

[legokcen]

Yeah, I removed the starter to fix the black clip for the starter solenoid on it and I just removed the wires, unbolted the two starter bolts and snaked it out the bottom. As bad as everyone started to make it sound, I first wasted an hour trying to fix it in place so I wouldn't have to remove it and when I finally decided to just pull the starter it only took a few minutes. The only hard thing is you don't have much wrenching room, but aside from that, piece of cake!

 

[plasmaboy]

Starter repair without removing ANY thing except for the starter!

I know there are lot of write ups out there, and many ways to do this, here is one from another perpective.
Starter repair without removing ANY thing except for the starter!

Pros: less things to disassemble
Cons: can only use one hand!, need another person for reinstallation.

Disconnect the NEG side from the battery.
Slide under the car, slide one hand to access the starter and remove the two electric connectors.
One bolted and one clipped.
Bear in mind that the clipped connector was PITA to take out.
I didn't want to risk breaking the clip, so took a long time.
I finally figured out that the clip is only on one side.
So pressing on the top with my thumb on it, then shaking it out.
Since I can only use one hand, using a flat head screw driver is not an option.

Now to tackle the two bolts, lower bolt was easier, just use a 14mm wrench.
The upper bolt required the use of a breaker bar and extension.
This was not fun at all since, there was so little space.
Can't imagine taking out the bolts without Flex Head Ratcheting GearWrench, that clicked only twice.
Anyway, as soon as the bolts were free, it drops a bit.
It will be wedge somewhere... wish it fell straight down.
Anyway maneuvering it out via the gap between the stabilizer bar and the trans stick. Just take it slow.

Open up the copper contact housing (3 #8 bolts) and clean it up with brake cleaner.
I bought a 'package' from clickerfixer off eBay.
The contacts look 90% close enough to the original.
The copper crescent shape was not as long as the original.
Pay more attention to the side that had a rubber boot,
as there is a connection to the soldered part in the starter.
Take it apart with care.
the plunger didn't look too bad, but I used the new one.

okay, for me this next step of placing the starter back in was another PITA moment.
The starter weights 10lbs, since I can only use one hand to maneuver it back it place,
every few seconds it felt heavier. Since it could come out, it definitely can go back in.
too a while to maneuver it back in place. Now, this is when you realize that gravity
works against you. There is no way you can hold it in pace and thread the bolt in
at the same time with ONE hand. So got my DW to assist from the top engine compartment.
I aligned it from the bottom, and she applied pressure to keep it in place,
while I threaded in the top bolt, then it was the home stretch.
tighten bolts, connect 2 elec wires, and battery.
Now it starts right up. So happy.....
Took me about 5 leisure hours.
Wear gloves and safety googgles, and having a Creeperto lay on helps.

So, it is possible to remove the starter only.
(4runner 09 6cly limited, 5VZFE)
It takes a bit of time and only using one hand for most part of the job.

(sigh... Quite disappointed that I can't upload photos here. It prompts for a Http site to point to. I guess I gotto load my pics in another forum then.)

 

[notrayray]

Use Imageshack.us

You don't even have to sign up for it. :cheers:

 

[Champ306]

Lily, awesome. good thing you have a few thousand posts though on this forum, otherwise no one would take your word for it. haha. always find that funny on any forum.

Peoples ability to wrench on stuff is just as diverse as peoples driving skills.

 

[runrunner]

Well, this makes me glad I found that the dealer replaced the starter in mine a few months before it was traded in and I bought it. PO payed $387 for a Toyota reman starter!