mtbtim
Elite Member
Did you remove the bolt that holds the upper half to the head first?
If you ever plan on removing your starter, read this first.
- Thread starter LINY4Runner
- Start date
Did you remove the bolt that holds the upper half to the head first?
heat
Member
As Tim says... The other thing I did was pull the line at the right end
of the steering rack. Put a rubber cap on the line. Makes the job
go super quick.
shadow247
New member
Just wanted to bump this old thread.
I fought the starter for about 30 minutes trying to get it through the wheel. I went ahead and removed both sway bar brackets, and it came right out the bottom. It took me a while to get the sway bar down, as my Savage skids were limiting access.
Chances are you need to at least Grease you sway bar mounts, so save yourself the headache and pull the sway bar mounts. Use a floor jack to hold up the sway bar while you remove the bolts. Keeps it from dropping down until you have all the bolts out.
I fought the starter for about 30 minutes trying to get it through the wheel. I went ahead and removed both sway bar brackets, and it came right out the bottom. It took me a while to get the sway bar down, as my Savage skids were limiting access.
Chances are you need to at least Grease you sway bar mounts, so save yourself the headache and pull the sway bar mounts. Use a floor jack to hold up the sway bar while you remove the bolts. Keeps it from dropping down until you have all the bolts out.
Coopsdaddy
New member
So what’s the process for 4wd limited 3.4
Take sway bar off ?
Do you need to mess with tranny dipstick or lines this way?
Take sway bar off ?
Do you need to mess with tranny dipstick or lines this way?
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alexperrucci
New member
No. I just did this recently. Do what OP said. Unbolt starter contacts and bolts, unbolt 2 fasteners on the swaybar and it will come out the bottom.
Coopsdaddy
New member
What is federal exhaust?
phattyduck
Elite Member
'96-'98 all had single cat, '99-'00 CA had two cats and 49 other states had 1 cat, '01-'2 all had two cats.
Federal exhaust = single cat
The cats are a different size/shape/location between the front on CA emissions and the only cat on Federal/49-state emissions.
-Charlie
Great post! But it must be for 2WD 4R’s
My 4WD, 98 V6 Auto Trans is definitely not that easy
Unbolting the sway bar from the frame worked fine in both a 2000 auto 4wd and 2000 manual 4wd.
Why not give this thread a little bumpski.
Having to do this dreaded fix on my '00 limited. Everything was pretty straight forward until I got to the top bolt. Impact wrench, breaker bar, brute strength, I couldn't quite get the the right angle and leverage to get it to budge. Let it sit for a day, tried again, same deal. Watched a couple more videos and saw that everyone was using either a swivel socket or a swivel extension and a short socket. I was using a deep impact socket and it pushed the swivel so far out, it wasn't helping. Anyways, keep that swivel as close as you can. Switched to the shallow socket and it came right off....
Obvious for some of y'all, I know, but wasn't for me. So leaving this tidbit for someone down the road not as bright as me.
Having to do this dreaded fix on my '00 limited. Everything was pretty straight forward until I got to the top bolt. Impact wrench, breaker bar, brute strength, I couldn't quite get the the right angle and leverage to get it to budge. Let it sit for a day, tried again, same deal. Watched a couple more videos and saw that everyone was using either a swivel socket or a swivel extension and a short socket. I was using a deep impact socket and it pushed the swivel so far out, it wasn't helping. Anyways, keep that swivel as close as you can. Switched to the shallow socket and it came right off....
Obvious for some of y'all, I know, but wasn't for me. So leaving this tidbit for someone down the road not as bright as me.
Previologist
Member
a pain in the gut because I had to hold stomach crunches to get it back in but otherwise no particular trouble getting it out on my 3.4 manual 4wd.
phattyduck
Elite Member
Helps that you have no trans dipstick in the area... It is interesting that some people have so much trouble and others think this one isn't too bad (even on 4WD autos).
-Charlie
Previologist
Member
I'm also pretty flexible and don't have giant meatpaws. And I took it out from underneath, not through the wheel well though I don't know which is easier/harder.
ITWrencher
New member
I had to laugh at this pretty hard. Just finishing up the transmission replacement in the wifeys 2002 and I had the same issue because I listened to an internet hero trying to save time………
diegoarguetaa
New member
Well, if the bolt is a "penis", the nut would be the "vag".
good analogy haha
mtbtim
Elite Member
I don't get why so many people can't get the starter out through the wheel well. That guy who made that rant post made me laugh, but not with hime, but rather at him. If you get the upper half of the dipstick tube out of the way and you release the brake line bracket bolts on the frame, you can easily sneak the starter through. Another trick not shown in my video, is loosening the the UCA bolt some which gives you even more clearance to get the starter out through the wheel well. If you get the starter in the correct orientation, it comes out without much of a fight. I never tried to remove the starter through the bottom, but for those that have heavy aftermarket skid plates like I do, dropping the sway bar is a lot more work.
"Internet Heroes" can save people A LOT of people time and money. Sometimes the information shared isn't the greatest and that's just how it goes. As forum members sharing information, we can all be labeled Internet Heroes. I'm curious, did you use an Internet Hero's video for the trans swap? I only ask because [MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION] and I have a 3-part video series showing people how to do a auto trans swap on a 2002 4runner on our Timmy the Toolman YouTube channel.
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AuSeeker
Elite Member
Well at least ya'll don't have to change the starter on a 4th Gen V8!!!
You have to remove the intake and a bunch other stuff under the intake to R&R it, the good new is that the starter is well protected from the elements being buried under the intake and as such a failed starter on the V8 is rare, I've only heard of a handful if that needing to be replaced or rebuilding the solenoid which is what usually what wears out long before the motor itself.
You have to remove the intake and a bunch other stuff under the intake to R&R it, the good new is that the starter is well protected from the elements being buried under the intake and as such a failed starter on the V8 is rare, I've only heard of a handful if that needing to be replaced or rebuilding the solenoid which is what usually what wears out long before the motor itself.
T4R2014
Elite Member
Honestly, If I'm working in my driveway, I would 1million times rather pull an intake manifold than do a 5VZ starter on my back.
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