starter removal

[MyFirstRunner]

I don't understand why people have such a hard time with this. Find the videos that are floating around and follow the advice on this forum.

I simply used a 20" breaker bar and a few extensions to remove the starter. I pulled it out through the wheel well after moving the brake line and the transmission dipstick. Just watch how its been done in the videos. I removed mine and replaced the contacts in about an hour...and that's without removing the wheel.

Not a very helpful response. Just so you are aware, I watched a number of videos and read a few threads on this and followed all of the advice. My main question was actually related to the size of the extensions. I used 3/8th's but I was curious if I should invest in some 1/2" extensions or if that would not necessarily give me more of a mechanical advantage.

Thanks!

 

[gamefreakgc]

I don't understand why people have such a hard time with this. Find the videos that are floating around and follow the advice on this forum.

I simply used a 20" breaker bar and a few extensions to remove the starter. I pulled it out through the wheel well after moving the brake line and the transmission dipstick. Just watch how its been done in the videos. I removed mine and replaced the contacts in about an hour...and that's without removing the wheel.

The problem with starters is that there are two different sizes. Those who have worked on the smaller ones are very simple to remove and can easily be taken out of the engine bay to be fixed on a bench. I'm assuming yours was and it's not hard to do.

For those of us with the larger starter, it is a complete pain. If you don't have enough extensions and u-joint connectors to make the contraption needed to remove certain components, you're stuck rebuilding it while it's sitting in the engine bay through the wheel well. I also hope that I never have to do it again.

[MENTION=100687]Konkordmusk[/MENTION] you were at my house when I was working on the starter, gosh that was a frustrating day! BTW the battery still works awesome, have not had a single issue since replacing.

 

[mtbtim]

For anyone interested, here's the video I made of removing and replacing the contacts and plunger on the 1.8kw starter on my 2000 4x4. I took mine out via the passenger side wheel well. I know some have decided to work on the starter while it's still in the engine bay, but why? It's much easier to get it out and work on it comfortably on a work bench.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WV1t5-wcoOI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[TheDurk]

Not a very helpful response. Just so you are aware, I watched a number of videos and read a few threads on this and followed all of the advice. My main question was actually related to the size of the extensions. I used 3/8th's but I was curious if I should invest in some 1/2" extensions or if that would not necessarily give me more of a mechanical advantage.

Thanks!

The drive size of the extension makes no difference as to mechanical advantage. It makes a difference to the resistance of the system to breaking. However, the 3/8" ratchet or breaker bar on the end of the extensions will be less than a foot long, typically 9" or 10". So you would have to use a cheater pipe to equal the MA of a 1/2" drive 24-inch breaker bar. If you do that, you can easily snap off one of those 3/8" squares trying to break loose one of those trans bolts. (The starter bolt is really a trans bolt.)

When I did my clutch, I used 1/2" drive wobble extensions from Harbor Freight , plus a few regular ones, adding up to four feet or so, until I was behind the TC and I could use a cheater on top of my 24" breaker bar for maybe 3 1/2 feet of total lever. Made it easy. The starter bolts are simple to reach that way--to get the top bolts I had to droop the trans a tad.

Highly recommend you desist on 3/8" drive for this job--you're just as likely to break the tool as the bolt getting free if it is stuck good.

 

[gamefreakgc]

For anyone interested, here's the video I made of removing and replacing the contacts and plunger on the 1.8kw starter on my 2000 4x4. I took mine out via the passenger side wheel well. I know some have decided to work on the starter while it's still in the engine bay, but why? It's much easier to get it out and work on it comfortably on a work bench.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WV1t5-wcoOI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Oh, I definitely tried. I fought with that starter for almost an hour and a half. I wonder if there's other components that are different throughout the years or something that would tighten or change the dimensions of the space, since I've seen your video but there was no way mine was coming out that way.

For those that can though, it's a piece of cake replacing the contacts outside of the vehicle.

 

[mtbtim]

Oh, I definitely tried. I fought with that starter for almost an hour and a half. I wonder if there's other components that are different throughout the years or something that would tighten or change the dimensions of the space, since I've seen your video but there was no way mine was coming out that way.

For those that can though, it's a piece of cake replacing the contacts outside of the vehicle.

There must be differences in the years if you tried turning the starter in the same orientation I did and was not able to get it out via the wheel well. I do remember cranking on that brake line to get it out of the way enough to make room for the starter. At first, I couldn't get it past the brake line but I applied some more force and got it out of the way enough. It took me a few tries to figure out which way to turn the starter to get it to fit through the space and it seems the way I oriented the starter is the same others did getting it out through the wheel well.

 

[gamefreakgc]

There must be differences in the years if you tried turning the starter in the same orientation I did and was not able to get it out via the wheel well. I do remember cranking on that brake line to get it out of the way enough to make room for the starter. At first, I couldn't get it past the brake line but I applied some more force and got it out of the way enough. It took me a few tries to figure out which way to turn the starter to get it to fit through the space and it seems the way I oriented the starter is the same others did getting it out through the wheel well.

Yeah, I ended up taking off quite a few clips and bolts to move the brake line out of the way considerably, since I was afraid I would bend and weaken the metal lines or even tear one of the old rubber line. No luck . My contacts failed just after 200k miles, so I'm really hoping it'll last another 200k and I'll never have to do it again!

I mean, it's not a HARD job, just a FRUSTRATING job!

 

[mtbtim]

Yeah, I ended up taking off quite a few clips and bolts to move the brake line out of the way considerably, since I was afraid I would bend and weaken the metal lines or even tear one of the old rubber line. No luck . My contacts failed just after 200k miles, so I'm really hoping it'll last another 200k and I'll never have to do it again!

I mean, it's not a HARD job, just a FRUSTRATING job!

My starter failed around 140k. But, mine failed in a scary way and the starter stuck on trying to turn over the engine even after I turned the key off. I figured since the contacts wear unevenly, the plunger was able to get cocked at an angle and get stuck against the contacts. It's the only thing that makes sense to me why the starter would get stuck in the "ON" position.

I'm hoping I'm not a candidate for a flex plate failure because the starter was grinding against it for a while until I was able to remove the negative cable off the battery to stop the power to it.

 

[pdsutton]

I replaced my starter contacts earlier this year at a friends house. We followed the steps I found on this forum: dip stick removal, moving brake line bracket, passenger side wheel well etc. It took us 3 hrs start to finish. Would have gone quicker with more/better tools.
Hardest part was finding the correct orientation to get the starter through the gap. That took all our patience. Wish mtbtim's video was around to watch back then!
I did not realise there were two sizes of starter. Reminds me of when my 4runner got stuck in 4wd and I read all these easy solutions only to find out they did things different on the '02 and I couldnt fix it myself.

 

[Konkordmusk]

The problem with starters is that there are two different sizes. Those who have worked on the smaller ones are very simple to remove and can easily be taken out of the engine bay to be fixed on a bench. I'm assuming yours was and it's not hard to do.

For those of us with the larger starter, it is a complete pain. If you don't have enough extensions and u-joint connectors to make the contraption needed to remove certain components, you're stuck rebuilding it while it's sitting in the engine bay through the wheel well. I also hope that I never have to do it again.

[MENTION=100687]Konkordmusk[/MENTION] you were at my house when I was working on the starter, gosh that was a frustrating day! BTW the battery still works awesome, have not had a single issue since replacing.

Good to hear man! A lot of people have been hating on the new Optima's...I've yet to have a single issue on my YellowTop.

Bonus: I moved back to Citrus Heights! We should meet up again sometime.

 

[MyFirstRunner]

So I spent about 3 hours on this today and could not get the top bolt off. I was using 3/8" long extensions but could not get it to break with my Dewalt cordless impact. Would a half inch work better. Any thoughts?

Finally got the bolt loose! I ended up using the top half of my jack handle as a breaker bar. Man that thing was tight...

The last hour of my original attempt was pretty frustrating so it was probably good that I walked away from it for a few days and then tried again with fresh perspective. Will be taking it out and replacing the contacts this weekend, will be glad to get it back on the road again.

 

[DirtAlley]

I did the starter on my 97 5-speed SR5 4WD a few weeks ago and didn't have to go thru the wheel well. It came out through the space above the steering rack - I had to flip it around first, and it was still pretty awkward, but seemed easier (and less scary) than squeezing it past the brake lines through the wheel well. I did undo the brake line bolts so I could get my hand in there to move it around.

I was also able to get a socket wrench (and later, a torque wrench) right onto the starter bolts without any extensions.

mtbtim, if you're reading this, thank you for all your videos! I was getting the click-no-start thing, so I took out the old one, intending to do the contact replacement as you showed, and discovered it was not the OEM starter. I changed the contacts anyway (they were pretty worn down), but then couldn't get the starter bolts to tighten once I got it back in. Seems I stripped the threads somehow on the old starter (despite going really slow & careful and tightening by hand).

End result: a shitty aftermarket 1.4kw starter came out...a new (reman) 1.8kw Denso went in a few days later. There's a pic of both if anyone is curious about the size difference. I was a bit concerned that the bigger one wouldn't fit - I couldn't figure out which size mine originally had. It's a manual, and it seems like those got the 1.4 at the factory, but mine was also sold in Canada and as far as I can tell had the cold weather package (meaning the 1.8kw starter). Either way, the one I took out was definitely not the original.

I don't know if this was easier because I have a standard rather than an automatic, just wanted to share that it is possible this way!

 

[Dave98]

alot of people say they took theirs out through the fender, my physically would not fit through the gap, I played with the damned thing like a rubics cube, if mine ever goes out I'll pay one of you guys to replace it

I felt the same way. Turned it this way and that way, all while trying not to bust the starter’s electrical plug sticking up and hooking on everything.

Then I read CO Flyfishers post and the clouds parted: he said “CAREFULLY bend the brake line back to the rear” or something like that. That did it for me after all my wrestling haha!!

That brake line comes from the ABS, above the line is Coiled and at the wheel end theres like 6” of rubber hose so you can really move it out of your way without damaging it. Tuck it to the far left and your starter will come out. Dont just unbolt it and move it a little out of the way, move it as far left ( to the rear) as you can. It will tuck into a corner.
Then your starter will come out