Ok guy's, who ever posted the message stating that it takes 45 minutes to 1 hour to remove a starter, must have been very lucky....

It's now my second day trying to remove the upper starter bolt, the bottom one is out. I'm 50% complete...

This is what I have done to try to remove the upper bolt...
1) 24 inches of 1/2 extensions with a swivel and a 18mm 6 point socket.
2) Connected to a 4.5 hp 135 psi compressor and an air ratchet that can torque 235 lbs @ 90 psi.
3) The bolt will not move. I have tried a boxed wrench too, but I can't get any torque on the wrench with my hands. And when I place a pipe on the end of the wrench, the wrench comes off of the bolt.
4) My brother-in-law suggested using Liquid Wrench and also trying some freon on the bolt since I can't use a touch under the car.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?
Why are these bolts so hard to remove?
They are just starter bolts, they are not holding the car together... :)

Thanks for any help.

BTW - I don't want to cut into my driver side compartment to remove this bolt as I read in a previous post.

You need a long breaker bar. That bolt might be on there tight but it's not impossible. If you let your box-end wrench slip off the bolt too many times, your bolt head is going to become rounded, so I'd abandon that particular approach. Forget the air wrench also... in my experience a lot of the snapping torque of the air wrench gets absorbed by the u-joint.

I always use 36" of extensions, and run them along side the shift linkage, on top of the O/D solenoid and on top of the crossmember. I connect my 24" breaker bar to the extensions at the back of the transmission near the output shaft. One time I encountered a bolt so tight that I lifted myself up off the ground pulling down on the end of the 24" breaker bar (I weigh 175), but I just had to bounce on it a couple times and it broke free.

I've never had to do this to get at that particular bolt, but you might find there is more room to work by removing the tranmission crossmember and letting the back of the transmission fall downward (properly supported by a jack, of course), which lets the front of the engine pop up. This is how you get at the bolt on the very top of the bell-housing, and would probably give you more room to work on your problem bolt. But again, I've never had to do that.

Do you use the 36" of extensions to get to the top bolt? Because it's not a straight shot to the bolt head with-out the u-joint adapter. Also are you under the car using your body wait for pressure or do I need to get a pipe on the end of the breaker bar?

I'm guessing that when I have 36" of extensions, u-joint and breaker-bar on the top bolt, when I try to use my body weight to remove the bolt that the socket might slip off because of the angle.
Thanks for your input and help...


BG :)

To get the top starter bolt, I use (in order):

1. standard (not deep-well) 1/2" 6-sided socket
2. universal joint
3. 36" of extensions
4. big f'n breaker bar

I do this from under the car with the front wheels up on ramps. I run the end of the breaker bar almost parallel to the ground and pointed out the driver's side of the car, lay on my back under the car, and then pull down on the end of the breaker bar with my left hand, and my right hand holds the end of the breaker bar connected to the extensions steady.

If you run the extensions along the side of the transmission as I described in my previous post it's *almost* a straight shot and the u-joint doesn't do a whole lot. I've never had problems with the socket slipping off the bolt head.

Thanks Matt, I will do it your exact way.
Let you know what happens.

BG :)

Lefty loosy, righty tighty?

i have a 91 240 with 150k..florida car. i went to remove the starter in order to get at the oil separator. I also used a 1/2 inch drive socket, and an 18mm short socket/universal. I had barely enough room with the tranny linkage and all..but mine came off in about 10 seconds of persuasion with a breaker bar. I must admit, when it finally gave, i thought i cracked the tranny housing or something, it emitted a very loud "SNAP"! But, it was just the bolt coming loose. I think the problem is related to the two different types of metal.

hope this helps

Go at it from the top. Move things around or off the firewall and back of engine to get more access.

A trick to get more access from the bottom is to get the tranny linkage off and out of the way, this will free up a few degees for easier wrenching.

Mine died in January after 262K. Luckily it was warm and only took 4 hours, I didnt have a clue when I started.
--
Jonathan Knauer - 90 with 259.

Can you get a breaker bar in there with a good fitting socket on the bolt?
Did you spray some PB Blaster on the bolt and lightly tap it (if you can)?
PB Blaster is great stuff! I don't think you will be able to break it loose with a wrench. I don't know why the impact gun didn't do the trick unless it doesn't have enough startup torque to loosen the bolt. My air rachets will break loose some bolts and not others, but I only have a 2HP compressor behind it.

Some PB blaster and a breaker bar should do the trick. PB Blaster is better than Liquid Wrench IMHO. You might also try slowly tapping the wrench handle with a hammer to torque the bolt loose. Sometimes a little patience and persistance works better than brute force.


Good Luck!

DeWayne

they also hold the engine to the trany. I believe they are torqued to 70 ftlbs, I think.

Use pblaster and tap the bolt, it'll do it. Try from the hood, after removing the throtle body. Take it easy on it, you don't want to break those.

By the way, why are you replacing the starter, it's unheard of.

Where can I buy PB Blaster?

walmart or any national auto parts store.

230K miles on the engine, with the old starter I shorted the solenoid with a screw driver and it just clicks.

I ran a wire from the positive battery term. to the small side of the solenoid and it just clicks. Either the solenoid is bad or the starter. No matter which one it is, I need to remove the starter. And my battery is fully charged...

Trust me the starter does not work.

If you know of some other trick, let me know...

Thanks :)