starter removal

[btwilson86]

The starter motor is held on by 2 bolts. On pre89 starters, the top bolt slides through the mounting ear and is fastened on the other side with a nut. I'm told that 89+ starters are threaded here, making removal much easier.

These instructions are for starters with a nut/bolt.

When removing the starter, there isn't anything else that you need to remove (unless you still have the OEM plastic covers under the engine).

Most of the starter removal is by feel, because you're right; you can't see shit. Make sure you remove all the wires from the starter before you remove it, and that the negative battery cable is disconnected. Do the top bolt first, it's the hardest. You can identify it by laying under the engine (head by the bellhousing, feet out under the front of the car), reach your left hand up and start groping that starter. Once you feel where the starter meets the bellhousing, follow that crease towards the block. Your fingers should shortly meet a bolt with a nut on it; that's the top bolt. Throw a short box end wrench on the end that faces the front of the car. Make sure it's secure, because you're going to be twisting that bolt and relying on the wrench to stay on that nut on it's own once it hits the starter.

Now, leaving the wrench in place, find all of your ratchet extensions. I think you'll need about 24" of them, so if you don't have enough go buy more. Throw those all together with the correct sized socket, and go lay down under the driver side of your tranny. If you tilt your head up, you should be able to barely see that top bolt. Snake your ratchet contraption up there, and slowly start removing that bolt. Make sure that wrench you put up didn't fall off, and keep loosening that bolt.

That should do it, installation is the opposite of removal. And that bottom bolt should be a piece of cake.