Starter Motor Replacement Questions

[TahoEagle]

The starter motor on my '85 wagon is getting worn out and needs replacing. I swung by my local Kragen/O'Reilly a few days ago to pick up a remanufactured starter ("Ultima Domestic", to be specific). Went today to go do the swap, thinking it'd be pretty straightforward, but have hit an impasse trying to remove the starter that's already in there. There's a small plate that appears to be holding back the starter motor that appears to be welded to a rod running between the right front suspension components and back to somewhere underneath the transfer case skid plate. I'd rather not remove this rod just to get the starter motor out (it's just BARELY holding the starter back right now, can't shimmy it out), or is that something I have to do as part of the process? Sorry for the lack of pictures but can take some tomorrow if necessary.  Also, I'm getting a little worried about the reliability and compatibility of these remanufactured parts store starters, after reading some horror stories on other sites. Is there something I should have more specifically looked for when searching for a starter? Hoping I'm not biting off something more than I can chew, as I thought this would be a simple swap...Any help greatly appreciated!

[WoodenBirdOfPrey]

The only time my starter out was when I was splitting the motor and trans, but I don't recall having to take that bar out to remove the starter, I thought it just turned and pulled out. 

As for the quality of the rebuilt/remanufactured starters, it seems like a roll of the dice at best.  I don't know where to source the parts, but when starters go on quads/bikes, I always go to an industrial supply place and buy the brushes and repair them myself, it's not hard to do.  If the armature is heavily worn it should be turned down, that's the only part that really requires special tools.

[mudkicker715]

The starter should take no more than 5 minutes to pull out. There should only be the 2 bolts to deal with.

[Jurjen]

Amen to that. And don't forget the wire.

[AMC lifer]

After replacing more than one starter (darn FORD parts) on various AMC's while crawling under the car or laying flat on my back (no ramps needed), I figured out a fast, easy way to put it in.

Disconnect the battery (important), unbolt the wire off of the front of the unit.  The starter itself is bolted onto the housing at the rear of the starter. One is on the bottom (easy), one is on the top (harder to get at & see). They also are bolted in with the bolts facing opposite directions.

Once the bolts are out, there is that bar underneath the car. You shimmy the starter out being mindful that the starter is a heavy part.  I found out that if I start the top bolt in the housing first before the starter is put back, it is much easier to reinstall. You then don't have to support the heavy part & try to feel for where the hole is. Simply put the starter in place , give the bolt a few turns enough for it to begin to engage the threads. Much of the weight of the starter is now supported enough to put in the other bolt & then tighted all bolts.  Hook up the wire on the front of the starter & reconnect the battery.  I can have the starter out& reinstalled in 20 minutes while flat on my back with no assistance.

[mudkicker715]

Pulling the battery cable is not necessary. As its a old school ford style not a newer style with a hot power all the time to the starter.

[carnuck]

Wiggle the starter and rotate it to get it out.

[TahoEagle]

Well was able to get the old starter out after much wiggling and shimmying (and wd40), but have now hit a new problem with the new starter. The piece of the starter that the lower bolt is supposed to pass through is a tiny bit wider than on the old starter. I can shimmy it into the small space between the housing and that support plate on the rod, but am having a difficult time lining up the holes for both bolts. As its such a tight squeeze with that lower bracket, I can't rotate it to get the holes lined up properly once I get the starter wedged in place. I'm thinking of having my roommate shave a little bit off of the starter in hopes of that helping, but man, that little bracket/plate thing for the lower bolt is really giving me headaches...

[mudkicker715]

Toss a pic up.

[TahoEagle]

A few photos of this longer-than-expected/shouldn't-have-been-this-difficult process:


That annoying plate, welded to the rod going left-to-right. That bolt on the right end of the rod is impossible to remove by hand (didn't want to remove it if I could help it anyway).


Gap between that bracket plate and the housing for the flywheel


Old starter on the left, new one on the right.


Closeup of the size differentiation of the tabs on the old and new starters.

Based on the comments and my experience, I can't help but feel like this should be going easier than it is. Any little tips and tricks for getting those holes lined up properly, given the lack of space and size differences between the new and old starters? Would it be a bad idea to sand down that tab on the new starter?

[WoodenBirdOfPrey]

Maybe it's a design for a different model year than mine, but on my 87 I'm positive that rod that got in your way looks nothing like that.  The front side is the same, but the back side just bolts to the bottom bolt hole on the transmission, the same one the air tube mounts to.  Maybe somebody lost the part or broke it and made their own, or maybe it was a change sometime during the production of these things when they realized how the piece gets in the way.

But rather than grinding down your new starter, just loosen the mount on the other side of your brace rod, the one on the front differential.  That's a slotted mount so you should be able to slide it to fit, tighten the starter, then tighten that front bolt back up.

[WoodenBirdOfPrey]

Here's what that bar looks like on mine, this is why I didn't have the problem you did removing the starter.

[BenM]

I don't have that plate either. That's got to be a modification by a PO or a shop. I have the rod, though.