Changing starter after the swap...

[mazur]

Well, my starter just took a shit and am going to tackle the job tommorrow.

I wanted to know if anyone who has done the job have any suggestions on taking it out. Basically I want to know if there's any way around not having to remove the intake manifold.

My car is on an inclined driveway, so if I know I cannot get to the starter underneath, I'm not going to bother pushing the bitch up into my garage.

[jahnaboi]

Sorry but the best bet to get the starter bolts would be from underneath the car... LOL. I know it doesn't help for your situation, but maybe you could push it on the street and jack it up there? Should take you a lot less time then going at it from the top without removing the intake manifold...

Maybe using a couple of 12" 3/8 extentions should do the trick getting it from the top?

[416stroker]

what starter do you have? pull the intake? I let it roll down the drive way and bump start it . then drive it in the garage?

[Beej '86 325es]

I just had to do this too; I actually just put it all back together last night. I think it would be very difficult to get the upper nut and bolt off without removing the intake manifold though. I used to have the old M20 starter which was huge, so I had to take it out from the top.

[AL GReeNeRy]

it is one b!tch of a job, but the intake mani MUST come off. especially if you want to connect all the wires and put the bolts in correctly. same situation with mine, used starter crapped out on me. sucks!

[325Projectz]

the intake mani does not need to come off. however you can take it off to make the job easier but it will take a lot longer.

i put a jack under the transmission, removed the mounts and lowered the tranny as far as it would go. then assembled a double swivel extension and was able to get it both in and out that way. i had to mix it up with getting it out from the back and side of motor from underneath. it was a bitch, but doable.

so, if you can't jack it up, remove the intake.

[e30polak]

the intake mani does not need to come off. however you can take it off to make the job easier but it will take a lot longer.

i put a jack under the transmission, removed the mounts and lowered the tranny as far as it would go. then assembled a double swivel extension and was able to get it both in and out that way. i had to mix it up with getting it out from the back and side of motor from underneath. it was a bitch, but doable.

so, if you can't jack it up, remove the intake.

X2 this will be the best, and easiest way IMO.

[mazur]

Well I had some help pushing my car into the garage. After a minute of laying under my car observing the situation I decided it'd be impossible to get to it without removing/lowering the tranny.

So since I had to eventually take my intake manifold off in the near future to do some work on it and underneath it, I decided to take that route. It was a lot easier than I remember take the mani off, which was nice. I still had to go under the car to loosen/attach one of the bolts for the starter, though.


Thanks for the suggestions either way, guys.

[Beej '86 325es]

Fortunately if you use those wavy washers like the ones that are supposed to be on there, they help keep the bolt side somewhat still. I didn't even need the torx wrench.

[mazur]

Fortunately if you use those wavy washers like the ones that are supposed to be on there, they help keep the bolt side somewhat still. I didn't even need the torx wrench.

My starter was threaded, so I didn't have nuts on there.

[rThor432]

I removed the manifold on mine. You can probably fight your way around the manifold, but I figured it wasnt worth it. The manifold is easy enough to remove.

Having the threaded starter is nice too.