Starter replacment on a e30m30

[george graves]

What a pain in the butt - I spend two hours trying to reach the upper bolt on the starter.

My motor is a m30b35 - but it left the factory with the older type starter - the larger, heaver, and less TQ version(1.5K vs 1.7k), that has
pockets for the bolts - meaning you cant get a socket on it.

Just a tip to anyone doing an m30 swap - upgrade your starter to the newer 1.7k smaller, lighter (by 10 pounds) higher TQ starter before you swap.

I'm going to pull the intake manifold - that should take 30-40mins....and make it easy as pie.

[F34R]

Still much faster than an m20.

[wildstoats]

I ran into the same problem with mine so I ended up replacing the stock bolts with socket heads just in case I need to take it off again.

[chance]

Fack I wish I would have known that before my swap.

I've got the old huge one apparently. The unloader is toast, hopefully the starter lasts.

[Jean]

Smaller starter FTW... oh, on the v8 it's on the bottom ! :)

[Doughnut]

What a pain in the butt - I spend two hours trying to reach the upper bolt on the starter.

You big wuss!!!

Crack the bolt with your 17mm ring spanner and undo with fingers.















:p.

[george graves]

You big wuss!!!

Crack the bolt with your 17mm ring spanner and undo with fingers.

Lol - who you callin' a wuss, wuss?

No really, I can't even see the bolt. My motor is too far back - the bolt is about in the tranny tunnel almost.. I could get it to it with a stubby closed end, but you can't get it to budge with a 3-4" wrench. Above it is the mani, below is he starter, and next to it is the booster. It's a no-go.....

I don't care - I haven't dug into the motor since I installed it - so it will be good to look around and make sure everything is ok.

[reelizmpro]

Interesting. I just ordered an SR441x high torque starter for my M3 for $100. Figured I'd give it a shot. Hopefully it lasts as long if not longer than the original.

[Doughnut]

Lol - who you callin' a wuss, wuss?

No really, I can't even see the bolt. My motor is too far back - the bolt is about in the tranny tunnel almost.. I could get it to it with a stubby closed end, but you can't get it to budge with a 3-4" wrench. Above it is the mani, below is he starter, and next to it is the booster. It's a no-go.....

I don't care - I haven't dug into the motor since I installed it - so it will be good to look around and make sure everything is ok.

Hahaha!

Just be prepared to replace the inlet manifold gaskets if you remove it, they often tear.

Enjoy!

[george graves]

Well, I started off the day getting ready to remove the intake manifold. Thought it would take an hour tops....boy was I wrong...

Got all the top bolts off with out pulling the fuel rail/injectors(I have the M30b35 plastic rail cover - so it make is hard to do). That was a pain - no room to work. The m20 is so mush easier. Anyways...Then got number 1, 2,3 lower bolts off.

Then I realized that I'd never get to the bottom #6 bolt off - the starter is in the way. (I think I need to invest in a set of warbles actually - I lost mine - must move forward and get-er-done)

So....

I can't remove the starter, cause manifold is in the way....and...
I can't remove the manifold, cause the starter is in the way......

Damn you M30 swap!!!!!!.....And yes, I was complaining like a schoolgirl the whole time....

I ended up grinding down a 17mm socket to more or less 1/2 it's size and rounding it's profile down to that it would fit the "pocket" of the starter. That worked - but I had to remove all the cooling hoses to make room. I did the top bolt first - and it got bound up as it was getting backed out - the modified socket was hitting the starter's pocket. So in my frustration I just powered it home with a an impact gun - drilling out a chunk of the bad starter. Whoops. (who cares - it worked)

If I was smart - I would have done the bottom bolt first and then it wouldn't have bound up. Oh well.

The new starter is in - so much easier - took 10 mins, and it cranks....

And just FYI - meh....I'm not all that impressed with the upgraded starter. It doesn't sling the motor over any faster - if anything it does it smoother - and more gradual. But the old large starter would start the motor with a 1/2 a revolution of the motor. New one seems to ramp up it's speed and need a full rotation of the crank to fire up the car.

Old = "chaaaa....purrrrrrrrrr"
Upgraded"chaaa-ca-caaaaaaaaaa.....purrrrrrrr"

Starting sound much more like a newer car. Where as with the old one it had that old-school BMW sound. Not sure I really care that much about how it sounds. Just FYI.

[603Racing]

Thanks for the heads up. M30b35 still on the engine stand. I did notice that the top starter bolt looked like a PITA.

[rav320uk]

There's a trick to taking the starter off in the E30 bay.

You need a stubby spanner, ring one end.

Feed a strong rope end through the ring end and feed it up through the firewall and mainfold.
Holding the rope above, and this is for the top bolt, put the spanner onto the bolt.
Now you have leverage ontop to undo the starter bolt.
That's how I've done mine in the past.

HTH's

[homegrone30]

Still much faster than an m20.

How do you figure? Get wrench and an impact with a long extension. Put the box end of the wrench on the trans side of the bolts through the engine compartment and hit the front with an impact. Don't forget to disconnect your battery.(I know no one here needs to be told that right?) I've done this several times. It should take a half hour tops.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

[Doughnut]

There's a trick to taking the starter off in the E30 bay.

You need a stubby spanner, ring one end.

Feed a strong rope end through the ring end and feed it up through the firewall and mainfold.
Holding the rope above, and this is for the top bolt, put the spanner onto the bolt.
Now you have leverage ontop to undo the starter bolt.
That's how I've done mine in the past.

HTH's

Innovative!

How do you figure? Get wrench and an impact with a long extension. Put the box end of the wrench on the trans side of the bolts through the engine compartment and hit the front with an impact. Don't forget to disconnect your battery.(I know no one here needs to be told that right?) I've done this several times. It should take a half hour tops.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

Assuming your engine is as far back as George's (position 3-ish) There just isn't the room for this method, so much crap in the way!!

[bmwwheelman]

Upgrade your m30 starter to the m70 starter.