My starter quit a week ago in my 2000 X (V6) and I'm finally getting around to dealing with it. It's bike season, so I wasn't too worried about it.

I picked up the new starter, pulled the skid plates and found that while the bolts are nicely accessible, there isn't enough space to get the thing out. As far as I can tell the only way to remove the starter would be to pull the exhaust manifold and remove it from above.

Is it really this difficult, or am I missing something?

This is something I haven't done yet.

I have not done it on mine, but have done it on others. It's another one of those jobs that is harder than is should be. I didn't remove the exhaust manifold, but it was a PITA to wiggle it out of there and get the new one back in.

It's been a while, so I can't remember specifically what I did, but I know I did not remove the manifold. That can be a task unto itself.

Greaaaat. I think I'll have to just get it towed to a nearby shop and have them install it.

This reminds me why I stopped doing my own repairs. Nothing's simple anymore. What ever happened to the day of vehicles having room to work around the engine? Seriously.

Oh the good old days:

When cars didn't start in cold weather

When cars didn't start in hot weather

When you got vapor lock from trying to start the car on a hot day

When you flooded the engine when it wouldn't start right away

When you had to adjust the carborater evey 10k

When you had to rebuild it after 30k

When you were lucky to get 80k and not have to do a ring job

Yeah, I miss the good old days

Well the one thing I DO MISS, is a metal vehicle and the engine compartment space. Used to be the best to be able to put magnets on the dash to hold notes, reminder, etc. And yes I did live through the 70 shortages and those stupid lines.

That's what I like to call the car's "personality and charm".


Anyway, refusing to accept defeat I got back under the truck tonight. After a few scrapes and a string of words I shan't mutter in mixed company she fired up like a champ.

Dragonfly lives to drive another day.

The procedure, if you can call a complete CF of trial and error before finding what works a procedure, was this:

- Remove starter bolts (this is the only easy part, once you break them loose)

- Reach up in there somewhere and undo the connector in the small wire.

- pull starter out and angle it so the terminals point in an upward angle*

- put a 6" and 3" extender on the ratchet and feed it into the general vicinty OVER the front side of the engine mount. Line up with fingers on the terminal to undo the nut and remove the cable.* (Seriously, I tried getting wrenches and ratchets of various sizes and lengths in there before finding this actually worked. My theory is that this was designed by an engineer whose wife left him for a mechanic and this is his revenge.)

- Undo the clip that holds the clutch line (assuming you drive a manual) and carefully move it toward the firewall.

- shimmy the thing at whatever angle works tro get it out of there.* I found raising the front side and rotating the whole thing toward the passenger side worked with a bit of finagling past the loos clutch line.

* I find these are the best times to scrape knuckles and utter phrases that children, dogs and more sensitive adults should not hear.


BTW, wear safety glasses kids. Getting rust flakes out of your eye isn't fun. I know better but wasn't thinking.

Thats the first thing I thought of when I read your post about the starter!
My 1987 and 1991 Yotas were so easy to work on!

I had a 1979 Olds Cutlass that when I had to start it I would have to stick a screw driver in the carb to get it to start.I also had to drive it with 2 feet so it wouldn't stall at red lights...it sucked when that happened,lets just say people behind me would tell me I was #1,but they weren't using their index finger

Ahhh those were the days

Glad you got it replaced, Rob. Good to see you over here!

exactly what my '84 buick lesabre does to this day

Gotta love those GM Products

Glad you got it changed out. I remember using many choice words to do it.

It's one of those things that might not be that bad if you did it a few times and remembered the path to take, but for us occasional mechanics, it's a bitch.

Nice work.

Thanks. I must confess I went to the old forum and went, "Hey! Why can't I post?"

Guess I should check in more often. I had no idea UNYX and NEXTerra merged.