Starter Removal

[sam knopik]

I took off the oil filter but am having trouble getting to the 2 bolts holding the starter on. Is there "trick" or something else to remove to get a better shot at it? Thanks.

[Young Ed]

A swivel socket on a long extension helps. A ratcheting wrench might do well too.

[oldmopar]

You may be able to get it with a crow foot wrench but the ratachet box that Ed suggested may work if it fits in the space.

[Don Coatney]

Your truck may be different than my car but here is how I did it.

[Young Ed]

The top bolt on a truck is a little trickier

[brian hood]

No tricks, just plenty of beer and cuss words! My was a PITA!

[Young Ed]

Mine too. The one in the picture was installed without the front clip after being gone through at a shop. The drive they installed was defective and only lasted a few starts. I think each bolt took about 1/2 an hour. The ratcheting wrench might have helped a lot.

[grey beard]

Unfortunately for us Pilothouse types, trucks use a different starter than cars. Our truck starters have an inside bolt at about 10 o'clock position that is hard to even see, let alone get to. I removed and installed mine with the nose off - great help - prolly' could not do it myself with the nose on - and got it off with no problem, using a long extension and a six point wiggle socket.

When I attempted to install the rebuilt starter, I was completely flummuxed. Tried a needle nose, hemostat, etc., to position the bolt so I could get the socket back on. then I finally gave up. It was at this point that I made a great discovery.

My hands are mostly numb from diabetic neuropathy and arthritis and who knows what-all else, so I work with a decided handicap. My six year old grandson, Luke, on the other hand, has none of these hangups. What I do now, whenever I hit a snag of this sort, is to borrow Luke. He simply reached in there with his small hand, and started the bolt for me. Took me two minutes to run it down tight once he was finished.

Thinking of renting this lad out. In my travels, I've seen forty thousand dollar SnapOn tool boxes and nearly every imaginable sort of tool for auto mechanics to use in repair work. But now I have Luke. He's sometimes a handful, but I think at this point he is definitely a "keeper." Wouldnt think of changing a Pilothouse starter without him around.

[Don Coatney]

Wouldnt think of changing a Pilothouse starter without him around.

Do you keep him in your tool box:confused:

[grey beard]

Don,

Depends how he behaves on any given day. Usually keep him in there with the screwdrivers . . .

You Tennesseeunses may remember what that Yankee writer, Mark Twain, said about raising teenagers: "When they get to be teenagers, put 'em in a barrel and feed 'em through the hole. When they turn sixteen, plug up the hole." (or words to that effect. Didn't work with my own kids. Doubtful if it'll work with the grandkids, either.)

[norrism1]

On the pilot house, take the floor plate out.

[jschultz]

I am running into the same problem. I don't think any ratcheting wrench will fit. There is not much clearance 360 degrees around the bolt head. I would need a super shallow 5/8" socket and ratchet. I am having a hard time even getting the bolt started so that I can use the wrench on it. A stubby wrench would help, may have to go buy one. I was hoping someone had some great trick for this.

[woodscavenger]

I'm down to the frame so it was easy but I noticed someone had cut a slot in the head of the troubling bolt. I think that he must have used a screwdriver to start the threads on the last re-installation.

[jschultz]

Screwdriver slot is not a bad idea, but even getting a screwdriver in there would not be too easy. I should probably take the fender off, it might be faster. The hole might be a spec cross threaded, because I am having a real tough time getting the bolt started. If I can get it started, then I don't mind taking 30 minutes tightening it.

I am not sure if the original starter got wrecked from sitting for 5 years or from me trying 12volt charger on it to try and crank it.

[streamer]

I have had my starter in and out of my B1B more than ten times. I found that the easiest way is to remove the floor boards and the gas pedal linkage, then you can simply use a 5/8 box wrench for the two starter bolts. You will not have to remove the oil filter or anything else in the engine bay. There may be better ways to do it, but that is what worked for me.