Definitive list of starter removal methods

[tbisaacs]

Found it

96721-19010 Genuine Lexus Ring, O

Genuine 96721-19010 Ring, O fits 1992-2021 Lexus models. LexusPartsNow offers 9672119010 for $2.23.

www.lexuspartsnow.com

 

[JakeTheSnakeNH]

Happen to have a part number?

Not sure for the 200, but on the sequoia it was:
96721-19010 for just the lower o-ring
11452-0S010 for the dipstick tube (including lower o-ring)
15301-38060 for the dipstick (which comes with the upper o-ring)

 

[dubyahard]

Posting here for prosperity sake. I used this method in 2019 and it took about 4 hours.

 

[BigMF]

After another 5-6 hours of wrestling the starter is in and the truck is running.

Couple more notes on install for future installers:

You’ll have to install with solenoid disconnected. Just be sure to hook the solenoid plunger in between the fork of the motor.

After you reinstall solenoid you need to get the snout of the starter into the flywheel - close enough is fine.

Then you can reattach the power wire and the trigger wire. This is a pain and took me like an hour of grunting. The clip of my trigger wire of course broke so I jammed it full of dielectric grease and crossed my fingers. Once you get it in place there is lots of pressure holding it in. Gonna try to not lose sleep about this.

The bottom starter bolt is easy to reinstall but the top is a beating. The bolt is really long and the coolant hoses are too rigid to move out of the way. You have to push the starter toward front of truck as much as possible and painfully start the top bolt making 1/8 turn at a time progress.

Next you can reinstall the heat shield. I didn’t bother with top bolt. F that sucker. The foil gets super mangled going back in and there is no eat to avoid it. I found that installing the front bolt first made it easier to stretch it back in place and then install rear bolt. I then used a pry bar to try to shape it back to normal.

Then reconnect the coolant pipes.

Then reconnect the mid pipe

Then reconnect dipstick. This was a huge pain and I cannot get the tiny 10mm bolt into the keeper that mounts it to the head. Zip tied for now.

Check your coolant. I lost a ton.

Reinstall the outer heat shield. Again front to back worked better for me.

The fender aprons and wheel. Reconnect battery, pray to divine diety of choice and press start.

Omg.

Just finished the job myself. My total time spent was probably around 12 hours of which 4 could have probably been avoided if I'd just moved the mid-pipe at the beginning. I spent 9 hours just trying to get the starter loose and out of the truck before I gave in, went and bought some deep sockets (should have already had those and needed for the mid-pipe), and moved the mid-pipe. Once I did that, it took me 3 hours to finish pulling the starter out (2 minutes), installing the new starter, and buttoning things back up.

A couple of things to note that differed slightly from @tbisaacs and could be helpful for future gluttons for punishment. Not sure if the differences were due to my 200 is an LX but doubt it.

1. I DID remove the bolt holding the transmission cooler lines in place but DID NOT disconnect the lines themselves so, no coolant loss. Honestly, I'm not sure if removing the bolt holding the bracket in place was even necessary.
2. I DID disconnect the solenoid from the starter in my early attempts to remove it prior to the mid-pipe epiphany. However, with the mid-pipe out of the way, I left the solenoid in place and was successful in getting the new one into the right place. I REALLY did not want to try and blindly get the solenoid plunger correctly inserted and the power wire and then the nuts holding the solenoid in place.
3. I DID disconnect the O2 sensor wires (which were surprisingly easy) before moving the mid-pipe. I was worried about tearing up the wiring harness. Pulling the mid-pipe out of the way at the beginning would have made other parts of the job easier, like pulling the heat shields and looseing the bolts to the starter.
4. I was NOT able to figure out how to use any combination of extensions, universal joints, wobbles, etc. to get to the top bolt of the starter. That was the one thing that almost caused me to give up. However, I'm apparently more stubborn than the 12 year heat locked bolt. The 14mm Gearwrench ratcheting combination wrench finally broke it loose and the after about 200 cycles of 1/8 turns the bolt finally came loose from the starter. The bolt does NOT need to come out of the block completely so leave it there to make it easier to put back in.
5. The clip for the trigger wire broke on mine as well. Following one of the Tundra YouTube videos, I ran a dab of Right Stuff across the two halves of the connector and hopefully, that set up into a solid'ish silicone strip that will serve to keep the pieces together.

Knowing what I know now, I could do the job significantly quicker but there is just no way to speed up certain things like getting the top bolt out. If I have to do it again, I'll probably pay someone else. However, I'm assuming that I'll be driving an electric Tacoma before this one would need another starter so I'm not TOO worried about it.

Thanks to @tbisaacs for the thread and useful info. I don't think I would have pulled the mid-pipe if he hadn't done it.

 

[32cls6speedmt]

@BigMF did you replace starter as preventative maintenance

 

[tbisaacs]

Just finished the job myself. My total time spent was probably around 12 hours of which 4 could have probably been avoided if I'd just moved the mid-pipe at the beginning. I spent 9 hours just trying to get the starter loose and out of the truck before I gave in, went and bought some deep sockets (should have already had those and needed for the mid-pipe), and moved the mid-pipe. Once I did that, it took me 3 hours to finish pulling the starter out (2 minutes), installing the new starter, and buttoning things back up.

A couple of things to note that differed slightly from @tbisaacs and could be helpful for future gluttons for punishment. Not sure if the differences were due to my 200 is an LX but doubt it.

1. I DID remove the bolt holding the transmission cooler lines in place but DID NOT disconnect the lines themselves so, no coolant loss. Honestly, I'm not sure if removing the bolt holding the bracket in place was even necessary.
2. I DID disconnect the solenoid from the starter in my early attempts to remove it prior to the mid-pipe epiphany. However, with the mid-pipe out of the way, I left the solenoid in place and was successful in getting the new one into the right place. I REALLY did not want to try and blindly get the solenoid plunger correctly inserted and the power wire and then the nuts holding the solenoid in place.
3. I DID disconnect the O2 sensor wires (which were surprisingly easy) before moving the mid-pipe. I was worried about tearing up the wiring harness. Pulling the mid-pipe out of the way at the beginning would have made other parts of the job easier, like pulling the heat shields and looseing the bolts to the starter.
4. I was NOT able to figure out how to use any combination of extensions, universal joints, wobbles, etc. to get to the top bolt of the starter. That was the one thing that almost caused me to give up. However, I'm apparently more stubborn than the 12 year heat locked bolt. The 14mm Gearwrench ratcheting combination wrench finally broke it loose and the after about 200 cycles of 1/8 turns the bolt finally came loose from the starter. The bolt does NOT need to come out of the block completely so leave it there to make it easier to put back in.
5. The clip for the trigger wire broke on mine as well. Following one of the Tundra YouTube videos, I ran a dab of Right Stuff across the two halves of the connector and hopefully, that set up into a solid'ish silicone strip that will serve to keep the pieces together.

Knowing what I know now, I could do the job significantly quicker but there is just no way to speed up certain things like getting the top bolt out. If I have to do it again, I'll probably pay someone else. However, I'm assuming that I'll be driving an electric Tacoma before this one would need another starter so I'm not TOO worried about it.

Thanks to @tbisaacs for the thread and useful info. I don't think I would have pulled the mid-pipe if he hadn't done it.

Solidarity and here’s to never doing it again lol

 

[BigMF]

@BigMF did you replace starter as preventative maintenance

Yes, it was preventative. I am approaching 180K and heading to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland (from Tennessee) in about 6 weeks so wanted to avoid risk. Curious to know how far it would have gone before it died on it's own.

 

[RatherBeRacing]

Just to add another datapoint. My starter acted up at around 144k miles (click no start). Fixed with a light tap, but put on the list to replace.
My AHC pump also failed and I had car at a dealership for a quick diagnostic, which was a total waste of time money.
They quoted $750 to replace the starter, which I gladly agreed to after reading a few threads about how much pita this job is. Got a call 3 days later saying and I quote that given the rusty condition it would be easiest to remove the entire engine to replace the starter. The same dealer also quoted 13k to fix AHC, I made a separate thread on that. Short story, I replaced pump for 1k myself, which was pretty easy job.

So naturally I figured I would replace the starter myself, which I bought from another dealer for 150 bucks.

It is not nearly as bad as I expected it to be. I got it mostly done in about 5 hours. I still need to reattach exhaust manifold shield she requires me drilling out the snapped rusted remains of what once were bolts.

If you have smallish hands and are used working in cramped spaces (i.e. aircooled porsches) this is very doable.
I also ahve access to a 4 post lift making this a easier on your back.
I would recommend potentially doing it over two days, as my hands were cramping up at the end pretty bad.

This video was very on point on a car much rustier than mine.


I didn't disconnect any axles given mine is not tundra and I was able to wiggle the entire starter along the exhaust towards the transmission side (like in some middle eastern videos). I undid the coolant lines (like in the video above) to get to the top starter bolt. And I also unbolted another braket holding the lines at the bottom of the transmission to create more room to get the starter out. It comes out backend (wiring side) towards you between exhaust and the frame..

You need an assortment of extensions and u-joint as well as ratcheting and offset wrenches. Having a selection just helps to get to certain bolts.

Lots of patience and persistence.

 

[RatherBeRacing]

Here is how I got to the top bolt with line out of the way. The extension was good 2ft with universal at the end.

 

[RatherBeRacing]

 

[BigMF]

just no way to speed up certain things like getting the top bolt out. If I have to do it again, I'll probably pay someone else. However, I'm assuming that I'll be driving an electric Tacoma before this one would need another starter so I'm not TOO worried about it.

I would like to amend my earlier statement and say "I'm assuming I'll be driving a hybrid 4 banger LC before this one would need another started"

 

[TimCFJ40]

My way overdue original starter (276k miles on an 08) just ghosted me on a start, (but did start the next time) so I'm ordering parts to get after this job soon... Thanks to all for the helpful shared videos.

 

[tominboise]

You can get a six-point socket onto all of them so rounding isn't a concern. IIRC, one or two of them require a stubby wrench to get adequate swing. The break-away torque for any heat cycled component can cause a pucker, but again, mine were surprisingly easy to remove. I did replace them with all new factory nuts. Not in any way advocating it mandatory that you go down the path of manifold removal, just wanted to share that I had similar concerns that were proven to be false for my particular truck.

I am in the middle of doing this right now. How does one access the center 4 nuts on the manifold? The ones hidden behind the UCA tower? From below? I have the mid pipe off and 4 of the easy nuts off, that you can get to through the wheel well.

 

[dubyahard]

I am in the middle of doing this right now. How does one access the center 4 nuts on the manifold? The ones hidden behind the UCA tower? From below? I have the mid pipe off and 4 of the easy nuts off, that you can get to through the wheel well.

I used a combination of wobble extensions and heavy grunting. Maybe a wobble socket too.

 

[tominboise]

I used a combination of wobble extensions and heavy grunting. Maybe a wobble socket too.

Thanks for the info. Of course, luck of the Irish, I have 7 nuts removed and the last nut has managed to strip itself a bit. So now I am working with some heat and stripped nut remover to try to get it off.

 

[08URJ200]

08 LC 155k. Went out no warning, was working with no issue then nothing. With nationwide free shipping $187. Was expecting TN blue but received Japanese red

 

[gasman4u]

08 LC 155k. Went out no warning, was working with no issue then nothing. With nationwide free shipping $187. Was expecting TN blue but received Japanese redView attachment 3910661

"Which way, Western man?" are you planning on pulling your old and replacing with the new?

 

[tbisaacs]

08 LC 155k. Went out no warning, was working with no issue then nothing. With nationwide free shipping $187. Was expecting TN blue but received Japanese redView attachment 3910661

Good luck

 

[sleepycruiser]

The job I’m looking least forward to. Trying to decide if I want to preemptively do it…..

 

[TheGrrrrr]

The job I’m looking least forward to. Trying to decide if I want to preemptively do it…..

Fear of trail failures caused me to pay to have it done preemptively along with water pump, thermostat, alternator, idler pulley, tensioner and belt at 128k or so… and it was expensive… but the 1000 yard stare from the seasoned tech when I picked it up told me it was well worth it and probably less than the years of therapy he would need to work through the trauma from doing both the alternator and starter at the same time.