Satrter Removal (1 Viewer)

[TomV]

At 190,000 miles the starter on our 94 FZJ finally gave out. It had been acting up for a few months but it is now dead.

Read up on all the threads about how to remove it and rebuild it etc. We took the LF wheel off, removed the fender liner and started with a 3/8 ratchet and some extensions. Could not get a straight shot with any leverage so used a u-joint, would not budge so fitted an adapter for the 1/2 inch pry bar but the u-joint snapped before the bolt would budge.

Replaced the 3/8 hardware with a 1/2 inch socket and 1/2 inch extensions and 1/2 inch u-joint fitted to the pry bar and was able to get a lot of torque onto the socket but ended up breaking the 1/2 inch u-joint as well.

Tried to fit an impact gun in there but did not have enough room.

Tried removing brackets holding things like the dipstick to get them out of the way, but still could not good access for a straight shot at the bolt that allows good leverage to be applied.

Dont see how to get any leverage on the top bolt when approaching from below.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thankls

Tom

 

[TomV]

Sorry for the misspelling in the thread title!

 

[Corbet]

Hit it with PB Blaster or other penetrating oil for a few days.

I personally use a 3/8" long handle with a wobble socket on a 12" extension for the front one. Coming in from the wheel well. Then a 1/2" drive on the rear from the bottom. The front is worse than the back.

 

[breathed]

You might have better luck with a wobble extension. It doesn't allow as much deflection as a u-joint, but will be a lot stronger. You might also try an impact swivel socket, I don't think you'll be able to break one of those.

 

[Kernal]

^^^This^^^. I used a long (16inch) flex head 1/2 inch drive ratchet along with an impact drive rated wobble/universal joint and some extensions. It was a bit of a struggle but the flex head ratchet helped a lot working from the wheel well.

 

[george_tlc]

An impact gun can reach in to remove the front facing bolt.

Half your battle is using an impact rated socket/uni-joint. I presume the uni-joint you were using was a quality joint and not some Harbor Freight/Made in China cr@p.

http://www.george4wd.taskled.com/starter.html shows what I used to get the front bolt off.

Sounds like your bolt is stuck on good, so the posts about using PB blaster on it for a day or so ahead of time is a good plan, it can only help.

cheers,
george.

 

[TomV]

Excellent suggestions guys. I was not even aware of what a wobble extension was, and I thought I had every tool under the sun.

Also, great suggestion to get an impact rated u-joint. Should have thought of that myself, Doh.

That sucker is coming off tomorrow come hell or high water!

 

[TomV]

^^^This^^^. I used a long (16inch) flex head 1/2 inch drive ratchet along with an impact drive rated wobble/universal joint and some extensions. It was a bit of a struggle but the flex head ratchet helped a lot working from the wheel well.

Thanks Kernal, another tool I never thought I'd need but now I gotta have one of those! Very cool.

 

[Kernal]

If you do buy a Flex head ratchet go for a locking type IMHO. A long breaker bar is another option.

 

[badmuthatrucka]

If the bolt is that tight, definitely use a breaker bar. I have stripped the gears in 1/2" ratchets removing bolts.

Then again, I was putting lug nuts on by hand when I was 14, and neither Discount nor Big-O could take 'em off with their impact wrenches...

 

[TomV]

OK, using the suggestions above including an impact wobble extension, I was able to get the upper, front bolt out, so thanks everyone for the help.

However, when I then turned my attention to the rear, lower bolt, it broke near the head when I tried to remove it.

Can anyone confirm that this lower bolt threads only into the starter and not into the tranny? if it threads only into the starter, I should be able to still remove the starter, right?

Right now the starter appears to be frozen to the tranny, but I have not applied too much force to it because I am not sure if any of the threads from the broken bolt are in the tranny mount ear.

Thanks guys.

 

[Kernal]

IIRC the lower bolt only threads into the starter, here's a couple of photos:

 

[TomV]

Thanks, that's what I was hoping.