How to Change a Starter Motor

[PaRaDoX]

Hey, no pictures but its just self explainitory, posted this for someone else but tought i may aswell throw it up for anyone else who dosnt want to pay $400 for a starter motor installed, you can use a reco/used one like i did if you need your car back on the road.. ok here it is

1st step start by disconnecting the battery, remove the spark plugs but write down a diagram of where they were so you dont get struck apon re-assembly, jack the car up and put it on stands, this is a MUST because of what u have to do... use a socket set, dont try using a spanner you wont get the torque you require, borrow one if u have to,

2nd step jack the car up and put it on stands on the jacking points on both side of the engine, now unbolt the headers at the head, there should be 6 bolts, without a socket wrench kit this will be VERY hard, then get under the car and soak the bolts with wd40 that join the headers to the exhust, let it sit for 5-10 mins then undo the bolts

3rd step unbolt the starter motor (from under the car there is 2 verticle bolts, get the LONGEST handle socket wrech u can get or this is NEAR inpossible (trust me had to buy one when i did it) from there there is one more bolt on the block, horizontol at the other end of the starter motor..

4th step Unwire the starter motor, this is pretty self explainatary, copy how the old one was wired up

5th step you can either shield ALL spark cables and crank it over, WARNING, if you dont have leads/the ends shielded you can do some serious damage to things, make sure NONE are touching the chassis, when i did mine i left the leads off and there was arching between the coils on the coil pack, must have been around 30,000V (not much current)

6th step With your new starter motor working fine, bolt the headers back on, put the spark leads back in, and reconnect the battery


PLEASE make sure the bat is always disconnected before you work on the car, its easy to forget after testing if it cranks....

hope this helps someone

[daylauto]

Hi just as easiy to remove the two bolts retaing the steering rack and slide out of the way starter motor is removeable through the gap created, saves a lot of time undoing exhaust headers

[cohn]

You should be able to get to the starter motor without removing anything else. it's a bit more difficult not seeing exactly what you are doing but easier then removing the exhaust or steering rack.

Staring rack involes two boltes for the rack itself to the sub frame, the two tie rod ends to the hubs/wheels. the powersteer lines, then bleeding the system one reistalled and the steering linkage for the steering wheel itself to remove.

The exhaust is about the same because there are the bolts on the head and the exhaust flange. BUT from experience from work, exhaust bolts are normally very hard to remove because they are treated to extreme heat conditions they seem to seize up very often. they also rust the studs at the flange normally so be very careful not to snap/break the bolts when removing or it will be very difficult to fix.

[PaRaDoX]

its easier to get at the terminals for the starter motor with the exhust out of the way, steering rack dosnt need to be touched,

the replacement starter i got died, so i swapped it over with a new one again

[90VNWAG0N]

Originally Posted by PaRaDoX616

5th step you can either shield ALL spark cables and crank it over, WARNING, if you dont have leads/the ends shielded you can do some serious damage to things, make sure NONE are touching the chassis, when i did mine i left the leads off and there was arching between the coils on the coil pack, must have been around 30,000V (not much current)

what do you mean "sheild"?
i am putting a new starter motor in mine tomorrow

[pow3rslave]

i think he means the boots on the leads.

[vn6pwr]

you should be able to unplug the wires going to the DFI module, that would stop spark wouldnt it?

[90VNWAG0N]

in the gregorys manual it doesnt say anything about sheilding

[defa]

this all seems too hard to me. and i really can't see holden would have made the car so you have to remove stuff to get the starter off. i know my manual one comes off without taking anything off. and form memory when it was auto it came off without taking anything else off too. i will ask a mate of mine. he is an auto elec, he would have taken heaps of those starters off. he will know..

[90VNWAG0N]

well i did mine today and i took the air intake pipe off then the manifold and it was **** easy to do

[defa]

it still seems strange you have to take off a manifold

[90VNWAG0N]

i will get a photo tomorrow (if i rememeber) its in a **** of a place

[PaRaDoX]

defa, some have 3 bolts insted of 2 bolts so you cant just do it from underneath

easiest way is to **** off that pipe its only 8 bolts